Mixing Drinks and Changing Lives

I've finally made a couple of purchases in the Steam Winter Sale and am happy to say that my restraint has proven to be a good thing.  No, I did not cave and buy the big name titles I mentioned in my last post, but instead opted to go for one big name title (DOOM.  I was hesitant to buy it...but daaaaaang if it isn't fun--but more on that later!  I haven't finished ripping demons into chunks yet) and one indie title--VA-11 Hall-A:  Cyberpunk Bartender Action.  You're thinking "what, the what?"

VA-11 Hall-A (which I am going to refer to as "Valhalla" because it's easier) is a game that you probably haven't heard of and which might not appeal to every gamer.  Trying to pick out genres to describe it is difficult.  It touts itself as a "cyberpunk" game and is set in a sort of dystopian future filled with genetic experimentation, AI's/robots (called Lilim), ominous powerful corporations, massively corrupt police forces...the whole questionable future grab bag.  But you won't be seeing those things directly.  Instead, you will learn about them through people you meet as you play the role of Jill Stingray, bartender at Valhalla.

As bartender Jill must interact with the people who work at the bar--her boss, Dana and her co-worker Gillian (a guy...named Gillian)--as well as the patrons who turn up for a drink.  Every day there is a different story and set of clients.  There is very little interaction with the clients and the "gameplay" hinges on paying attention to drink orders and then "making" drinks.  Each drink has a specific recipe that must be followed and involves dragging the correct amount of ingredients onto a shaker and then making sure that ice is added, a drink is aged, or it is mixed or blended.  That is about as "game" as it gets.

The majority of the game is about the interactions that Jill has with the clients at the bar.  Each character has their own personality and set of joys, problems, or psychoses and the more they visit the bar, the more you get to learn about them.  There are no dialogue options, it's just you sitting back, enjoying the drama in the lives of all the characters and occasionally mixing a drink.  Those interactions also slowly unwrap the story of Jill, the bartender herself.  I've seen the game described as a "visual novel," and that would be an accurate description.

Vallhalla shines in its ability to tell a story with a cast of kooky but engaging characters.  As they return to the bar throughout the game you uncover just a little bit more about their personal story.  And man....are there some interesting stories!  There's Dorothy, the Lilim (a type of AI/robot) who is an upbeat sex worker; there's Sei, a member of the city's paramilitary police force; there's Rad Shiba, a talking dog who wears sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt; there's Jamie, an assassin who also happens to be a really nice guy...and there are many, many more.  The characters are well written and oddly relatable.

Even though there aren't many choices to make throughout the game, those that you do make have an impact on the story.  Remembering someones favorite drink and serving it to them or deciding which purchases Jill should make are all decisions....even if they don't really seem that way.  I thought I was doing pretty well but one choice made me end up with the "bad" ending (which really isn't all that bad).  There are several different endings involving certain key characters from the bar.  I am eventually planning on going back and replaying the story to get a different ending.

I enjoyed Valhalla, but it might not be everyone's cup of tea.  Let me try to break down what I liked...

Liked:
--Anime style without being too....anime.  This is a personal preference.  I'm not into anime.  I don't really have strong feelings about it, but I can appreciate the aesthetic and the fact that some people enjoy it.
--Mixing drinks is simple, but strangely enjoyable.  There is some freedom in what you choose to serve.
--Music/Soundtrack.  One task Jill performs every day is to choose music for the Jukebox.  You get to pick the songs that play in the background.  The music has a fun, retro feel and can impact the mood of the story.
--Well written, relatable characters.  It's fun to get to know the lives of the fictional patrons at the bar.
--Goofy, adult conversations.  There are plenty of more...adult references that will make you chuckle.

Who would like playing Valhalla:
--People who like stories told through game-like mechanics.
--People who like to read.  You are going to read lots of dialogue.  If you aren't the type of person who likes to read in games....probably not a good choice.
--People who like lots of character development.
--People who like relaxing, casual games.