Everything about this project felt so solid, professional, and sure of itself in a way that had me strapped me in for the ride from the first few pages. It always read like you knew exactly what you wanted to say and that it was worth saying. There’s such confidence and clarity to the way the story and characters are written and the world building is dispersed. The antagonists are well done and genuinely scary threats. Ulysses is a fascinating character and I only ever wanted to see more of them. Oh, and Whiskey is just a gem. Whiskey is a scene-stealing protagonist that’s a living, breathing, competent, impactful character in their own right, and the narrative never lets you forget that. I’m really going to miss them and it was a joy to spend time in their chaotic head. This was an absolutely delightful sci-fi adventure with engaging storytelling and mystery, a meaningful protagonist, fun yet weighty choices and action scenes and a small, memorable, well written cast.
Just… yeah! No notes. Well, actually except that I think from the Water Park onwards things started to drag a little and there were so many action/combat scenes when we were so clearly close to the end that it became somewhat repetitive and I found myself skimming through some of those. But that’s really it, I genuinely think Whiskey Four is perfect for the contained action adventure story it was set out to be.
Also, game design wise, it was very intuitive to read between the lines in order to make smart choices and I never felt like the choices and consequences were nebulous or frustrating. I managed the perfect run on my playthrough with nothing more than a busted leg and I read this completely blind and that’s no small feat because I’ve dropped manyyy games where I felt like I had to read the author’s minds just to engage with the skills and stats.
There’s so much to be proud of what you’ve brought to life here so thank you for sharing your art, honestly! My list of favorites from Hosted Games only gets longer and more diverse every year. Stand outs like this make me truly appreciate the HG brand and that such a variety of talented authors are given a chance to really go there and tell the stories they want to. It didn’t seem like my thing based on premise so I never picked it up but I will have to give ITFO a shot after this because I fully trust you knocked that out of the park so well it would make me love it even if historical war stories aren’t my jam
After completing Whiskey-Four, I was overwhelmed with a multitude of emotions. This game is truly remarkable and exceptional, seamlessly blending elements of action, psychology, romance, and suspense - much like a cinematic masterpiece. You become completely immersed in the protagonist’s world, as if you’re personally narrating this tale. I grew deeply attached to the main character Whiskey-Four, while the supporting characters emerged with compelling depth, each contributing to the story’s intensity and allure.
Whiskey never truly found respite, and during the game’s crucial moments, I found myself genuinely anxious and concerned for the protagonist’s fate. I must commend the author for their exceptional character development. Ulysses, with his internal struggles and unwavering love and devotion to Whiskey, was particularly well-crafted. It brings me joy that they finally found peace after enduring life’s numerous hardships - they truly deserved their happiness. I’m grateful to the author for allowing readers to imagine how they met, fell in love, and fought side by side during their youth.
Upon completing the game, I found myself yearning to learn more about their childhood - I imagine those were their most carefree and joyful days, despite any hardships they might have faced. It’s bittersweet knowing I won’t encounter them again; I’m tempted to write fanfiction about their past and future lives. I’m deeply thankful to the author, and I would gladly pay for any additional DLC or side stories about these characters .
The game’s conclusion left me with a profound sense of melancholy about humanity’s insignificance and solitude in the vast universe, and our endless struggle to protect humanity against both visible and invisible forces. Once again, Whiskey-Four has delivered an emotional feast, rightfully earning its place as a standout interactive fiction title of late 2024. I eagerly anticipate the author’s future works .
Oh the author of I the forgotten one strikes back and what an entertaining piece they deliver!
Have several novels from you guys piled up to play(along with my good VNs) so it will be hard reading this one soon but the premise sounds fun, also teasing the different flings we can have is a thing that makes any reader excited!
Having a good time with this one, but are there any walkthroughs for the finale? I am absolutely stumped on how to survive the anomaly at the hospital. I managed, as far as I can tell, a perfect run of getting to the bridge on time and with everybody alive, but in a previous chapter I already used the white phosphorous grenade to save the policewoman and I don’t get any other options to try at the very end… It mercifully sent me back to a checkpoint, but it was such a slog to get through the entire ship and I don’t know where I went wrong.
Don’t try to kill any cops at any point throughout the story before and during chapter 30, that will mean they’re not pissed at you enough to use heavy artillery on the helicopter, Mendez survives without needing to use the grenade, and you can save that until the end of chapter 45
Congratulations on the release! Like many, I’ve been looking forward to this game since it was a WIP and it did not disappoint.
Finally had time to play and considering I went in blind, turned indicators off, and hoped for the best when making choices, I’m surprised I managed to get a perfect run and have Whiskey and Uly sail off into a starry retirement without the AIU hunting them down. The AIU were shockingly nice about the whole deserting thing, and in the end Uly was shockingly mature about the “join me or die” thing. That was a much happier ending than I thought would be possible. Not that I’m complaining!
As others have said, everything about this game – from the story, to the world, to the characters – is so wonderfully drawn.
If you get a perfect run, where you save the most people possible on the ship and use the grenade on the entity at the very end, you can run away with Ulyssa and they just… don’t chase you. They don’t let you leave and wish you well or anything, they still tell you that they’re keeping you in service. You just go AWOL on them and they let you get away with it.
and that’s no small feat because I’ve dropped manyyy games where I felt like I had to read the author’s minds just to engage with the skills and stats.
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