#seems strange. and when you talk to amalie and see she's digging her grave at all + deeper every day i was like hmm that seems strange)

[unproduciblesmackdown]

also more briefly: i had enough overlap with relevant circles that i saw a post Here with various examples of the in-game works of art, then some more posts that established it as "whoah game in the style of illuminated manuscripts / medieval art / woodblock printing???" and dialogue-centric rpg / visual novel kind of situation, Then someone i followed on twitter just said they'd played it and loved it so i was like hmm for once this is one of those rare alignments of [this seems sooo relevant i will check it out] and On That Basis Alone i started watching a seventeen hr. playthrough lol

so i didn't even know that there was a murder mystery component / where the story was going, so like i don't think "gotta be unspoiled" actually makes or breaks An Experience of a Work, but it's not irrelevant, and like i easily would've looked up plenty of spoilers to ascertain interest and then checked it out if i hadn't already felt enough interest ascertained to commit to starting a watchthrough, wherein like imo knowing spoilers (a) can sure be further information that something's interesting & so provide the motivation to actually check it out (the relevance of this factor surely varies, e.g. it's actually pretty demanding for me to Actually Watch Something often even when i have already seen it & so know i like it / want to rewatch it; it's both really demanding for me to "just" check out some new to me [anything], and my interest-thus-motivation threshold is pretty high, where usually i also don't actually really want to lol. things gotta Align, be So strongly relevant to me interests, &/or probably i've Been marinating on checking it out / gradually building more interest)....and (b) there's a lot more Suspense to anything when you actually know some things that will be happening imo lol

but if you don't know, you can sure enjoy more Wondering, if you're particularly doing that, and be more Surprised by things, of course

all this to set up how i was like oh mein Gott this is such an Effect when i have no idea there's a murder mystery, let alone a murder, and andreas is trying to get home At Night and sees A Ghost in the Ruins and then proceeds to a scene where suddenly there's a Haunting Soundtrack playing while an unseen mystery figure through this tiny window is crying out about Pale Horse, Matins, Pale Horse On The Floor, Death

it was So enjoyably surprising and atmospheric and i'm like oh i love a clairvoyant promise that someone will die, But Who....wherein of course i love it Knowing that indeed that will manifest, and for whom, but i truly do cherish that first time around delight of Surprise and Wondering, and it's fun that pentiment was so like "oh i gotta check this out then" that i could just jump right in and be like yes i Will be watching all seventeen hours of this that requires reading this dialogue at high enough resolution / without burning off focus while looking at some other drawing/writing process too much. it's Such a cool and effective scene, holding back [soundtrack] so much to then use it to heighten effect so immediately. and like fuck yes there's an anchorite in this game

#(i also Really Like how when father thomas showed up & was like ''i'll interpret for you sister amalie. ok bye andreas'' i was like hmm that #seems strange. and when you talk to amalie and see she's digging her grave at all + deeper every day i was like hmm that seems strange) #(but then i forgot / just let that slide lol and Was Surprised but like hey yeah well that all fits then doesn't it) #the way like i never really expect to solve mysteries but i do want them to Resonate / feel cohesive / relevant after the fact #rather than; as people point out; prioritizing ''no one will EVER GUESS'' which usually is a tradeoff w/way better elements.... #pentiment #pentiment spoilers