I have not played this game. But by the looks of it, it looks ridiculously good. And this is not coming from a gameplay or technical perspective - since technically I have not even played it - but the theme, the sensation and the concept of it is simply ingenious. It is no secret I am a fan of structures and symbolism, and here are some thoughts that came to mind when I watched reviews and let's play footage of the game.
There is not much plot to spoil here, but anyway the basic idea is that this is a co-operative game where you will need someone to play with you. The two of you pilot a spaceship through space, rescuing bunnies, while fighting off anti-love aliens, avoiding obstacles and exploring the uncharted universe; that's about it. The magnificence of the game comes within the concept.
From what I can see, there are essentially three things the two players have to do: Attack (By firing cannons or the special weapon), Defend (By rotating the shield to block off enemy attacks), and Move (with the ship's booster). What this means is that players are no longer independent of each other, and more importantly players cannot stay at the same posts as there are only two pair of hands for three jobs. Coordinating your path through the loveless spacetime requires real coordination between players in real life - one piloting and the other defending, and when facing a horde of enemy to booster and run while shielding, or back to one corner, throw up the shield and have both players fire the guns. The anxiety and excitement generated from these three tasks, I feel, can only be experienced when you play the game. Which I really should, but this brings me to a next problem.
The theme here is 'lovers'. The game currently does not have a online multi-player mode, and game reviewers have cited this as one of its greatest weakness. For me, as much as I agree having the online mode turns this into a better game, it downplays the theme of 'lovers' - the idea of having two person sitting on the same couch, talking to each other face to face and not through headphones, and going through a series of dangers together. What's more, the threat here is Anti-Love, and this is essentially two person journey to find the path of love together - this is not a game to play with a friend, your brother and especially not some random person online. The current state of the game, I feel, places the game right where it should be.
And as I watched my second video on gameplay footage, I felt a sense of tingling... loneliness. The longing for such a partner to play this. It is kind of like Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons - but that of course is about a relationship between brothers, or your left and right hand. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a co-op game that calls for lovers - to undertake this journey together against whatever that is stopping you from bringing Love to the entire universe. And on this journey, there will be quarrels, there will be moments you fume up as your partner fails to support you in the way you want them to, there will be disagreements on where to head to next, or what to do together, or who to play what roles. But like love, there will be joy, moments of dancing together to celebrate a mission well done, moments where you are thankful that you are not on this journey alone, and moments where, you think, you realise that this person beside you may just be the right one, to travel to the edges of space and the ends of time.
I haven't felt so much doubt about singlehood ever since I watched Her by Spike Jonze. The feeling that something is missing, after seeing such a perfect game yet not have someone right to play it with - it just feels like I'm looking at a loving couple at the altar, burning with envy and wondering why can't I have a life like that. What this shows, I guess, is that Games, truly can be and should be considered Art forms, especially something like this - and most importantly, an Art that is not like films or dramas. A game shouldn't need long cutscenes and plots filled with twists to pretend it is a movie or anything. Instead, I think a Game can only be considered Art when the interactive, the 'playing' of the game, is invoked, It makes the player not only immersed in the experience but also involved in how the game is played out. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is truly a stroke of genius, a work of Art. I hope the studio continues to make such games in the future.
I haven't felt so much doubt about singlehood ever since I watched Her by Spike Jonze. The feeling that something is missing, after seeing such a perfect game yet not have someone right to play it with - it just feels like I'm looking at a loving couple at the altar, burning with envy and wondering why can't I have a life like that. What this shows, I guess, is that Games, truly can be and should be considered Art forms, especially something like this - and most importantly, an Art that is not like films or dramas. A game shouldn't need long cutscenes and plots filled with twists to pretend it is a movie or anything. Instead, I think a Game can only be considered Art when the interactive, the 'playing' of the game, is invoked, It makes the player not only immersed in the experience but also involved in how the game is played out. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is truly a stroke of genius, a work of Art. I hope the studio continues to make such games in the future.
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