As his previous efforts have shown us, Vanni is determined to redefine the way we see RPGs, and to accomplish his vision he has even gone so far as to program it from scratch in C instead of going about the usual route of whipping up crap in RPG Maker like a mere commoner. This may prove he's no scrub, sure, but even the best of developers can slip up sometimes, so is this an example of such?
Pony fans will definitely want to check this one out, so read on below the break for my thoughts on it.
Reality ensues upon starting BFS' executable: this is a game, and thus it must load stuff. This may seem rather unpleasant, but upon the fourth or fifth playthrough the average player will get used to it and maybe even come to enjoy the loading, as it gives one time to prepare oneself for the incredible experience ahead. It also helps that it has the decency to show you exactly what it happens to be loading at the time, giving one a truly visible indication of its progress.
I'd consider BFS to be an example of modern art, really. Gameplay is deceptively simplistic, with its smooth The Matrix-esque scrolling effects having a rather soothing effect on one's mind, but there's an odd sort of beauty to it that one is hard-pressed to find in any other game of recent memory. One could compare it to NetHack or Dwarf Fortress in a certain sense due to various aesthetic similarities, or even the majority of Lego Island 2 if one is so inclined. It's definitely a great way to wind down and blow off steam after a long day of hard work.
Learning the plot isn't exactly essential to this game, although from what I've been informed it involves the marriage of Queen Chrysalis to King Sombra, and their ensuing invasion on the Crystal Empire. It doesn't appear to have much relevance to the actual gameplay, though, as the story is unveiled through subtle environmental cues that casual observers will easily miss upon a first playthrough. Some might complain about this, but I honestly don't mind all that much. It's nice to have a game every once in a while that respects the player's intelligence and expects them to figure things out on their own for once.
B
S for us Linux users though, since the game somehow doesn't have a Linux build even though it's written in C and uses multiplatform libraries. Ah well, at least it should run well enough in Wine and can thus provide an interestingly introspective experience for users of all operating systems. Be sure to thank Vanni for his wonderful creation, and maybe check out his groundbreaking Fnagame while you're at it.
