The Homestuck Adventure Game has been online for roughly 24 hours and it has already amassed $545,000. Yes, that is the right amount of zeroes. The goal is a lofty $700,000, and Hussie’s fans have already propelled it to nigh-completion. I debated whether or not to actually feature the Kickstarter, but ultimately as a reader of Homestuck and someone who closely watches Kickstarter projects, this game stands out for multiple reasons…and most of them are not positive.
This is one of the few games on Kickstarter that have absolutely no gameplay in its trailer. The point of a game’s trailer is to show this off, and you especially want your Kickstarter fans to be interested in the gameplay, but it is instead full of old flash updates meshed into a nice collage. It could be an anime trailer, that’s how little gameplay there was. Of course, reading through the series, I know it will likely be an Earthbound clone—something similar to the few game updates scattered throughout the site. While I’m all for a new RPG, is it really so hard to include gameplay in a game trailer? They already had those samples from the comic to show off, so it’s not like they needed the funding to develop some kind of prototype! Although it claims to be targeted at non-fans, there is nothing in the seizure-inducing flash commercial that appeals to them specifically. No plot details or even a game description—just a bunch of merged animations that are mostly in chronological order and feature a disorienting amount of characters.
Along with that, the Kickstarter itself is asking for an exorbitant amount for a PC game—a whopping $700,000. Sure, they’re reaching their goal without breaking a sweat, but that’s fueled purely by fans who will throw their money at anything. An Earthbound clone does not take $700,000, and somewhere in those numbers, someone is getting cheated. Unless they plan on switching genres and moving into 3D gameplay, color me suspicious.
But all things aside, as a member of the Homestuck readership (I wouldn’t call myself a fan, per se…), I will probably end up buying a copy of this game when it gets released. If they opt for a game play that is more action-based (similar to the Strife flash sequences) than RPG based, I’d understand the huge amount of money they’re asking for and actually get excited about it. Although the story exists as a parody of games, it has plenty of inventories and mechanics that would make a transition through the two different mediums easier. Its plot is huge and sprawling, and its length would likely be comparable to games like Okami, but it would be fun to play nonetheless.
While I am quite negative about this game’s appearance on Kickstarter, it has more to do with the presentation of the trailer and phenomenal asking price than the actual content of the game. The game will undoubtedly be funded and beyond over the next few weeks, so I’ll also be paying attention to its stretch goals as it moves forward. If you’ve never heard of Homestuck, you can dedicate a few weeks to the site—but otherwise, it’s safe to say that you can take that flashy game trailer at face value and decide whether or not you like it from that.
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