To start off, yes, the title is a pun – pronounced “Valhalla,” VA-11 Hall-A by publisher Ysbryd Games and developer Sukeban Games, puts you behind the bar of a small hideaway sharing its name. The game takes place in a sort of dystopian future, where robots (called Lilim) are common, riots are frequent, and for some reason, dogs can talk. I never really understood that last one, but it adds to the charm of this game. It does what it wants and it does it well. VA-11 Hall-A is a roller-coaster of emotions, but every turn is calculated and lands nicely.
To me, VA-11 Hall-A is special because it feels like the world is really lived in. The world doesn’t exist just for the player to discover it. The characters know each other and have had lives before the events of the game. You play as a bartender named Jill, and as the player, you try to catch up with her and others’ past as they reveal it through conversation. You start to develop an understanding of what each character does, who they are, what they care about, what they’re like. Every character, even ones like Mario, the gay biker dude who only show up for 10 minutes, is fully fleshed out to give you a real sense of connection with all of them.
Along that same vein, VA-11 Hall-A deals with personal interaction and relationships extremely well. The story feels very personal and emotional as the characters go through relatable struggles of love and loss. Jill herself has no one but her cat, Fore, to go home to, but it wasn’t always that way. After learning her past mistakes, we see how flawed and deeply emotional Jill really is, and so, too, do her patrons and friends. The characters who once felt distant to Jill come together to help her and each other as well. In such a crumbling society, trusting others is surely difficult, but these characters come to rely on each other for meaning in their lives. It’s why they come to Valhalla – to be saved of their monotonous and tragic lives.
The gameplay is as you would expect from a visual novel. The most you do is craft drinks for the patrons, but over time it becomes second nature. I can tell you that Mr. Donovan likes to order a large beer and I can make it without even looking at the recipe book. I thought it was cool that I eventually felt like the bartender myself. Of course, there’s no time limit on making drinks and no real penalty for messing up, but the feeling of nailing an order so knowingly was very satisfying. One of my favorite aspects of the game besides the story though is the amazing music. There are very few audio cues in terms of gameplay, but using sound is a must to capture the proper atmosphere. You get to choose from lists of futuristic music perfect to set the mood. Honestly, I’d listen to it on its own without the game. It’s that great.
Ultimately, VA-11 Hall-A is a fictional story about a futuristic dystopia, but the way it goes about telling that story makes it profoundly humanlike. It makes you feel like despite being from different times and different places, you can still empathize deeply with these characters. The feeling of wanting to lie down next to someone you love is universal, just as is the feeling of regret knowing you’ve made a mistake you can’t undo. The fact that I even identified with the brain in a jar is proof enough for me. I would definitely recommend this game as a chill time-killer. There’s little action, and the story doesn’t have much of a buildup to anything, but rather the days go by and I was just glad to be along for the ride. I’d give VA-11 Hall-A a 9/10 overall. After playing it on the Switch, I think everyone should have a tiny little Valhalla in their pocket.
Check Out the VA-11 HALL-A Console Trailer:
VA-11 HALL-A will be available on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on May 2, 2019 for the regular price of $14.99 USD and is currently available on Steam and PS Vita. It will support English and Japanese at launch with other localizations to be added to all versions later.
Nintendo Switch Review
I am an aspiring game designer looking to explore the philosophy behind game creation. Some of my favorite games include Overwatch, Super Smash Bros, Portal, and Beat Saber.
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