Okay...so...I've watched a Heavy Rain playthrough, another QuanticDream game that strongly influenced the development of D: BH (I binged the whole thing yesterday and I can say that I'm going through a bit of a body and psychological horror overdose 😂). I found out and thought about most of the pathways, and I simply HAVE TO KNOW if you know the game...because the plot and character parallels between the games are so strong sometimes, but Heavy Rain has a way stronger horror vibe than D: BH. The reward program in SOLID made me draw parallels to the addiction theme for the character that is most like Connor in Heavy Rain. There is in fact, one completed Human Connor AU on AO3 that crosses over with Heavy Rain in a cool, believable, world-building expanding way, in case you're interested (still haven't finished it, but loving it).
I think that your serious, fairly gritty, and psychologically confusing story beats in SOLID are sometimes very similar to the mood of Heavy Rain, if only because it and you have a common thematic bridge via D: BH. Anyway, I love that so much, it's made me appreciate SOLID all the more. Heavy Rain is an intense, dark, tragic game to watch (seriously, bright crimson warning label for people with familial loss or related trauma) I definitely don't want to play it any time soon 😆, but I highly recommend it.
It's definitely not a perfect game, it has several instances of narrative issues, but I'm not here to rant about that, although I have private ideas of how to add to the plot to make it better. Who knows...maybe I'll actually write something one day...
Apparently I do have Heavy Rain, I think I bought it alongside DBH on a developer's sale because I also have Beyond Two Souls for some reason BUT! I'm yet to play or watch a gameplay of it... Mostly because I'm playing Death Standing right now and if I focus on more than one game at a time my head starts to smoke LOL. I am looking at the horror vibes with VERY much interest though I assume it's more psychological than just standard jumpscares given the devs hopefully..? <= words said by guy who still hasn't finished FNAF because what if animatronics yell at my face
I might check that fanfic out!!! I'm not the biggest fan of the human/swap AUs (like the ones where Gavin/Hank is the android) because I like my robots crunchy with vents and pistons and armor and turning them into people is like the polar opposite of that LOL but! If you fw I'll probably also fw it ‼️ obviously I'll have to finish Heavy Rain first... (And to do that finish up Death Stranding) And then finish up the current chapter of SOLID... So like it probably won't happen in this week lol.
Also THANK U I've never really written anything on the more serious/gritty side of things. (Never really wrote anything out of OC stuff I suppose overall) So! It's good that it's coming off the way I want it to :] Sometimes I wonder if the joking/silly moments are a little too much but then they are the ones holding the whole roof up y'know. Giving everyone a little breathing room. Otherwise it's just a spiral into worse and worse situations to keep the stakes fresh and alive!!! And I can only throw Markus into a meat grinder enough times untill it stops being believable y'know. Like wow you got shot? You got shot again? And again? Wow you're in a coma? Like at some point just go out wearing bulletproof armor man (<= Markus does not go into a coma this is just an example)
Oh and you can rant about it ☝️ I love it when people go insane about things like anything (but maybe wait untill I'm done with it LOL I really don't know anything about the game) AND of course write something!!! A little spite is the best kind of fuel I'd say. Point at the faces of quantic dream and say that you could have done MUCH better!!! Say that they fucked up the whole execution!!! I... Don't know the plot points so I can't really comment on them but surely they DID mess up some parts LOL