I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a name more obnoxious than Va-11 Hall-A from Ysbryd & Sukebird games, but if this one is any indication they’re super chill. The game is named after the bar the protagonist works at. In this techno future a lot of things have changed: augmented humans, strange techno lights, and gritty city scapes. Yet one thing has remained constant: no matter who you are or what walk of life you come from at the end of a long hard day everyone still needs a drink.
That’s where our off-screen protagonist: Jill comes in. She’s the bartender at Va-11 Hall-A and it’s her job to make sure every thirsty patron not only gets a well-made drink but has a listening ear turned toward them. From there, the gameplay is pretty simple. A patron walks in, they order a drink (or several) and you fix it right up for them
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Making drinks requires navigating a few menus and timing some button presses. There’s a menu of drinks that has a list of all the drinks Jill can make. The first step is to look up the name of the drink to find out its made. Next, you select the quantity of each ingredient in the cocktail, then you shake or stir depending on what the customer has requested. After that, they’ll down their beverage and (typically) strike up some conversation.
There are a lot of interesting things about Va-11 Hall-A but none of them is as intriguing the bar’s patrons and the banter they engage in. Jill serves folks from every corner of Glitch city and each one has a story to tell. Some are heartbroken and are looking for their sorrows at the bottom of a bottle, others have trouble at work and need to vent about their pig-headed boss, and some just want to sit down and have a drink.
No matter who they are or where they come from they have something to say. Some are more interesting than others, but all of them are worth listening to for at least a few minutes. Most of them drone on too long or never really take the conversation anywhere. Eventually, they all get up and leave, even if some are repeat customers.
Making drinks, having conversations, that’s the gameplay. It’s not as boring as it sounds but it’s also not a game I’d play while you’re nodding off or you’re surely be put to sleep. That isn’t to say that it’s not a fun game, it’s just (admittedly) very mellow. However, if you’re in the mood to play a low-stakes relaxing game this is definitely one to pick up. I didn’t really jive too much with the story, but I did like the designs and dialogue of the customers. The only real bummer here is that there aren’t any dialogue options, each one basically goes on a monologue that’s propelled forward by Jill’s scattered input.
On the whole Va-11 Hall-A is a hard game to recommend. It’s a game that you really have to be in the mood for. If you’re ready to chill out and see some cool art, hear some dialogue from strange characters, and press a few buttons, put this one at the top of your list. However, if you’re looking for a more traditional gaming experience. Something with a little more action or strategy then I wouldn’t worry about missing out on Va-11 Hall-A. It’s a neat game to be sure, to be sure, but certainly isn’t for everyone.