This Malaysian-Made Game Is For Those Who Love Dark And Twisted Stories
Warning: The game is 18PL (a combination of two or more adult elements, such as violence, horror, and sex).
By Yap Wan Xiang — 21 Jul 2020, 07:07 PM
If you have two to six hours to spare and have always wanted to support local artists, musicians, and game developers, here is your chance!
Introducing visual novel game Fires At Midnight.
Fires At Midnight is a game developed by a group of diverse Malaysians at Persona Theory, the same studio that collaborated with another game company to bring you Sara Is Missing (SIM) - which took the Internet by storm in 2017.
However, unlike its predecessor, Fires At Midnight is much darker and way... way... more not safe for work (NSFW). We are talking about heavy themes, such as nudity, sexual assault, mental illness, suicide, and more.
If you are still reading this, know that you are in for a ride with this twisted game!
The game is playable from the perspectives of two characters: Yun and Chitra
Fires At Midnight is set in 1999 Kuala Lumpur, before the world moves into a new millennium.
While the game is catered to gamers all around the world, Malaysians will definitely appreciate it better because you will hear a character saying "tapau nasi lemak" in one of the scenes and you can expect many more local Easter eggs.
"In a world where making love without being in love makes you spontaneously combust, the person you love most may be the one who burns you in Fires At Midnight - a cinematic and interactive visual novel about a couple who struggles to stay together," reads the synopsis of the game on Steam.
Players get to control the decisions made by Yun, who is an up-and-coming photographer struggling to balance his life and the relationship with his live-in girlfriend, Chitra.
According to Kakuchopurei's review of the game, after Yun's arc is finished, players will then play the game again - but from Chitra's perspective, who is an artist with a traumatic past.
If you are a fan of Doki Doki Literature Club!, you will definitely love this as well.
The game will bring you back to the tech you were familiar with in the late 90s.
Image via Twitter @personatheorymyThere are three endings to the game, so every decision counts!
You will be spending your time uncovering each story thread by solving interactive puzzles. Each ending will take you about two hours to complete, so if you wish to explore all possible endings, know that your weekend will be occupied.
While controlling Yun's character, you will be tasked with recalling memories by combing through Yun's things, looking at newspaper headlines, playing mini games, and listening to different music. (Psst, the game features music from two Malaysian bands, namely mutesite and Golden Mammoth.)
When you are controlling Chitra, you will have to complete a photobook for her. You will need to find hidden objects through Fires At Midnight's 'Second Layer' - which is essentially a Batman-style detective mode that allows players to detect characters' mental state and other hidden details.
The game is available on Steam and itch.io
The game is priced at RM28 on Steam, and USD9.95 (RM42) on itch.io.
According to a press release by Persona Theory, the game is playable on both Windows and macOS.
Since it is a visual novel game, the system requirements for the game are very low too. As long as you have 5GB of storage space, 4GB RAM, a 2.4Ghz processor, and 512MB display memory, you are good to go.
For more information, visit Fires At Midnight's official website here.
