How you found VA-11 Hall-A

3 years ago by Wintersong to c/waifubartending

First topic I figured might as well be about how people found out about this game and got to playing it.

I first saw this game way before it was released back on my days of /v/ on 4chan. I never ended up playing the demo (actually not sure if it was downloadable at that point) but I remember being interested in the threads with the pictures people were posting. I followed them for a bit but I remember people making jokes about the game never being released and when I found out it was more a VN I was somewhat disinterested in it. Plus I stopped using 4chan around that time too so I kinda forgot about it.
A couple of years after release, I had a real itch to play something in a Cyberpunk setting. I just looked up Cyberpunk games and saw VA-11 Hall-A and figured that maybe it was time to finally give it a go. Followed the screen where it said get yourself comfy and just went for it. From the get go I loved Jill, I don't know what it was, but her whole attitude and stuff was great for me. All the other supporting characters too. I really loved the setting, something big's happening, but it doesn't concern you, Jill is just someone trying to get through the day, maybe it's something to relate to there. Anyway I got a couple of friends into it too and they loved it as well, it's a bit of a hard sell with the gameplay for some people (like myself at first) but the characters and story are great.
Anyway that's that and now I own a few bits of VA-11 Hall-A merc including a Jill plush (regret not getting Dana when I could..) and now a Jill Nendroid!

DrunkOnKarma 3 points 3 years ago

I'm glad I stumbled onto your post in New Communities! Lemmy really takes some getting used to, but I'm optimistic.

I kinda just saw the game on Steam from time to time, while it was very different from my usual game genres, I tend to notice when a game gets "Overwhelmingly positive". That and some occasional references heard made me decide to get it on a summer sale. (Also I'm pretty sure I was still in the mood for cyberpunk thanks to the then recent Keanu Reeves reveal for 2077. )

I hadn't really played with many visual games but I liked the character focused story. It definitely hit me right where it hurt given the emotions and problems I had back then. I like to compare VA-11 Hall-A as the inverse of say Life is Strange. The latter is a series of spectacular events happening to someone in an ordinary world, whereas VA-11 Hall-A is basically slice of life content in an extraordinary world.

Incidentally just a few weeks after playing it I found out about a certain collaboration with the mobile game Girl's Frontline. I was just in time to start playing it and that is how I stumbled on this username.

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Wintersong 2 points 3 years ago

Also I'm pretty sure I was still in the mood for cyberpunk thanks to the then recent Keanu Reeves reveal for 2077

Part of my itch was 2077, though this was late 2017 so literally all we had was a trailer from 2013. At that point I assumed the game was never coming out, then e3 2018 proved me wrong luckily

VA-11 Hall-A is basically slice of life content in an extraordinary world.

Yes that's a good way to put it. I absolutely love it for taking this approach. No one's really anything special, I mean some things are hinted at kinda, but it's basically just a group of people who happen to visit the same bar. You really get a feel for the characters.

I found out about a certain collaboration with the mobile game Girl's Frontline.

I forgot about that. Once I heard about that collab I quickly started playing so I'd be ready when the event started. Didn't think I'd keep at it though but I ended up playing for a couple of years, still login occasionally

(also trying the android app for lemmy, but autocorrect doesn't seem to work in reply box so possibly typing errors)

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RatzChatsubo 3 points 3 years ago

I think in 2017 it dropped on the switch. I used to be a bartender and I just finished the scifi book, 'Necromancer' so of course I fell in love with this game at first sight.

I'm currently a bar manager and play this time to time to relive my experiences behind the bar. That's one thing this game does perfect, and that is giving you that unique experience of tending bar and seeing regulars. Same vibe.

I also love the music for this game. Garoad is fantastic and I follow his work.

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DreamySweet 2 points 3 years ago

The prologue/demo was in the suggested games section on the download page for another game on itch.io. The thumbnail was a picture of Anna Graem and I thought she was cute so I clicked it to see what the game was and played the demo. Later, I saw the game had been released on gog.com so I bought it there. I have since recommended it to a lot of my friends.

I wish I had ordered the plushies when they were available. The only merch I have is a t-shirt that a friend bought me as a joke gift for my birthday which I cannot wear in public.

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Phantasm 2 points 3 years ago

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Wintersong 1 point 3 years ago

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