Until Then
Developer: Polychroma Games
Publisher: Maximum Entertainment
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5 (Reviewed)
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $19.99 USD – Available Here
Overview
Being a teenager is an awkward time of anyone’s life and many titles have tried to tackle that element to various levels of success. Some take a straightforward route, others an entirely artistic one, and others that like to throw an entirely new spin on things. Polychroma Games happens to fall into the last category with their title Until Then for a variety of reasons. Not only is the game set in the underutilized country of the Philippines but also puts a unique take on a “visual novel” style presentation. Combine this with some other unique twists and Until Then is certainly an indie game that stands out among the crowd but just how different is it?
Story
Set in an alternative version of 2014, players take on the role of Mark, a young teenager that tends to slack off and focus on playing video games with his friends but can put in the crunchtime needed to pull off passing grades with surprising ease. This has led to him being called something of an unmotivated genius by his friends, something caused by the fact that he lives alone with both parents working overseas, something apparently common for the Philippines. This happens to be quite true, as either playing the piano or video games happen to be two of Mark’s biggest passions even if he isn’t the best at the former. That hasn’t stopped him from forming close friendships with others like the endearing Cathy, camera obsessed Ribel, skilled basketball player Ryan, or even the class president Louise that everyone seems to have a crush on as he regularly texts with them and comments on their various posts through the game’s rather interesting phone system.
Despite managing to pull off some passing grades in school, Mark is struggling to find the spark to light his world on fire and when word comes in that two new transfer students are making their way to the high school, it comes with a bang. Literally. In a rush to once again crunch a homework project Mark manages to crash right into one of the transfer students, a girl named Nicole. This girl, and her rightful anger, kickstarts the spark within Mark’s life in more ways than one as he gets to know her and begins to bond with her, but there is far more to Until Then than simply some teenage relationship drama, finishing homework, and exploring places you shouldn’t.
It is worth noting that while we will do our best to avoid talking about specific spoilers for major events following this point, some events will be discussed as they play a major role not only in the setting for the game but also its story progression. Now, as mentioned earlier, Until Then is set in an “alternate” version of 2014 and the reason for that quickly becomes clear when talks of “The Ruling” swirl in the background. Now, as mentioned before, one of they unique aspects of the game is that players will occasionally have the ability to scroll through their news feed, liking and commenting on posts by Mark’s friends but this also allows players to read up on some key pieces of background information.
The Ruling was a cataclysmic event that occurred only six months prior to the start of the game, seeing thousands of natural disasters happen around the world at the same time and causing massive devastation to nearly every nation. While the Philippines managed to mostly get away unscathed, they still suffered three or four natural disasters occurring simultaneously and left the world rattled and many people feeling unsafe or separated. This strange occurrence is combined with the fact that some of Marks’ friends’ memories don’t quite line-up with one another sometimes, one character remembering something that hasn’t happened at all while another predicting something else. There are even rumors circulating that some people just vanish into thin air as if they were whisked away by spirits.
Combine the usual teenage angst with this supernatural backing and Until Then already paints an intriguing picture but this tail is one that goes far beyond intriguing. It paints a vivid picture of pain, loss, mental illness, and more to the point that some events that unfold can be quite hard to watch or feel like a direct punch to the gut, especially since these events happen later into the story after players have already grown close with many of these characters. It also must be said that Until Then plays a little trick on players as well, hiding the fact that it is far longer than it really is. While an initial playthrough may only take nine or so hours, with a simple prompt to continue the game once players have reached the ending that content almost doubles in length. What follows into the second and even third playthrough is something that is best experienced first-hand and truly a heart-wrenching tail, especially as players see more and more context unfold.
Gameplay
Now it is worth noting that while Until Then can best be classified as a visual novel, it isn’t quite a standard one. Players can move Mark around pre-designated locations and interact with certain objects, many of which are optional, and even take part in a variety of mini-games throughout the storyline. These mini-games range in quality from simple to rather challenging, though there isn’t any actual punishment for “losing” a mini-game beyond perhaps a simple bit of dialogue difference. In fact, Until Then has a static narrative path with character choices even when talking or texting only having minor variations on responses.
As mentioned before, one of the unique elements that players will have with the game is Mark pulling out his phone through standard gameplay he usually just texts, with players holding down X to type or occasionally making a choice. Usually at the start or end of every chapter is when players can often visit their feed and not only view posts by his friends and fellow classmates and like/share and occasionally comment on them, but also read into news stories about the world and what is happening in it. It is interesting to note that some characters did respond to having a post liked, so players will want to keep an eye on that.
That being said, one issue with the phone is the fact that the “highlight” of what players are selecting is incredibly faint. Way too faint in fact that it is nearly invisible and can be troublesome when trying to navigate to see more about the world rather than quitting out of the phone early simply out of frustration. It is also worth noting that while the game does autosave, it features a chapter system instead for actual saves, so players will need to replay entire chapter sections should they need to step away or stop playing at any point, something that is a tad bit annoying as well.
Audio & Visuals
If there is anywhere that Until Then manages to shine the brightest besides its storyline is with its presentation. The team at Polychroma Games have really poured their heart into the game’s designs and characters with their pixelated bodies being fully animated and even little cutscenes of fluid animation for more important moments of the story or as a surprise to show just how detailed a character can be. The world itself is also highly detailed with the backgrounds featuring Philippines style buildings and businesses. It is a bit unfortunate that some of the scenes that feature numerous characters on screen at once can see some repeated character models appear far too close together at times. It is also worth noting that there are some rather oddly translated or, at least oddly worded, sentences and pieces of dialogue that come up from time to time.
Unfortunately the game features no voice work of any kind which is something of a disappointment considering its length and how impactful some of the story moments would be should they be properly voiced. Instead though the game features a wonderful set of background music to make up for it, including a wide-range of piano music that often adds an extra bit of stinger to more poignant events as they unfold.
Overall
Until Then came as a surprise.A pleasant one at that. What comes off as a coming of age story in the Philippines after a near apocalyptic event becomes far more than that even if some of these far more strange and unique elements take a bit to reveal themselves. The heart-wrenching moments of experiencing what these characters are going through and seeing how events unfold in front of Mark and to him makes this an incredibly memorable game that does have its limitations but still shines despite them.
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