Salad fingers store Videos

I've only recently come across this project, but I'd like to share my first impressions and suggestions, in the hope they'll be helpful. It seems as though you're attempting a horror game- an imperfect art if there ever was one. One could be quick in saying that giving the player powerful weaponry (as seen in this trailer) is a poor move in that regard, but I don't think it would be an issue, so long as it is handled well (Afraid of Monsters, Silent Hill 1-3, and System Shock 2 are all good examples), so for that, I suppose I'll just wait and see. The Resident Evil style notes lying around are an effective (if done well) way to provide exposition to the player. The note displayed in this video needs work, in this regard. The best way to entice someone into reading notes is to make it fun to read. The note seems to describe the Slender Man as though the reader has already heard of him, and does so with all the charisma of a school textbook, or a research paper. This appears to be a book of myths and legends, the sort of books which I've always found to be very fun to read because of an air of mystery, and a slight (though not overdone) flair for the dramatic. But it doesn't make the enemy of the Slender Man particularly intimidating when he's described with words like "unconcerned with," and "very much enjoys." Not only does this make him less intimidating, but it seems to imply that he has a predictable nature- the entire text does, in fact- which makes the sort of cosmic unknowable evil that the Slender Man is supposed to be somewhat toned down. In contrast to my previous point, I don't think the book says enough. I previously mentioned that the book seems to assume the reader is familiar with Slender Man, and I'd like to elaborate. The note doesn't say anything about his appearance. Obviously saying "he's a white faceless guy in a suit" would be detrimental to the atmosphere, but the book fails to even mention his most defining characteristic- that he's tall. It also fails to mention specific incidences of his hauntings (which would lend credibility to the idea that this is a book), and it doesn't tie itself in with its own pictures. Take, for example, the black and white drawing included with the book. Any Slender Man fan worth their salt recognizes the image- but its relevance isn't brought up in any way in the book, which is a shame, because it could also serve to demonstrate the agelessness of the creature, showing its influence on such old works. One final set of nitpicks with the book: The end of the document is not readable past the video's watermark, and the text may be a bit too small. Easily readable on a computer monitor, yes- but not so much on a television screen. Consider spreading it out for a few pages. Next, we have the presence of Salad Fingers. I'm a fan of David Firth's work, myself- the man has a great grasp on tone, and a unique visual style. But I don't think Salad Fingers was the best choice for this game. For starters, it's incongruous to the established characteristics of him and the series. Salad Fingers lives in a mostly barren desert-like environment, with no sign of any other people taking up permanent residence nearby, and almost no vegetation. This game cannot say the same thing- in fact, it can say the opposite. It's not necessary for these elements to be kept for reasons I'll get into later- I'm the last person to demand canonical perfection, especially when it comes to something like Salad Fingers, which defies canon- but these elements are very important to the tone. Salad Fingers as a series chose this environment, as well as other important stylistic choices, in order to build up a tone of quiet discomfort and loneliness. In contrast, this game's atmosphere seems to support the feeling that you are constantly being watched (by either Salad Fingers, or more likely, the Slender Man)- which is the opposite. Salad Fingers just doesn't seem to fit in here. There are several things that Salad Fingers is and isn't, and what he isn't is malevolent. He doesn't appear suddenly, make loud noises, or even appear very intimidating. It is possible that he won't be an actively malevolent force to the player in the final game- but this jump scare does seem to imply he will be to some degree. It is clear from a comment left by you on another upload of this video that Salad Fingers' inclusion will not relate very much to his series, and he will instead be tied into the lore of this game. On a surface level, I don't have a problem with this. It's fine, in my eyes, for an adaptational work to contradict the original, even in very big ways, so long as it benefits a good product. A good horror example would be Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," which was very different from the book, but was acceptable as such because it all benefited the film. But even so, it leads me to the following question: Why Salad Fingers? Why go out of your way to receive permission to use an established character if you're going to change so much? Perhaps I am overestimating just how much will be changed. Still, if you need a character to play a "deeper purpose" in your narrative, why use a character that is already established, and entirely separate from your narrative? The cynical answer is that you thought it would get fans of that character to notice your game. But I don't think this is the case- at least not entirely. I do think you saw potential in the character and his role in your game, and that potential could potentially be filled. But it's a risky move. I hope it was at least considered to create an original character in Salad Fingers' place, and that he was chosen for good reason. As one last nitpick, jump scares like the one at 1:23 were very clearly added in post production of this video, as they don't cover the entirety of the game footage, and even cover the video watermarks. Overall, I hope I was helpful- or at the very least, interesting- and I will be keeping a close eye on your game, as I am interested in what the final product will be.