Mark Borja is a regular teenager going through the daily struggles of high school life. From cramming homework to dealing with classroom crushes, everything is what you’d expect. However, a fateful meeting reveals something strange with his and his friends’ memories. They meet people for the first time, yet they can’t shake the feeling they’ve known them for long.
Until Then is a choose-your-own-adventure game I never thought would capture my attention. Yet, its unique Filipino setting and carefully unraveling plot made this action gamer stick through until the end of the demo. Fortunately, developer Polychroma says it will launch the full game this year, so I’ll add it to my Steam wishlist!
Perhaps you should try this unique title, too. Besides the cool Manila vibes, it has an intriguing story I’d like to explore further in the upcoming release.
What were my first impressions of Until Then?
I encountered Until Then on the Steam online game library due to its intriguing thumbnail. It featured the game’s title and its Alibata translation.
Just one look and I knew this title was a Filipino game, so I looked further into it. Steam was offering a free demo, and it only needed 4GB of RAM and 3GB of storage space. The synopsis read:
“A fateful meeting sets off a chain reaction, upending Mark’s life. People disappear and memories prove unreliable. Uncover a hidden truth with Mark and his friends in this narrative adventure and race to unravel the mystery before it’s too late.”
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The video trailers and the summary gave me the impression that it had a mix of Stardew Valley’s aesthetic and Life Is Strange’s gameplay. It featured 2D pixelated graphics with modern effects like dynamic lighting and shadows.
Until Then also seemed like Life Is Strange, a 2015 video game starring a teenager who can turn back time. I typically play faster-paced games like Sekiro, so I didn’t feel like playing it at first.
However, I changed my mind when I scrolled down and saw a fishball minigame. I thought that was the goofiest and funniest minigame I’ve ever seen, so I dove right in!
What was the Until Then demo like?
I downloaded and installed the game in under 10 minutes and booted it up. Then, I clicked the Start option, and nothing was happening! I thought it was busted, so I kept clicking.
I noticed a buzz as I clicked, so I realized I was controlling the main protagonist’s alarm clock. Eventually, he woke up and bashed his alarm clock. It was a clever way to introduce Mark Borja.
His friend, Louise Ordunia, messages him about slide decks for the morning presentation. However, Mark didn’t make them because he played video games all night.
He and his other friend, Ryan Soriano, decided they would cram the project in class. Then, the game lets you control Borja from his room to the train station.
He went to Bonifacio Station, which looked like the real-life LRT-2 Katipunan Station. It also had a segment where you’d control a ticketing booth to get a single-journey ticket.
The whole experience made me feel like I was on my usual commute. Then, Mark meets up with Ryan to cram their book report presentation about Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment.”
Fortunately, the group successfully delivers their presentation. Later, the game reveals Mark has a crush on Louise, who invites him to watch her chess match.
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In response, Mark and his friends excitedly speculate about the sudden invitation, especially since she said she had something to tell Mark. Until Then lets you play out these online conversations as if you’re chatting with the crew on your phone.
Unfortunately, it turns out Louise has a boyfriend. More importantly, she seems to have memories that she doesn’t recall having.
Later, Mark speaks with his friends regarding the unfortunate meetup. Then, he realizes that he somehow feels he’s known one of the transfer students for so long despite never meeting her.
An intriguing slice of life
Until Then had asked so many questions about Mark and Louise’s strange memories. Fortunately, I could get more answers once the full version comes out this year.
You can try this Filipino choose-your-adventure game by downloading the demo on this Steam link. Also, you may add it to your wishlist from there.
If you prefer something with more action, you could try Armored Core 6. Check out my review here. Also, follow Inquirer Tech for more digital trends.