Feminism, fascism, fatalism
Over the past few years, I’m sure many of you have noticed, among the developers, especially independent, became a popular genre, so to speak, “interactive games”. They, in contrast to the traditional visual novels, it is necessary to pay attention to something else other than just talk, as well as much more alive to participate in conversations, perennial plant new topics or replying to a replica of the interlocutor.
Released this year Oxenfree and Firewatch, about which I wrote at the time, perfectly represents this area, do not lose their popularity. Wheels of Aurelia from Santa Ragione studio follows the same tradition, but like the above two brothers in the genre, it turns out she is not the best way.
Wheels of Aurelia events occur in the so-called “lead seventies.” Italian young people willing to participate actively in the political life of the country: someone becomes a neo someone shared leftist ideas, and someone just wants to in this cruel confrontation to defend their rights.
Lella, the main character Wheels of Aurelia, belongs, as you might guess, the Socialists. Her look and manners -Short cut, black jacket, love for a dashing ride and constant sarcastic remarks about the beliefs and customs – instantly give it a representative of his generation, feminist, denying traditional values.
More spicy happening gives Lello neighborhood with Olga, her almost constant companion throughout the game. Olga, who in general, and adheres to the same views as the protagonistka, its background seems very feminine.
However, this disposition does not result in mandatory novel – in fact, this game passionately in love in general is not the place – but only to a variety of situations, from which the actual plot develops.
According to statistics from Steam, almost half of the users spend on the passage of the game (if not the first) 15 minutes or less. And on a minute, let’s say, eight, Lele learns that Olga was pregnant and traveling with her from Rome to France to have an abortion. Perhaps, Wheels of Aurelia begins with this recognition, not the first minute drive through the city in a sluggish thinking whether to buy more cigarettes.
At this point, the relationship between the heroines, the main of which had visited the victim of a political kidnapping, become as if purposely binary and dialogues begin to touch only the permissibility of abortion, maternity and sometimes painful events of life Lello.
By and large, these conversations, especially when Olga becomes ill and urgently needs to take her to the hospital, rather dull, although let you know when something interesting, for example, that the daughter of Communists believe in the Christian God, heaven and hell.
In addition to Olga, the main interlocutors Lello are random companions are usually able to talk only about what they care about, UFOs, for example, or football. But there are exceptions: the way Lello and her friends differ, in certain circumstances, and then the new companions of the heroine can become a former successful driver or a Catholic priest.
In this case, the set of potential topics for conversation expands considerably: from Father, for example, it is possible to talk about the kidnapping of Aldo Moro Minister, tried to reconcile the warring parties, and the attitude to this precedent Pope Paul VI of, pleads to take him hostage instead Moro.
In the course of all these complex and not very Lelle conversations need to go on a two-lane highway, trying as far as possible without crashing into oncoming vehicles while overtaking and do not touch borders and other constraints. By itself, violate the rights of the dangers of riding can not be held, but there are certain circumstances where you need to go faster and neater.
The latter choice helps car at the beginning of the game, much to the discovery of different endings begin to enter, say, or a three-wheeled van pimped. Of course, if you want to win the race with a nasty neo-fascists, who will meet you on the road, it is necessary initially to find a suitable car and not be distracted by talk time in this stupid competition.
