Холодный Урожай
A few weeks before Christmas, Robert (NEET)*, the main character, finds a flyer under the door with a job offer. For this work, as it turns out, the company pays good money. Facing financial difficulties, Robert overcomes his fears and goes out to be interviewed. Passing through the park, he meets a girl who awakens in him what he has been hiding from for the last three years (an uncontrolled erection). Despite the difficulties on his way, Robert manages to get a job as a courier. Completing the first order, he discovers a 100% way of how to seduce any girls and soon completely surrenders to lust. For a while, everything goes well, until one morning, he discovers horns on his head.
The Cold Harvest is a visual novel, an adventure, a dating simulator, and a world open to exploration. Visually, the game looks like an interactive comic (black and white manga) with colored elements and chapters.
• free movement
• interaction with characters and objects
• day and night mode
• transferring objects between locations
• puzzles and riddles
• dynamically developing plot
• mini games
• romantic relationships with lots of girls
• horror and action scenes
• Christmas atmosphere
You can play as different minor characters. Their storylines run parallel to the main story. This will allow you to get to know them better, and in some cases, save their lives. You will often have to choose which of the minor characters will survive and reach the final. The game has several endings. Therefore, you will be able to play it several times differently.
* NEET, an acronym for "Not in Education, Employment, or Training", refers to a person who is unemployed and not receiving an education or vocational training.
Game Discussion
Steam User 10
I wish I had a third option of Yes and No at the same time. This story is a bit Faulkner in terms of chronology and Harold Pinter in terms of characters (day to day characters with a bit of a mystery behind them).
There is something happening (illness, obsession, perversion), something that happened in the past (a party, teacher, students, sexual outfits) and something that will happen in the future (a one-hand bald man talking about a "harvest").
The story did get me a bit interested. I wonder what happened that made this boy, Robert, live in misery or as a recluse. He is absolutely afraid of girls and, for this, he needs to take medication. But, after a few daily tasks, he needs to meditate and he is using the sexual magazines. I was like "Boy, those are bad for you!" And the thing that set me off was that the cat is fetching him these magazines!
PROS:
- Nice graphics and chilling music;
- Wonderful character representations;
- Choice-making and Inventory Items to Drop, Apply, Explore, Read;
- Fragmented chronology;
- Intriguing plot (players want to know more);
- Game lets players discover how to play mini-tasks.
CONS:
- The balloon sounds scared me (too loud);
- Players have to click on the arrow to read the next text (try to make players click anywhere on the screen - that would be useful);
- No achievements;
- I would prefer a disclaimer or banner before the Main Menu or after the New Game where players are made aware that the game contains sexual images, allude to sexual perversions or contain sensible matters.
With this said, I wish the dev team good luck in crafting the second chapter. I have to say that I want to know what happened and what will happen to Robert. Would he get over his illness? Would he escape the madman's "harvest"? Would he befriend Holly (his neighbour)? Would he break free from the magazines?