I was a bit reluctant reading this thread while partway through the game but this captured my feeling at several points. The game touches on various things, and there are so many story vignettes or asides that feel like they could just be weird flavour but perhaps they’re more relevant to the journey than you first think, so my head was trying to track so much, which was pretty exhausting. Then there’s the switching of characters, perspectives, narrative format and all kinds of other bizarre things that just… are. I mean, I love the floor of bears but then you’ve got Ezra and his brother, Julian, the massive bald eagle, or the distillery folk. KR0 requires a certain degree of literacy (which I don’t really possess) and a tolerance to magic realism. I’m also a Brit so I wonder whether the Americana was somewhat wasted on me.
Act IV is very long but it’s probably the most memorable to me. It’s also the most replayable due to its structure; you’re going to miss things. The interlude between it and Act V (Un Pueblo de Nada, @malkav11 linked to a live action version of it above) I think is one of the best segments of the game. Act V is beautiful… but I can’t deny I was left wanting more, despite being glad it was over at the same time. Hmm.
KR0 is such a strange, dense, evocative and dream-like, almost spiritual experience. I’ve no idea how I feel about it but I’m glad I played it and can definitely understand why some folk hold it in such high regard even if it didn’t resonate with me in the same way. There’s a certain magic here and it’s clearly a labour of love. There are so many lovely little touches if you’re watching out for them. I think it’s a game that’ll linger in my head for a long time.
My friend, who thinks it’s one of the best games of the last 10 years and is responsible for pushing me into finally playing it, wants me to play through it again (and possibly a third time) but after 24 hours wandering and reading I’m ready for something else. Maybe I’ll return to the Zero in the future.
