Simple 1-2 Hour Platinum

[poetic_justice_]

Judging from posts in the now-closed thread, some players were upset in Ratalaika’s tendency to publish short, low cost games with a platinum trophy. The irony is that the party in question had not played Sagebrush. If they had, they would have understood low-budget does not necessarily mean low-quality, and a short game does not necessarily mean the title is inferior. Painting all Ratalaika games with the same brush is a disservice to Sagebrush. 
 

Is Sagebrush a short game? Yes, it can be completed in under two hours. Does it have a platinum trophy? Yes. Is the platinum difficult? No, even without guides, the game directs players where to go and what to do. Are the graphics low resolution and difficult to see? Yes, at times it is extremely difficult to navigate Sagebrush Ranch because the screen is indecipherable. So why defend this game?

 

Sagebrush is a surprisingly thought provoking game about human behavior. We will go to extreme lengths to fit in, to find a group of people with whom we belong. Sagebrush isn’t about whacky religious nuts wearing tin foil hats. It’s about normal people, broken people, trying to find a place where they belong in the world. Due to brainwashing, unrecognized/untreated mental illness, unacknowledged/untreated substance abuse issues, physical & emotional trauma, and religious manipulation, normal people devolve to the point where they don’t even recognize themselves. The cult members perform monstrous acts, but they do not come across as monsters. They seem like desperate, fearful people blindly seeking redemption from the selfish nature they see in themselves. The game’s primary developer, Nathan (who also provides the voice of James) handles the brief narrative with compassion, including the deep depression one former cult member feels after leaving the cult, her former family, and surviving.
 

Sagebrush isn’t a heroic story of good vs. evil. It is a tragedy of delusion vs. reality. There was no maniacal laughter, no bombastic villain, no lofty monologues, no mindless 2D cartoon characters. The game is a short tragedy, and I am grateful it wasn’t longer. The game did not need to be longer to make its point. If a player reads every note and listens to every audio cassette player, the unraveling of the Sagebrush community becomes clear.

 

For under $5 dollars US, Sagebrush is a thoughtful game for adults, a walking sim through a cult compound after a mass suicide. I am glad Ratalaika took a chance on the tiny Redact Studios and published Sagebrush for consoles, because it is one of the best short games I’ve ever played.

[Maxine]

Sadly, 99% of people simply play it for quick platinum trophies and go to the next game and so on. Yeah, I've been there, no judgement. 

 

But your interpretation of how Sagebrush is, really speaks volumes. I know most people won't bother to read it, but seriously, wow. 

 

I'd like to say that despite it being a quick platinum, you've looked further into the game and seen what it really is.

 

(Your PSN name is super accurate by the way)  

[HuntingFever]

I picked this up last night after reading this thread but only started playing it this morning and just the atmosphere alone is giving me the creeps ?. This game is only £2 in the current sale so there's no reason not to pick it up.

[StraightVege]

Yeah, it was surprisingly good, and getting it for only $1.19 felt like stealing. I did find myself wishing it was a bit longer, but that's just because I was enjoying my time with it. Kinda wish Father James was voiced by a proper actor, though, since the dev's performance lacked the charisma to sell him as a believable cult leader.

[poetic_justice_]

On 6/1/2022 at 0:22 PM, StraightVege said:

Yeah, it was surprisingly good, and getting it for only $1.19 felt like stealing. Kinda wish Father James was voiced by a proper actor, though, since the dev's performance lacked the charisma to sell him as a believable cult leader.

I agree. At times, the developer's monotone voice did break the illusion of a charismatic cult leader. However, at other times, I think it worked in the game's favor. Father James was talking about unimaginable, horrible decisions like they were normal, everyday occurrences. In the context of the cult, those decisions were normal, everyday occurrences, so hearing him rationalize bizarre decisions aloud without feeling any emotion made the experience more unnerving.

Edited June 3, 2022 by poetic_justice_

[StraightVege]

True, but I guess I was just expecting him to sound more like a megachurch preacher. Something like this could have really taken it to the next level.

[poetic_justice_]

I don't know where you found it, but geez, that YouTube clip is eerie! Holy Halloween, Batman!

[zizimonster]

Is this shovelware?

[StraightVege]

@zizimonster Certainly not. The original post is accurate, and I think it's worth grabbing at a discount price. Personally, I got it for just over a dollar, and wasn't disappointed.