IFComp 2024 Impressions is a series where must-play entries from the aforementioned jam are showcased for your convenience. Final Arc would like to give a disclaimer that it does not encourage readers to vote for any particular game mentioned in this series.
When I saw C.E.J. Pacian put out a call for beta testing a survival horror game, I jumped at the opportunity. Those in the interactive fiction (IF) community may recognize him as not only a long-time author of unique parser titles such as Castle of the Red Prince and Gun Mute, but also as the creator of one of IFDB's top rated games as of September 9, 2024, Superluminal Vagrant Twin. He's a certified O.G. and I was intrigued to see what he was cooking up now.
What is Forsaken Denizen?
I've been forced to liquidate my Accretion Group shares, but that's not the only interest I hold in the Royal Shipbreaking Company.
The golden, semi-corporeal roots that bind Dor in place begin to turn silver, loosen, withdraw from her veins. Freed, she slumps forward at her desk.
But this is just the start of her fight.
—Text by C.E.J. Pacian.
Pacian's latest game is Forsaken Denizen, a survival horror parser text game entered into IFComp 2024. Set in a cyberpunk dystopia within the same world as Killing Machine Loves Slime Prince, you play as office worker Dor (short for Doris) who wakes up in the middle of a city-wide harvest of its denizens by the Accretion Group. But she's not alone: Her lover, Princess Cathabel X, guides her in escaping danger. Along the way, she can recruit allies to help stop the harvesting monsters, which are called Junkers.
Junker Irereo floats serenely in the air.
One of my mechanical guardians slumps broken-down in the corner.
Junker Irereo reaches casually towards Dor.
> Shoot Irereo
Dor aims the gyro gun at Junker Irereo and fires.
The bullet blasts right through him with a golden splatter.
Junker Irereo is knocked to the ground. Slowly, he begins to rise back into the air.
—Text by C.E.J. Pacian.
The gameplay is impeccable: It's pretty much as if Resident Evil (RE) 2 and 3 were turned into text format. You have to scrounge around for whatever ammo you can find and shoot at wandering enemies, who won't go down without a fight. There's even mini bosses who give you a run for your money. Now, I'm not naming any names, and I'm certainly not going to give away any direct spoilers, but let's just say one boss resembling a particular character in the franchise may make Resident Evil fans cheer in delight and fright.
X GON’ GIVE IT TO YA. Video by The Velvet Room via YouTube.
The Resident Evil symptoms in this game are no coincidence. Pacian mentioned RE and Silent Hill as inspirations for the gameplay. But the influences don't stop there. In our email correspondence he brought up the Soulsbourne genre to explain why there's so much lore and worldbuilding in Forsaken Denizen. Fans of the Dark Souls and Bloodbourne series will have a great time searching for lore in this game and recreating what's going on.
Soulsbourne fans when they try to explain anything from the games. Video by bzpy via YouTube.
One big thing Forsaken Denizen does well
Golden roots dangle from broken skylights.
Junker Antonia sits rooted to the ground, sucking in energy from across the building, pulsating with stored vigour.
Dor stops dead in her tracks. "Who... what are you?
(Can't she see the blade-like talons? The needle teeth? The single, predatory cyber-eye? The way south is chained shut. If Dor doesn't flee to the north immediately, she's in danger.)”
—Text by C.E.J. Pacian.
Something Forsaken Denizen excels at is keeping you on the move. Throughout the game, Dor is chased by a variety of enemies who make sure that she's not safe wherever she goes. And in the few places she can hide out, there's only so much for players to do—if at all.
A statue of the Empress, with braided hair and armoured spacesuit, stands twisted at the edge of the courtyard as if fighting invisible foes with clawed hands.
(Dor knows that the button to open the blast shield is in the palm of the statue's hand.)
Junker Jago swoops through the air, swift and vulturous.
Junker Jago opens his jaw wide, flames flickering behind his needle teeth.”
—Text by C.E.J. Pacian.
A big weakness of many adventure games is having tons of explorable areas with nothing to do. Forsaken Denizen avoids this common pitfall by giving you reasons to keep exploring. To make it out alive Dor must find enough friendly parties who can provide her with the resources needed to save the city and its citizens. It's a simple yet elegant design solution. If you can't find anyone in your current location then they must be somewhere else. Along the way there you might have to face off with a Junker or two, or more. When you arrive at your destination, the question then becomes, "Am I really alone?"
The machinery here has been warped, melted, twisted beyond recognition. It drips darkness. Something has burrowed a neat hole in the facility, leading south, into utter blackness.
Someone has left a crowbar lying here.
There is a distant clattering, as of something large and many-limbed turning on the spot.
—Text by C.E.J. Pacian.
Who should play Forsaken Denizen?
Thirteen years ago. She was twenty-two and I was nineteen. When my automated guardians dropped from orbit, all they saw was someone threatening the Second Princess of the Empire of the Final Sun.
But I saw someone gaunt with hunger and exhaustion, with a weapon that didn't look like it would even fire. I saw someone with a burning flame behind her black eyes. And it suddenly felt like I'd been waiting all my life for a pretty woman to jam a gun into my sternum.
—Text by C.E.J. Pacian.
In all honesty I'd recommend this game to any fan of text games. I know this might sound lazy or even trite but Forsaken Denizen is an all-around great game. The gameplay is dynamic and flexible, the story features memorable characters and a great romantic dynamic between Dor and Cath, and there's enough lore to make the world feel alive. This fantastic IF piece has something in it for everyone.
"WHAT IS THAT HUGE GOLDEN TREE IN THE SKY?"
"The Haustorium is the literal structure of the Accretion Group, made of nanomachines and stolen life energy. The roots that have trapped the people of Illume are part of the Haustorium."
"Oh," Dor says. "Is that all."
—Text by C.E.J. Pacian.
It goes without saying but Resident Evil fans are going to eat this one up, too. Pacian did a good job translating what makes the series so beloved into his game. It feels like I'm playing a game from the classic survival horror franchise because of how I need to manage my resources, fight monsters, and solve puzzles to advance through the levels. Trust me, if you love Leon and the gang fighting zombies then you're missing out if you don't play Forsaken Denizen.
Before you hide from the monsters…
The purple cylinder of a POST point juts up from the ground. Silver roots cling to its base, bearing two glowing fruit.
In the POST point are some bolt cutters.
My hologram hovers nearby.
—Text by C.E.J. Pacian.
We managed to intercept a brief message from C.E.J. Pacian. Here's what one of our interns could salvage from his hologram’s transmission before the Junkers chased them off:
"Forsaken Denizen is the unholy spawn of my conviction that classic survival horror is a more violent take on the adventure genre - where you use bullets to kill monsters just like you use keys to unlock doors."
Ready to take on the Junkers and the Accretion Group? You can play Forsaken Denizen through the IFComp website or IFDB.
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Justin's many things: Memer, designer, developer, game maker, Tarot reader, writer, and more. Now he's a keyboard monkey for Final Arc (don't tell them he said that). Website: heyjustinkim.com
