REVIEW: Dull Grey

Did you ever think about your role in society? What are your responsibilities? It's something that we all struggle with at one time or another. Now that you're paying attention, let me take you to the world of dull grey for a moment.

A boy and his mother prepare for a trip in a dystopian, grey world. What kind of journey would you like to take? A magical quest for a MacGuffin? It's a journey to save the planet. No, it's not a quest to save the world. You only need to click a button to go to the next section of text. Sometimes you will need to make a decision, which can affect the dialogue that other characters will give you. The story is interesting, even though we have seen similar dystopian finding your place premises in books, movies, and TV. This setup of finding your place or happiness in the world has been done before. Dull Gray makes it feel fresh by giving you, as the player, some options in the matter.

Let's take a look at these choices, as they may not seem very appealing at first. The main question that we are asked is "What do I want to be?". There are always options for "Lamplighter" or "Tallyman", so it's not surprising that this question is often asked. Depending on the occupation you choose, the characters that are vaguely defined will respond differently. These two options may seem like an overly binary and stale choice. You may feel like you have a path to follow. This game is more than what you might think. You'll quickly notice the impact these choices can have on the people you meet as you interact with the storyline and make your decisions. Although you can rush through the game, it is possible to get some great results by taking your time.

This is what I love about the storytelling. Although the themes may not be obvious, the way you interact with them through your thoughts and choices is what makes it so clever and subtle. This is a unique way to tell stories that I find surprisingly entertaining. Although I wouldn't say it was riveting, I did find it to be very interesting. I would have liked more detail about scenes and more dialogue. Although minimalism is fine, a little more detail would have helped me to connect with the story. Despite its flaws, the story was enjoyable. I also enjoyed the subtle ways the story could expand through new dialogue and possible endings.

Dull Gray is a visual novel. Its presentation is minimalistic. The best thing about this book is its commitment to minimalism. Dull Grey is different from other visual novels in that the images are less detailed. Instead of being overly-detailed as a lot are. The visuals are simpler and focus more on easily recognizable silhouettes with simple backgrounds. This gives the game a unique visual appeal that suits the story well.

Some very good sound design can help these images come alive. The presentation features sounds like wind blowing, flies buzzing and ground shaking. The score is also very well composed. It is moody and eerie and almost sounds like Vangelis' music from Blade Runner. This fits in well with the serious tone of the movie. My only complaint is that they could have used a few more tracks. Although the music is great, it feels repetitive. A few more tracks would have helped to make the music less repetitive.

Dull Gray is not without its flaws but it's still an enjoyable visual novel with a compelling storytelling style and a minimalist presentation that makes for an engaging experience.