Gen X Ends The World – Gloom and Doom Review

We all knew it was coming.  If anyone was going to end the world, it would be Gen X.  The forgotten generation that has only been further marginalized by our continuing online society is, as a group, not unlike the unicorn in their nigh-mythical ability to survive and thrive in an increasingly collapsing society.  And in this case, that’s the perfect setting for a game!

Gloom and Doom is a visual novel that follows the exploits of Wynona, a teenage girl in the ‘90s who happens to dream every night of the end of the world at her hands.  She’s scared because she’s a genuinely nice person and rather wants things to continue (kind of the dream of all of us GenXers).  Now, you wouldn’t know this from the beginning of Gloom and Doom because the intro is surprisingly crude and introduces us to Gloom, a wraith that kills demons.  It’s a strange dichotomy to start with a rather colorful intro with Gloom and then shift to Wynona, but that’s how things start out in Gloom and Doom.

The game is a traditional visual novel with some choices available to players as they navigate their way through the increasingly compelling world set out by developer Neo Tegoel Games and publisher Viridian Software.  And don’t let appearances fool you here…Gloom and Doom is absolutely compelling.   While things start off a bit more colorful than some players might care for, they settle down awfully quickly to create one of the best-written visual novels in years.  Wynona and Gloom slowly come together, meet, and the resulting adventure is well outside of anything a player might expect.

Now, let’s be clear, this is entirely a visual novel.  There’s no real gameplay, only some branch options and those options definitely have an impact on the final form of the plot at the end of the game.  But there’s a lot more supernatural and religious iconography than you might expect in Gloom and Doom.  This is a carefully crafted and complex game that slowly builds each character (partially based on your decisions) in a way that makes everyone remarkably compelling.  Wynona and Gloom have layers of depth that slowly build until the player is entirely engaged in the plot and invested in the outcomes of Gloom and Doom.

You might think that’s an exaggeration, especially since the visuals in Gloom and Doom are well below the average quality of top tier visual novels like Clannad or Steins; Gate, but be assured that this is a seriously well-made game.  In addition to the main plot, there are several sub-plots that pay off in tiny ways throughout the game and the script and world-building are simply excellent.  For a game that’ll only take you maybe 5-8 hours and costs $40, you’d think that you weren’t getting your money’s worth but you’d be sorely mistaken.   Unfortunately, you’ll just have to take it on faith (ironically) because it would be practically criminal to ruin the plot and options in the game.

What’s interesting about Gloom and Doom that one doesn’t often see in visual novels is that no decision is set in stone.  Make a choice and you don’t like the outcome?  Simply rewind and make a different choice.  Nothing’s set in stone forcing you to play back through again if you don’t want to and the rewind function is very robust, allowing you to zip quite far back to reverse a choice that you’re unsatisfied with.  Naturally, there’s also a text log included and touch screens are enabled, as should be standard for all visual novels (and irritatingly isn’t for many).  However, there are a few flaws to see here as well, some standing out more than others.

First off are the visuals in Gloom and Doom.  This is an ugly game, no two ways about it.  The artwork is sub-standard when it comes to visual novels and lacks the elegance that many other high-quality VNs sport.  Just ignore it.  The art is serviceable and grows on you as you play.  Sure, it could be better and the animated transitions could be improved but if you’re a true VN fan, you’re here for the story and you’re getting it.  Even the font choices are a bit odd.  Sure, they fit a certain ‘90s aesthetic that is in line with the plot of the game but basically the entire visual presentation could have used some significant refinement.

Second and more painful is the audio for the game.  In playing Gloom and Doom for this review, there was a noticeable lack of any significant soundtrack and the sound effects were minimal at best.  There was even a glitch partway through the story that replaced the sound for the entire rest of the game (and we’re talking several hours) with constant unending police sirens.  Seriously.  And this is still a game that is absolutely and unequivocally worth your time.  Turning the sound off made no difference to the quality of the story.  It’s just good.

Let’s put it another way.  There are angels.  There are demons.  There’s believable teen angst.  The bad guys aren’t who or what you’d expect.  The good guys aren’t who or what you’d expect.  Gloom and Wynona are such interesting and human (just roll with it…you’ll see) characters that the entirety of the plot swirls around them almost hypnotically.  Even the supporting cast is outstanding and once you get to the skate park, you’ll really see what that means.  For a game that has weak visuals, serious sound problems, and no voice work, that’s a big sales pitch, it’s true.

Simply put, Gloom and Doom harnesses the angst, lack of identity, and overall contempt for society that is the hallmark of Gen X, turns it into a story worth of Neil Gaiman, and then packages it up into a short and intense experience that keeps you wanting to come back until it’s finished, assuming you don’t just sit there enraptured for the entire thing.  Sure, some of the jokes and asides are silly.  Some of the quips are painful.  The off-color content is sophomoric.  But it all only adds to the charm, and the deeper themes (including suicide) are intensified for all of the light-heartedness and tongue-in-cheek silliness of other portions of the game.

Gloom and Doom is unique in the visual novel world.  It’s a Western VN that focuses on character development and effectively uses a strong supporting cast to tell a story that claws the reader in and doesn’t let up until the ending.  The technical side of the game suffers from some missteps and the price point will put off players, but looking past those defects, you’ll find a gem in the rough.  A game that under other circumstances would legitimately create a cult following and fan fiction.  Gloom and Doom will likely slip under the radar of all but the most hardcore VN fans and that’s an absolute tragedy because this is one game that you should definitely not backburner.  And when you do buy it, don’t expect to be pulled in instantly.  Instead, Gloom and Doom manages a slow, gradual transition from throwaway shovelware to one of the best modern VNs out there, all while you have no idea it is happening.  Suddenly, you’ll just be sucked in and the time you’ve spent is utterly worth it.  This is not your average visual novel.  Gloom and Doom is a masterpiece hidden in a brown paper wrapper, and hopefully you unwrap it.  You won’t regret it if you do.

Author’s Note:  The publisher has stated that a patch is coming for Gloom and Doom that should resolve the sound issues on the Nintendo Switch.

This review was based on a digital copy of Gloom and Doom provided by the publisher.  It was played on a Nintendo Switch in both docked and undocked modes and played equally well on both.  Gloom and Doom is also available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on Steam.