In an era where games are saturated with laser cannons, sniper rifles, and .44 magnums, it’s refreshing to see a game where all that mindless shooting and killing is null and void. As Kevin Chen, the director of Four Horsemen puts it, “There is combat in this game, but the only weapon you have is empathy. You have to win the game with your heart.” It sounds a tad cheesy, but I like the direction the team at BabyCastles Nuclear Fishin’ Software is taking this visual novel. There’s plenty of depth, humor and intellect to this story about four immigrants who find shelter in an old WWII bunker and drown themselves in punk rock. It’s “a microcosm of real immigrant communities and the legacy of borders”, taking a closer look at what happens to immigrants after the news cameras stop following them around.

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You use your wits and smarts to make choices that affect your relationships with others, which in turn determine things like prices in shops and your number of dialogue options. I’m a big fan of the artwork, with a unique vibe to each and every character, and the overall look is definitely befitting of the dirty punk rock scene. There are tons of other gameplay features listed on the Kickstarter, which give the impression that BabyCastles Nuclear Fishin’ Software has really done a solid job working on content, gameplay, storyline and artwork before presenting it to the public. I’d like to see some stretch goals (hopefully with some voice acting), and a short team bio at the bottom of the Kickstarter. So far, they’ve raised more than $3000 of the $15,000 they’re asking for.

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The demo is also available for download, and you can track the progress of the Four Horsemen Kickstarter in our Campaign Calendar.

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About the Author

Felix Wong

Felix spent a large chunk of his youth behind a 24 inch monitor and intends to do the same with the rest of his adult life. For reasons still unbeknownst to friends and family, he decided to eschew a more conventional career path to instead become a guy who writes about video games for cash and coin.

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