I think it's great that another Taiwan game comes around, despite the translation being terrible, and that it's barebones choose your adventure, roguelite inspired. It does have an intrinsic way of teaching the player how capitalism works when it comes to harvesting souls.
Like I went in, only knowing little, while it did its best to let me know the stakes, I went in half-blind and I got my trainee soul ripped apart and put back together time and time again. It is lacking, however, in broader mechanics to provide some relief. Though, this is kind of a thinking man's game. Trainee Death Simulator really puts you in the pedestal.
It's not easy either, you can mess up so bad, redoing it will feel like it messes with you a bit. Then again, the ones working for this organization are so morally bankrupt, and out of control just to get as many souls as possible, it turns into a gambling simulation as well.
Look, I get that Taiwan humor is not easy to get. But look at it this way, those are scythe kills, and could easily imply that she's attacking her own kind. Which sort of actually happens, that's why it's called Trainee Death Simulator. It's also kind of like a social experiment of sorts.
My character wakes up one day, and realizes she now works for death, who has to go through the passages of time and space to collect souls. This concept here is more skewered, so bear with me. Since she kind of doesn't have a choice, despite the illusion of one being given. There's a clever way of sardonically fooling you into feeling secure about your choices.
You have choices to make, just between two, but some of them have follow-up choices where the deciding factor makes the end results. Like, you see the objectives on the right. Yeah, let's say you pick the right ones, you make new friends, and they help out through the endeavors.
Not the soul collecting part, again I am the morally ambivalent one. But different dimensions have spirits that'll make risky bets with me, do investments around souls, sell items I can use to my use or detriment. Long as the latter aren't permanent. Making the best choices are also important, because there are deadlines. First one is 20 years, and I have to get 1000 souls.
I came short around 63 souls, and then this one other assistant of death filled up, but put me on debt by paying double what they gave. Of course, they don't play nice. Playing well, and collecting souls are important, otherwise you see that Trainee Death counter? It randomly goes up, that's not the amount of times I replayed it. But it can imply that I have. Also, collecting souls involve taking risky moves, sometimes playing evil is the only way to survive. That, or my luck is bad.
Lastly, there are the attributes. The 4 attributes or meters goes like this (I don't know what they're precisely about, translation is irritating). Top is faith, bottom is evil, left is strength, right is energy. Let's say my energy is spent, if that's the case, then my death count goes up, I have to start all over.
For fun's sake, if you want to experiment and go haywire, you'd be welcome to. I sort of stopped after a while, and around the time I got the hang of the game, I also realized my level attributes allocations are permanent. That is important in order to play the game easier. Dear god, it's bad enough I have to rethink my choices, now I have to sort out this stuff.
If you don't like constantly just pressing between two buttons, maybe immersing yourself with the characters will do. They're nice, with some endearing characteristics. Especially this one-eyed cat that warns me not harm elves in the land after making me swear I won't.
Forgot to mention those meters are also something I have to balance. As one gets full, I will go crazy, like having too much faith means I declare some all-out war against heretics. Too evil? Well, I never tested that, but can get the gist of what happens with energy too, like I work to death, that's why my death count stupidly goes up. And my souls will go away.
Also, do not, I repeat, do not play nice. It's ok to do your job, if it involves being horrible at times. At the end of the day, despite the game punishing me for not maintaining equilibrium, it's telling me it's ok to be this way. It's a social experiment for me to figure where my choices do take me. In the most intriguing way, choose your adventure types usually do.
To pass the time, this one seems interestingly fun enough. Maybe for weebs, but I sure got by the whole capitalist thing going on. Seriously, I will go back in time to betting on Alexander the Great, just to make enough buck to survive. Otherwise, seemingly these debts, death counts will probably be my ruining. Also, try to find good items like the Eye of True Sight I got.
