Strangely enough, there is a television show about giant monsters being produced in the very same town. The only true threat Sota knows comes in the form of giant monsters which have been trampling the countryside. Sota is at a time and place where children didn’t fear strange adults as they might today, so he runs around town talking to every man, woman, and child without worry of what it may lead to. This speaks to the relationship that the player will experience in interacting with the world of Attack of the Friday Monsters, as filtered through the mind of a Japanese boy. It doesn’t matter how often the player may put Sota in the position to carry out that errand he just can’t remember to do it. Perhaps because of his age, Sota is simply not able to remember to carry out this task. Or maybe Sota is too innocent to see these complications, and it’s just we, the player, that sees the cracks in his parents’ relationship? There isn’t too much time to consider that question, as Sota’s mother sends him on an errand shortly after the game begins. Along with his new home comes a new understanding that his parents’ relationship may be more complicated than they’ve been willing to show him before. You play as a young boy named Sota who’s just moved into town. Anyone who has been in awe of a dialogue-free sequence in a Ghibli film - like Mei’s exploration of Totoro’s forest, or Ashitaka’s quiet journey of exile from his home village - will know what I’m talking about. While most games that take the “cinematic” approach do so with loads of virtual acting and dramatic turns, Attack of the Friday Monsters sticks to pacing, framing, and beautiful artwork.
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