Previously, the "Sanfu" demo was unprecedentedly popular, and countless friends were eagerly looking forward to the official version. Perhaps because of this, the game's reputation was divided after its release. Some players criticized its simple puzzle-solving process and sloppy later plot, but more people recognized the game's visual expression, BGM adaptability and suspenseful experience. "Three Volts" currently maintains a particularly favorable rating on Steam with more than 10,000 points, which shows that its overall quality is still excellent.
After personally playing the game for nearly 5 hours, my review is very positive. Compared with the previous work "Fireworks" by the producer Moonlight Cockroach, "Three Volts" undoubtedly further strengthens the visual expression, and the narrative technique of traveling through different time and space makes people feel the beauty of cross-montage. At the same time, it is supplemented by excellent storyboards and cinematic transitions to ensure that players can easily participate in the plot. The discussions about power, desire, and human nature are not very profound, but combined with the carrier of video games, I did feel a fresh experience different from film and television dramas.
"There are a thousand Hamlets for a thousand readers, but Hamlet will not become King Lear." It seems that perhaps the polarization of word-of-mouth stimulates discussion among players, which is not a bad thing for this game. If you want to know why "San Fu" has received frequent praise, or are curious about where its shortcomings are reflected, I hope the following can bring answers.
Even if you have never played a demo or are not very involved in plot games, you don’t have to worry about not being able to understand "Sanfu". Games are like movies. After the opening, you need to continuously create suspense to keep people occupied and promote the progress. This work uses the case of a three-eyed child who fell and died as an introduction. Because its "dead spirit" hijacked the TV signal, our two protagonists Xu Qingyuan and Qiu Wu then launched an investigation.
If you have read some stories involving different timelines, you will not find it difficult to pick up "San Fu". The two protagonists will have hallucinations during the investigation due to the impact of watching the CD on their pupils, and the stories in these hallucinations are similar to the special ability to travel through time and return to the scene. What we have to do is to investigate the clues, and finally connect the plots of different timelines to restore the truth of the incident and find out the mastermind behind the scenes.
You see, while using mysterious events, dual protagonists, time travel and other methods to whet the appetite of players, the producers also clearly informed everyone of the purpose of the game. This first experience is really amazing.
Of course, the time jump mechanism is not an innovation, but "San Fu" introduced this mechanism soon after the opening chapter, which greatly deepened the suspense and horror atmosphere of the game. It is definitely good for the game rhythm and player experience. On the one hand, it can increase the fun of player exploration, and on the other hand, it can display the time span more intuitively.
The first three chapters of "Three Volts" are an excellent experience. Through Xu Qingyuan's perspective, the unsolved case and the company that controls the three-eyed child are introduced; and Qiu Wu, as one of the representatives of the key force Investigation Bureau, falls into hallucinations and returns to the past time and space. It was dangerous, but it also let her know a lot of secrets; at the same time, it also foreshadowed the role and way of dealing with the important supporting role Shen Yanchuan.
This game roughly involves nearly ten main characters, and even the villains have their own lives and stories. Through the exploration of the two protagonists in different timelines, players gradually understand what the three-eyed child experienced back then, and how ambitious the company behind it is.
The producer left us many suspenseful buttons, and a group portrait drama slowly began.
As the plot progresses, when it is discovered that the protagonist Xu Qingyuan has been involved in a complicated relationship back then, and even interacts with the company's villains, I think everyone will be attracted by the atmosphere of the game and silently deduce the relationship network on paper. There are many other design processes that tease the positioning of good and evil and make players doubt the identity of the characters. Together with the presentation of the group portrait-style script, it adds a lot to the game.
During the game, the three villains Yang, He, and Zhang in the two timelines also appear very three-dimensional and rich, and the bad guys also have their own behavioral logic. Whether it's for money, power, or to satisfy their own desires, they always have good reasons to surround the three-eyed child. This is very important for understanding the character's heart, and it also ensures that even friends who rarely play plot-based games can quickly get into the action and understand it.
"Sanfu" will not put any burden on you. All we have to do is follow the footsteps of the two protagonists and advance the plot naturally. I think this gradual pacing is commendable, and the first three chapters are a joy to play.
As we gradually uncovered confusing and suspenseful mysteries, for example, there was more than one child with three eyes, the company wasted no time in colluding with its superiors, Xu Qingyuan was an undercover agent deployed by the Bureau of Investigation, Qiu Wu was not an official police officer, etc. It stands to reason that the script should wrap up the clues from now on, solve the BOSS and push the storyline to a climax. But it is a pity that the rhythm of the last two chapters is no longer so tight, which directly leads to a sharp deterioration in the player experience.
To be more specific, the characters' actions in the next two chapters are often poorly motivated. For example, all the core conflicts turn to the instructions of the superiors, but Shen Yanchuan, as a member of the Investigation Bureau, ignores the opinions of the superiors, and the final BOSS hastily exits, etc.
It can be seen that the producers hope to explore the complexity of human nature and the dialectical relationship between good and evil through the character's mental journey and decision-making. But as it is said in the game, "There is nothing in the beginning, and there is no dust." Sometimes, letting nature take its course and letting the character make decisions based on the character that has been laid out before may be able to sit more firmly on the mirror.
There are also voices from players who criticize the serious functionalization of female characters. I may have to raise some objections to this point, but at least I cannot deny it completely.
Some people say that the process of Tang Yu and Qiu Wu getting lunch was too hasty, as if they were just for the sake of sensationalism, and the characters became cheap tool men. Looking at the entire story, these two people showed amazing willpower and action, and the kindness and perseverance behind them are even more touching.
Take the scene where Qiu Wu exits the scene as an example. Her guiding behavior at that time exactly reflected her getting rid of her inner demons. The patriarchal world once gave her a weakness of fear of heights, but at this moment when she steps onto the suspension bridge, who can say that she has not overcome the shadow of the past? The reason why the last sentence "She is a real police officer" is so powerful may be inseparable from the background of these plots.
The other two female characters, Secretary Su and Xiaoyun, also support their actions with independent will, and their character images are very three-dimensional. It's a pity that Xiaoyun's role is too brief, and it is a bit abrupt to follow Xu Qingyuan unconditionally and leave in the end. There is no big problem with the character's personality. The contradiction is that there is less ink and it lasts until the end. Players don't understand this character well enough, so they feel that everything about this character is awkward.
The closer we get to the end of the plot, the more obvious it becomes that the producers are losing control of the characters. The ending cannot be called a happy ending. After all, the villains at the top were not punished, and the positive characters also lost the people they cared about and cherished. It stands to reason that this kind of "difficult to calm down" should be the producer's specialty (think about what "Fireworks" will do), but unfortunately, "Sanfu" as a whole has a sloppy feel of "it's all here", which makes people feel sad. It’s a pity for the wonderful foreshadowing of the first three chapters.
Overall, the producers skillfully explored both the good and evil sides of human nature in the characterization and storyline. The characters in the game all have their own motivations and choices. Some people appear to be kind, but actually hide their dark sides (especially Shen Yanchuan); while some people appear indifferent, but develop sympathy due to their experiences and situations. This complex portrayal of human nature makes players keep thinking in the game and challenges the traditional simple concept of good and evil.
It's a pity that the producer's writing skills were slightly inferior near the end, and the hasty ending is regrettable. The choices made in the game basically have no impact on the direction of the story, and the one-way plot has basically no replay value.
The puzzle-solving part of "Sanfu" is one of the main gameplays of the game. Its sense of design is indeed commendable. Many puzzles are presented with the intention of three eyes. If you observe carefully, reason, and rely on logical skills to solve problems, you will definitely gain something from them. The fun of “playing games”.
But it is a pity that the difficulty of various puzzles is not high. For example, the film puzzle at the Lotus Dinner basically only requires permutations and combinations to pass. In fact, the exhaustive method is basically suitable for all puzzles in the game, which in turn leads to poor overall playability.
"Three Volts" also does not add common chase elements. The so-called BOSS battle is just a simple tap on the screen. The puzzle-solving stage is like an obstacle that prevents players from watching the plot. This feeling makes me a little anxious. Designing more interesting puzzles should be the area that needs improvement most in "Three Volts".
This shortcoming makes it difficult for this game to produce emotional fluctuations in terms of gameplay. It is understandable that the producer chose to use the plot to make up for the shortcomings, but in the end, I can only give a lackluster evaluation on the gameplay aspect.
The most boastful thing about "Three Volts" is the Chinese art style and Chongqing's urban scene structure. When paired with the light green filter, the suspenseful atmosphere instantly comes to life on the page. It's so right.
The game art is full of rich Chongqing atmosphere, and tradition and modernity collide in this mountain city. Three-eyed rabbits, peach secret CDs, mysterious spells, mountain city beer posters, these weird elements seem to indicate that the millennium will not only bring modern and convenient life, but also feudal superstition and evil people will come back in a different skin. Looking at the high-rise buildings in the background and the mountains and rivers in the distance, this conflict makes "Three Volts" more charming and unique.
At the same time, film-style flexible transitions, unique storyboards and other advantages are also endless. Basically every chapter has a scene that can be recalled immediately after closing your eyes. This kind of strong performance is really rare for an independent game.
The BGM creates the atmosphere of the game just right, and the suspenseful and tense music will always sting the players' fragile nerves. If you have ever experienced "Three Volts" alone late at night, I believe you will understand what I am talking about.
As mentioned above, the puzzle gameplay, horror elements and even the story of "San Fu" are not the core selling points. The game atmosphere created by Moonlight Cockroach Teacher, or the process itself, is the most praiseworthy part.
Spend 4 to 5 hours dreaming back to the qigong craze in the late 1990s. During the process, you will automatically ignore design shortcomings such as the puzzle gameplay is too simple and the later plot is slightly lacking in writing skills.
Because those beautiful and savory group portraits of characters will completely immerse you in it. Each character is so lifelike that you will never forget it for a long time after completing the level. In addition, the stunning Chinese art style and theme-appropriate BGM also deserve special praise from Steam.
Judging from the current performance, this game is still a long way from perfection. But experiencing the process of being immersed in the story, I think it is worth the price of admission. If you are looking forward to a horror story or a puzzle game, then "Sanfu" is not recommended; but if you like Chinese art, value the atmosphere of the game, or like to enjoy group portrait plots, then "Sanfu" is definitely a masterpiece not to be missed this summer.
"Three Volts" was officially released on July 28 and landed on the Steam platform.
