A review of VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

A small oasis in the middle of concrete desert. A fountain of spirits waiting for tired souls.

Welcome to Glitch City: a sprawling, hi-tech dystopian metropolis rife with corporate corruption. Within this city which reminds us of Blade Runner's L.A. we can find the bar VA-11 HALL-A (named simply Valhalla by its customers), the main setting for this game's story.

The premise is simple: the player takes on the role of Jill, a girl in her late 20s who works as a bartender in Valhalla. Throughout her work she gets to know the many citizens, both humans and androids, of Glitch City, each with their favorite drinks, their complex personalities and their stories to tell.

Despite being developed by a western team (Sukeban Team is based in Venezuela) the aesthetics of this game are heavily influenced by Japanese anime and cult retro-games like Policenauts or Hideo Kojima's SNATCHER. The carefully crafted pixel art along with the lovely synth soundtrack blend together to create a noir, cyberpunky-ish atmosphere.

Considered that it's a visual novel at its core, gameplay doesn't play a huge part in Valhalla. However, the player will be tasked with mixing drinks for the bar's patrons through an entertaining minigame. A list of recipes helps the player to mix the correct ingredients and make sure each customer has exactly the drink he wants, although he is free to add more or less of certain ingredients to alter the game's progression: for example he can choose between to serve an alcoholic drink as opposed to a non-alcoholic one to make a customer more talkative. By mixing the best drinks, Jill is able to earn the cash she needs to pay the bills, customize her room and buy various items to keep her happy.

The writing in Valhalla is very immersive and never dull. Each character in this game has his own personality, mannerisms and back-story, which will be shown to Jill as she mixes their drinks. The conversations between the bar's regulars will make you feel attached to them as the story goes on, leaving you craving to know more about them. The dialogue in the game is enriched by hilarious jokes and humorous interactions between the different workers and customers of the bar which add to the cozy and laid-back atmosphere of the game.

In conclusion, VA-11 HALL-A is a deeply atmospheric and refreshing experience, a game filled with diverse characters and sublime writing, with multiple endings which greatly adds to the replay value. I can recommend it to anyone who enjoys videogames with an engaging and interesting story.