Cyberpunk Game - VA-11 HALL-A aka Valhalla (Cyberpunk Bartender Simulator).

If you're watching this video, chances are you're a little like me. I love me some Cyberpunk. Cyberpunk Curated is a series of videos covering interesting games that emit the cyberpunk vibe either aesthetically or mechanically, hopefully both. Today I would like to talk about the VA11-HALL-A .

Valhalla is a cyberpunk-themed game where you play as a bartender in a retro 16-bit aesthetic. Does this game exude the cyberpunk vibe we know and love and immerse us into the gritty underbelly of the city? Or does this game devolve into a "talking simulator" with a dull minigame attached? Let's find out in this episode of Cyberpunk Curated...

The idea of a cyberpunk bartending simulator is genius in my book. You could tell tons of stories through characters showing up for a drink all the while handling the day to day grind like a futuristic "Cheers" show. You play Jill through her day-to-day life at her apartment and her job.

The intro of the game sets up a large-scale and interesting cyberpunk premise, but you play the role of a lowly bartender in a dive bar called Valhalla. Aesthetic / Atmosphere The graphics are retro-styled like you'd see in a SNES or early VGA game, but it is all very well-crafted.

The sprites and backgrounds look like they were ripped straight from a high-quality 1994 game, but the character close-ups have a distinct anime-like look. The sound effects are minimal, but there are dozens of quality songs to queue up in the bar's jukebox and I recommend doing so.

I was quite impressed with how wide of a selection there was. If you like retro game music or chiptunes, you would probably enjoy the soundtrack for this game. There is no voice acting, however. Prepare to click on the dialogue box. A lot.
About 90% of the gameplay is clicking to continue to the next line of dialogue.

There are no choices during the dialogue, and the only way you can affect the conversation is through the drink mixing screen, where you are given a recipe book of various drinks and five base components you can work with. There are a couple binary variables such as aging, ice and blending, but in the end this is a very simple puzzle minigame.

And usually the drink the customer wants is stated upfront, though their requests get a bit more vague so you may have some guesswork later on. This game essentially plays like the many interactive novels you could find on Steam or other platforms such as Hatoful Boyfriend, with the exception of substantial choice.

The topics of conversation range from clickbait, prostitution, talking corgi dogs, video streamers, human augmentation and others. It is hard to pinpoint the quality of the characters and their stories, as this is all very subjective. I found it functional but let's just say I wouldn't exactly run out and buy Valhalla in novel form.

Short segments between your workday include smartphone surfing, shopping and a semblance of money-management where you will need to pay rent or buy items Jill desires. As a job simulator, it is mechanically similar to the respected Papers, Please. In that game, you play an immigration officer who checks migrants' IDs and documents.

The difference between that game and Valhalla though, is that the amount of mechanics and pitfalls is always increasing, and there are moral choices and other dynamics at play. The core mechanics of mixing a drink stay the same in Valhalla, and only alter dialogue and endings somewhat.

There is no time limit, no "failure state" to speak of and no tension really. This game is made or broken on how well the writing holds up to you. Some may not resonate with the characters or dialogue, but I've heard that many have gotten emotionally attached to the characters.