Info about Neo Cab:

Official game description:
Neo Cab is a visual novel about emotional survival in an automated world.
You play as Lina, the last human cab driver. It’s your very first night driving the lonely streets of Los Ojos, and your best friend has just disappeared.
Is she in grave danger... or just the flakiest friend ever? Either way, now you need to find cash, a place to crash, and some answers.
Your only leads are the diverse cast of characters you pick up in your cab, but getting them to open up isn’t always easy. The anarchist punks don’t trust you, the corporate yuppies don’t see you, and the cops won’t leave you alone. But if you can balance honesty, empathy, and your own emotional health, you might just learn their secrets.
Can you survive late-stage capitalism long enough to save your friend?
STAY ON THE ROAD. STAY ON THE SEARCH. STAY HUMAN.
Every pax is a puzzle. Whether you _like_ them or not, everyone has their own story to tell.
Lina’s best course for survival is to keep driving. Piece together what has happened to Savy as you help Lina navigate the city grid.
Each passenger interaction will affect Lina’s mood; as her emotions become more intense, some choices will be taken away, while other choices will be unlocked.
Neo Cab features a branching narrative with pax stories written by Leigh Alexander, Kim Belair, Bruno Dias, Duncan Fyfe, Paula Rogers & Robin Sloan.
Featuring an original soundtrack by Obfusc (Monument Valley, House of Cards).

Release date: Oct 3, 2019

Categories: Visual Novel, Narrative Adventure, Choice-based Narrative, Cyberpunk, Emotional Simulation, Character Interaction, Multiple Endings, Story-driven Gameplay

Feature scans:
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Needs Improvement in Guides and Plot Clarity; summary: Users frequently refer to external guides for achieving in-game accomplishments and discuss their exploration strategies. There are also significant comments on the game's plot and character development, which greatly impact their experience.
- Steam Deck: score 40; verdict: Mixed Experience; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals significant issues with cloud saves not working as advertised, which is a high-severity problem for users relying on this feature. However, there are also positive reports about the game's compatibility with the Steam Deck and Linux using Proton, indicating a generally smooth experience for those users.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $7.50 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that while the game is enjoyable, many users feel that the full price is not justified. Several reviews mention that the game is worth purchasing only when discounted. The general sentiment is that the game provides a good experience but is overpriced at its current full price of $14.99. Users compare it to other forms of entertainment and suggest that a lower price point would be more appropriate.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 8.5h
  - Story completion: 2.0h
  - Session length: 0.1h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides several direct references to the playtime for Neo Cab. The first quote mentions a playthrough lasting 4-5 hours, and the second quote supports a shorter session length of around 5 minutes. The third quote indicates a couple of hours for the story, and the fourth quote mentions 8.5 hours to 100% completion, which can be inferred as the total playtime for full game completion including endgame content.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game starts off slow and potentially boring but becomes more engaging as players delve deeper into character interactions and side narratives.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Engaging with character stories and side quests
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Comparatively monotonous gameplay; Slightly repetitive OST; No voiceover; Repetitive conversations; Emotional nonsense disabling dialogue options
  - Unlock drivers: Character interactions; Side quests; Narrative engagement
  - Conditions: Focusing on side quests; Engaging with character stories; Immersing in the narrative
- Player Archetypes:
  - Story-Driven Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Engaging storyline and character development
    - Playstyle: Explores different narrative outcomes and enjoys the cyberpunk setting.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: story-driven player; narrative enthusiast
    - Reference games: Subsurface Circular; Night Call
  - Chill Aesthetic Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Relaxing atmosphere and aesthetic appeal
    - Playstyle: Enjoys the game for its calming music and visuals, often playing in a relaxed setting.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: chill gamer; aesthetic enthusiast
    - Reference games: Night Call; Subsurface Circular
  - Value-Conscious Player (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Getting value for money
    - Playstyle: Enjoys the game but prefers to buy it at a discounted price.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: budget gamer; value seeker
    - Reference games: Night Call; Subsurface Circular
  - Control-Seeking Player (no buy)
    - Motivation: Having control over gameplay and narrative choices
    - Playstyle: Prefers games with meaningful choices and control over the narrative.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: choice-driven player; control enthusiast
    - Reference games: Night Call; Subsurface Circular


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Beautiful and unique art style (weight 0.53): The game features a visually stunning and unique art style with hand-drawn graphics, neon visuals, and a strong cyberpunk aesthetic. Players appreciate the atmospheric soundtrack and the overall artistic direction.
- Interesting and memorable characters (weight 0.36): The game includes a diverse cast of characters with unique personalities and backgrounds. Players find the characters engaging, fun, and memorable, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- Storytelling through passenger interactions (weight 0.29): The game's narrative is driven by interactions with various passengers, each with their own micro-stories. These interactions shape the story and provide a unique and engaging experience.
- Well-written and thoughtful narrative (weight 0.28): The game features good writing, well-written dialogue, and thoughtful storytelling. Players appreciate the world-building and the depth of the narrative.
- Engaging and enjoyable gameplay (weight 0.24): The gameplay is described as enjoyable, satisfying, and with high replayability. Players appreciate the core gameplay loop, driving mechanics, and the overall entertaining content.
- Cyberpunk setting and themes (weight 0.22): The game is set in a cyberpunk world with a strong cyberpunk style and themes. Players enjoy the immersive cyberpunk city setting and the dystopian atmosphere.
- Relevant societal themes (weight 0.11): The game explores modern societal issues and provides engaging commentary on social issues. Players find the themes relevant and timely.
- Calm and relaxing atmosphere (weight 0.1): The game offers a calm and relaxing atmosphere with pleasant visuals and music. Players find the game's ambiance soothing and enjoyable.
- Player choices affect the ending (weight 0.1): The game features multiple endings influenced by player choices. These choices significantly impact the story, adding to the game's replayability.
- Profound and intelligent dialogues (weight 0.1): The game features profound and intelligent dialogues that are richly textured and entertaining. Players appreciate the depth and quality of the conversations.

Common complaints:
- Limited dialogue options due to emotion system (weight 0.41): The emotion system restricts dialogue choices, often blocking players from selecting desired options based on the character's emotional state. This limitation can be frustrating and stressful.
- Unsatisfactory and rushed ending (weight 0.3): Many players found the ending to be disappointing, confusing, and unsatisfactory. It felt rushed and anti-climactic, significantly impacting their overall opinion of the game.
- Frustrating emotion mechanics (weight 0.2): The emotion mechanics, including the emotion wheel, are often frustrating and can be annoying for players.
- Illusion of meaningful choices (weight 0.19): Players feel that the game offers an illusion of choice, with many decisions not mattering much or feeling forced and meaningless.
- Lack of control over dialogue (weight 0.17): There is a notable lack of freedom in dialogue choices, with the game often not allowing players to choose most dialogues, leading to a sense of limited control.
- Slow and boring start (weight 0.15): The game has a slow and boring start, with a dull pace and uninteresting performances that can be off-putting.
- Repetitive and boring dialogue (weight 0.15): The dialogue in the game can become repetitive and boring, with some players also experiencing glitchy dialogue scenes.
- Short gameplay duration (weight 0.13): The game is relatively short, with a playthrough lasting about 3 hours, which some players found to be a drawback.
- Cannot skip dialogues (weight 0.13): Players are unable to skip chat dialogues once they have been read, which can be inconvenient and frustrating.
- Lack of voice acting and interactivity (weight 0.13): The game lacks voice acting and has nearly no interactivity, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Flawed and boring main story (weight 0.12): The main story is criticized for being flawed, boring, shallow, and underwhelming, falling flat for many players.
- Poor character development (weight 0.07): The game features poor and underdeveloped character arcs, leading to unbalanced character development.
- Bugs and technical issues (weight 0.07): Players have encountered bugs, minor scripting issues, and game freezes, affecting the gameplay experience.
- Emotional manipulation by characters (weight 0.07): Players are forced to deal with emotionally manipulative characters, which can be frustrating and unpleasant.
- Localization and translation issues (weight 0.07): There are localization issues, including a lack of Ukrainian localization and translation bugs.
- Repetitive soundtrack (weight 0.07): The soundtrack can become repetitive after a while, detracting from the overall experience.
- Poor save system (weight 0.07): The game lacks a quick save feature and manual saving, leading to a poor save system.

Gameplay feedback:
- Emotion system impacts choices (weight 0.35): The game features an emotion system that significantly affects dialogue choices and gameplay. Players must manage the protagonist's emotional state, which can restrict or alter available choices.
- Narrative-driven gameplay (weight 0.34): The game is heavily focused on narrative and dialogue, with a storyline that branches based on player choices. It includes elements of mystery and multiple endings.
- Passenger interactions central (weight 0.28): A core mechanic involves interacting with various passengers, each with unique stories and dialogue options. Players choose passengers and engage in conversations that affect the game's outcome.
- Feelgrid tracks emotions (weight 0.25): The Feelgrid is a device used to track and visualize the protagonist's emotions, influencing gameplay and dialogue options.
- Choices and consequences (weight 0.22): Player choices have significant impacts on the game's narrative and endings, encouraging replayability to explore different outcomes.
- Taxi driving simulation (weight 0.13): Players take on the role of a cyber taxi driver, with gameplay mechanics involving driving and managing a taxi.

Performance notes:
- Performance issues on various devices (weight 0.14): Players report cursor and mouse lag, particularly on MacBook Air M2. There are also issues with frame rate jumps and overheating.
- Compatibility and performance on different platforms (weight 0.1): The game works well on Linux with Proton and on Steam Deck. It also runs smoothly on older machines, indicating good optimization for lower-end hardware.
- Game stability problems (weight 0.09): The game experiences crashes, freezes, and a significant instance of a game freeze lasting two hours.
- Graphical and animation issues (weight 0.08): Some players note that graphics can appear unnatural at times. There are also reports of visual strobing and animation speed issues.
- Language and settings bugs (weight 0.05): There is a reported bug in the simplified Chinese language version. Additionally, there is no built-in FPS limiter, which can affect gameplay experience.

Recommendations:
- Worth the price if on sale (weight 0.19): Many players feel the game is worth buying, especially if it is on sale or available at a discounted price. This suggests that while the game is valued, it might not be perceived as worth the full price.
- Generally recommended with some conditions (weight 0.19): Many players recommend the game but some suggest waiting for a sale or getting it for free. There is also anticipation for a sequel.
- Recommended for cyberpunk fans (weight 0.17): The game is recommended for players interested in cyberpunk settings and near-future sci-fi stories. It appeals to fans of the cyberpunk genre and philosophical content.
- Worth trying for narrative and visuals (weight 0.08): The game is worth trying for those who enjoy narrative games and its unique visuals and core concept. It is also recommended for fans of multi-choice stories and interactive visual novels.
- Recommended for character relationships and endings (weight 0.06): The game is recommended for its character relationships and multiple endings, appealing to those who enjoy stories with multiple outcomes.
- Avoid this game (weight 0.05): Some reviewers advise against playing this game, suggesting it may not meet expectations or provide a satisfying experience.
- Unique and immersive experience (weight 0.03): The game is noted for providing a unique and immersive experience, making it worth playing for those seeking something different.

Other player notes:
- Replace game music (weight 0.03): Players have suggested replacing the current game music with VA11 cyberpunk bar music to better fit the game's atmosphere.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.23): Players are frustrated by the game's restrictive mechanics, such as the emotion system limiting dialogue choices and the lack of a skip option for dialogues. Additionally, the linear narrative, forced dialogue options, and performance issues contribute to the frustration.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.22): Players enjoy the game's engaging story, unique art style, and memorable characters. The cyberpunk setting, atmospheric gameplay, and the variety of passenger stories also contribute to the overall enjoyment.
- Disappointment (weight 0.2): Players express disappointment with the game's lack of meaningful choices, shallow narrative, and unsatisfying ending. The short game length, lack of voice acting, and repetitive gameplay also contribute to this sentiment.
- Interest (weight 0.05): Players are interested in the game's narrative, character development, and philosophical content. The unique gameplay scenario and exploration of modern societal issues also pique their interest.
- Anger (weight 0.04): Players feel anger due to the game's poor storyline, character interactions, and forced dialogue options. The emotional manipulation by characters and the illusion of choice also contribute to this emotion.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.03): Players feel satisfied with the game's character development, engaging story, and overall experience. The satisfying ending and good value for money also contribute to this sentiment.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Players admire the game's incredible stories, unique setting, and emotional themes. The well-written dialogue, character interactions, and social commentary also contribute to this admiration.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Players experience joy from the game's positive aspects, such as the story, characters, and gameplay mechanics. The high replayability, meaningful choices, and chill vibe also contribute to this emotion.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Players feel bored due to the repetitive dialogues, slow pace, and lack of interest in characters. The mundane conversations and overall bland experience contribute to this sentiment.
- Engaged (weight 0.01): Players feel engaged by the game's interesting characters, scenario, and atmosphere. The engaging story and worthwhile narrative also contribute to this emotion.
- Frustrated (weight 0.01): Players feel frustrated by the limited impact of choices, the mood ring mechanic, and the false sense of choice. The limited interactions and content also contribute to this sentiment.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Players feel confused due to the unclear message from the creators and story inconsistencies. The ending and certain dialogue sequences also contribute to this emotion.
- Disappointed (weight 0.01): Players feel disappointed by the lifeless world, false sense of choice, and unsatisfying ending. The lack of meaningful choices and shallow narrative also contribute to this sentiment.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are surprised by the emotional impact and relatability of the game. Discovering the truth and the overall positive experience also contribute to this emotion.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players appreciate the game's relevant and current themes, visual style, and fantastic writing. The music and overall narrative design also contribute to this sentiment.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Players feel annoyed by the main storyline and the character's emotional limitations. The direction of the story and restricted choices also contribute to this emotion.
- Excitement (weight 0.01): Players feel excited by the game's meaningful critique, focus, and interesting passenger interactions. The unique characters and engaging plot also contribute to this sentiment.
- Excited (weight 0.01): Players feel excited by the game's immersive and engaging experience. The engaging plot and atmosphere also contribute to this emotion.
- Bored (weight 0.01): Players feel bored due to the game's one-sided and dull experience. The lack of engaging content and repetitive dialogues contribute to this sentiment.
- Reflective (weight 0.01): Players feel reflective due to the game's deep emotional management system. The personal reflections on emotional responses and decision-making also contribute to this emotion.}