We recovered it too late, it’s true, but in this Non-Review we decided to tell you about the first chapter of Coffee Talk, a visual novel by Toge Productions whose second chapter is expected in April: let’s talk about it, with this dedicated article
But some few find solace in the embrace of bricks and wood and glass. They are told over drinks, then take up residence in some strangers’ memories. In one corner of the city stands a coffee shop. A place that is only open when the sun is sleeping. A place where people share their stories. And these are their stories…
A video game doesn’t always have to be full of gameplay, things to do, places to explore, enemies to defeat. A video game, like many exponents of the genre called “walking simulator”, but which many associate with “new graphic adventures”, it can also simply be an experience. An escape from pain as in Gris, or a journey through one’s family tree as in What Remains of Edith Finch. Or, a hot coffee inside a cozy Seattle coffee shop like in Coffee Talk.
Coffee Talk is a visual novel, if we really want to find a definition, by Toge Productions, an Indonesian indie studio (pun not intended) released in January of 2020 on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. And why tell you about it now, after more than three years, in an article that seems a bit out of time? Simply because the second chapter will be released shortly and, since at the time we had completely lost it in the chaos of video games released, we have recovered it. Rating it now seemed superfluous to us, so we brought out the good old tool of the Non-Review to tell you about our experience with Coffee Talk. Sit down and prepare yourself a nice coffee, tea or, for those with a sweet tooth, a hot chocolate.
We wanted to write a review, but we arrived late: let’s talk about Coffee Talk
We are, as we said at the beginning, in Seattle. After giving a name to our Barista (that’s how we called him, by default, just to make everything even more suggestive), our goal will be only one: serve the customers who gradually come in front of the counter. Whether it’s a nice espresso or some variant of tea you’ve never heard of, the Barista can’t help but serve… and listen. The two souls of Coffee Talk, to be precise.
The Seattle that we find ourselves facing in Coffee Talk, however, is not exactly that of our reality. The world of Barista is in fact an alternative version of ours, in which completely different ethnic groups coexist: from werewolves to vampires, passing through sea creatures, nekomimi, ogres and… simple human beings. A world where all the typical people of the fantasy genre have decided to stop fighting each other to create a better future, despite their differences and eternal antipathies. In short, elves are always frowned upon by anyone.
Silent Rain | Non-Recensione Coffee Talk
Through the eyes of the affable and charming Barista we will therefore be able to get to know different personalities, belonging to as many ethnic groups. The nekomimi Rachelfor example, is a promising young idol who has a tough relationship with her father, while the charming Gala is a werewolf who takes care of the management of hospital beds and who has, as a best friend, the vampire and model Hyde. Myrtle is a young ogress who develops video games and who begins a deep “friendship” (the game suggests something else, continuing in the story) with Aquasea creature who recently embarked on the creation of an indie adventure.
Let’s not forget about Baileys e Lua, modern Romeo and Juliet divided by the eternal feud between the Succubi and the Elves, and who have the only desire to love each other beyond everything. And then there’s her, the heart of Coffee Talk and Barista’s night bar: Freya. Freya is the only human being we will interface with during the game and she is a budding writer, who is torn between her love for fiction and the need to live and, therefore, to write for a city newspaper to have a fixed salary. In short, the different personalities that we will meet in Coffee Talk go to tell the various facets that also characterize our realitynarrating them from a more fantasy point of view.
Little Sway | Non-Recensione Coffee Talk
Themes such as life, death, hope for a better future intersect with racism (also intergalactic, in this case) and classism, generating a truly intriguing, though never exceptionally original, potpourri of themes and situations. There weren’t particularly striking moments in the narration of Coffee Talk, but many and small moments of intimacy between characters we didn’t know, until a few hours before, but who managed to enter our hearts within a few simple lines.
The strength of Coffee Talk, in reality, is all here: in its ability to make the gamer empathize with the protagonists beyond the counter. Barista is only a means (for now, at least, even if the ending wants to imply something else) to narrate these events, without judgments and prejudices and without any provocative intent. Our task, as already mentioned, will be exclusively to listen and guide, in some situations, the reasoning of our customers. Without choices, however, the gamer has the only task of standing there, watching. And to help the Barista prepare the drinks.
One More Time | Non-Recensione Coffee Talk
The active gameplay of Coffee Talk it runs out in a few simple commands. On the left we will have our mobile phone available in which we will be able to consult the recipes discovered so far during the adventure, the Tomodachhill Social Network to learn more about the various protagonists and TEW Stories, the newspaper for which Freya also works and in which we will be able read the news of the day. Finally, in the Shuffle, we will be able to change the background track of the chapter we are experiencing.
Our task will be, as previously expressed, to prepare the various drinks that will be requested by customers. There are specific recipes for crafting and they won’t always be spelled out, but they will never be so complex as to make your life impossible. The important thing is to mix the ingredients correctly and sometimes even create some particular illustration with the milk foam. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a born artist: your customers don’t have such high expectations.
Calming Drizzle | Non-Recensione Coffee Talk
This and nothing more, as far as Coffee Talk gameplay is concerned. There is also an endless mode where you can only make drinks and create foam art. but let’s admit we got tired after just half an hour. This is because the heart and soul of Coffee Talk are not the coffees, cappuccinos and teas: these are just a go-between. The soul of Toge Productions’ title are its characters, its stories and its moments of intimacy. This is because, although it is true that the themes covered are not all that original, the developers have been able to grasp their essence and, at the same time, have been able to find the world to involve the gamer more than he himself had ever budgeted. At least it happened to us.
To make it all the more captivating it intervenes a mid-90s visual novel aesthetic, just modernized by some more detailed animation, some zoom and a general aesthetic of the leaner menus. To accompany the events of Barista an atmospheric soundtrack, very lounge and delicate, able to be always and only for company, never boring or excessively pressing.
Lonely Space
We conclude this Non-Review of Coffee Talk by recommending its purchase to all those who want to spend a few hours in the company of nice people, good drinks and some well-treated, albeit simple, topic. We do not put any votes precisely because you are not dealing with a real review, but more with a dispassionate article on a title that we regretfully missed. And we can’t wait to be able to get our hands on the fateful second chapter in April. Full speed ahead!
Coffee Talk is currently available on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Let us know what you think below in the comments, we will continue to keep you updated with all the videogame and tech-themed news, guides and reviews! And if you are interested in game keys at advantageous prices, we suggest you take a look at the Kinguin catalogue!