Side Quests: Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical Review
From the minute I read the words «roleplaying musical,» I wondered how well musical theater and video games would merge on the latter's home turf. After all, we've seen video games make the jump to the real-world stage a few times in history – Japan's Ace Attorney musicals and The Last Of Us: One Night Live spring to mind. However, a video game taking the form of a Broadway musical is a much rarer affair, and Stray Gods is a perfect example of what makes that adaptation so difficult. A great (if predictable) story, enhanced by some incredible musical performances, is limited by the medium chosen to host it, which creates a fun but imperfect experience.
Stray Gods tells the story of Grace, a young woman drifting through life without much purpose. Suddenly, through a chance meeting with someone who was more than she seemed, Grace finds herself the recipient of accidental immortality…and accusations of murdering the one who gave her these powers. With her best friend Freddie and a pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses hiding in plain sight, Grace must find out what happened to the mysterious girl who bestowed her with these powers, lest Grace join her benefactor in the afterlife.
The game plays out through dialogue choices, both in conversation and in song. Conversations with various characters lead to learning more about not only the deceased, but the other gods around Grace and how they've adapted throughout the millennia. Persephone turned her forced removal from the throne of Hades into ownership of a nightclub called The Underworld. Pan is a smooth-talking satyr who's constantly wheeling and dealing. Apollo, in perhaps the furthest deviation from the source material, is a quiet and brooding introvert. Meeting all of
Read more on mmorpg.com
