Spin.Ph

As someone who's spent countless hours analyzing game mechanics and narrative design, I find myself constantly drawn to games that promise meaningful choices and consequences. When I first heard about Jili Games' latest release Cabernet, the premise immediately caught my attention - a vampire narrative that supposedly draws parallels between vampirism and alcoholism. Having now played through the entire experience, I've formed some strong opinions about whether this title deserves your time and money.

Let me start by saying the concept itself is brilliant. The game establishes clear comparisons between vampirism and alcoholism right from the opening scenes, and this thematic foundation shows incredible promise. Throughout my 15-hour playthrough, I encountered numerous scenes where Liza, our protagonist, faces warnings from elder vampires about the dangers of becoming too dependent on blood. These moments are beautifully written, with characters lamenting how the constant need to feed inevitably damages relationships with friends and loved ones. The writing team deserves genuine praise for how they've woven this metaphor throughout the narrative. However, and this is where my criticism begins, the actual gameplay mechanics fail to deliver on this compelling setup.

What surprised me most during my playthrough was how easily I managed the blood meter system. The game positions this as managing an addiction, but in practice, it felt more like maintaining a food meter in any standard survival game. I kept detailed notes during my playthrough, and I found that having Liza feed just once or twice per week was more than sufficient to keep her stable. The relationship impacts were minimal - maybe one or two lines of changed dialogue from NPCs, but nothing that significantly altered my relationships or the story direction. This creates what I'd call a narrative-mechanical dissonance that becomes increasingly noticeable as you progress.

Here's where things get particularly interesting though - there's this clever mechanic where overfeeding actually causes your blood meter to deplete faster. In theory, this could create a vicious cycle where you become trapped in constant feeding, making it nearly impossible to go a full night without draining someone. It's a brilliant concept that mirrors how addiction can spiral out of control. But in my experience, this mechanic is too easy to avoid. I deliberately tested this system across three different play sessions, and only managed to trigger the overfeeding state twice despite actively trying to push the limits. The game warns you about the risk of becoming a feral leech and potentially killing someone, but I never came close to this outcome, even when playing recklessly.

From a game design perspective, I understand why Jili Games might have made this choice. They likely wanted to ensure the game remained accessible to casual players rather than punishing them too harshly. But in doing so, they've undermined their own thematic ambitions. When characters warn Liza about the dangers of her condition, these warnings feel empty because the gameplay doesn't back them up. I recorded at least 7 separate instances where vampires confronted Liza about her feeding habits, yet the actual consequences never materialized in my gameplay experience.

What's particularly frustrating is that with just a few adjustments, this could have been one of the most meaningful addiction mechanics I've ever encountered in gaming. Imagine if the blood depletion rate increased gradually throughout the game, forcing players to make increasingly difficult choices about when and who to feed from. Or if relationship damage accumulated more significantly, potentially locking you out of certain story paths. These changes would have transformed the experience from merely interesting to genuinely profound.

Now, don't get me wrong - there's still plenty to enjoy here. The world-building is exceptional, with the vampire society feeling rich and believable. The character animations are smooth, and I encountered only 2 minor bugs during my entire playthrough, which is impressive for a new release. The voice acting, particularly for Liza and the elder vampires, is top-notch. And the core gameplay loop of investigating mysteries while managing your condition remains engaging throughout.

But if you're coming to Cabernet specifically for that deep, meaningful addiction narrative that the marketing materials promise, you might leave somewhat disappointed like I did. The pieces are all there - the writing, the voice acting, the visual design - but the mechanical implementation doesn't quite hit the mark. It's like having a beautifully set table with gourmet ingredients, but the final dish lacks that crucial seasoning that would make it truly memorable.

Would I recommend trying Jili Games' Cabernet? Absolutely, but with specific expectations. If you approach it as a solid vampire adventure with an interesting metaphorical layer rather than a deep simulation of addiction, you'll likely have a great time. The game currently retails for $49.99, and for that price, you're getting about 15-20 hours of quality content depending on how thoroughly you explore. Just don't expect the mechanical depth that the thematic elements suggest. Jili Games has demonstrated they have talented writers and designers, and I'm genuinely excited to see what they create next. With some refinement to better align their mechanics with their narratives, they could produce something truly extraordinary. For now, Cabernet remains a fascinating, if slightly flawed, experiment in thematic game design that's worth experiencing despite its missed opportunities.