peak fiction. the build-up in this game is truly something wonderful.
if you're big into analog horror/lost media unfiction/ARG's/scary game tropes, this should tick all the boxes for you. and if you're not sold, please give it one shot. it gets EXTREMELY interesting after playing the 2023 version. 1997 is the real meat and potatoes, and the game makes sure you know that.
you should play blind, but if you do hit roadblocks progression or puzzle-wise, do consult a guide for when you really need it.

genuinely one of the most gripping and compelling ARG/analog horror-adjacent projects/games i've played. it's a little rough around the edges in some places, but even then, it is still very, very enjoyable. if you do come out enjoying it, make sure to look into Hotel Investigation 09, the upcoming follow-up to Shipwrecked 64. it builds further upon the game world that Bucky and his friends inhabit, and tells more about Broadside's past and history.

i will say though that whenever you get to The Part, the jumpscares were legitimately headache inducing for me. they are LOUD and overbearing, so either turn down the game in a volume mixer (if you have one), or brace yourself

- overly cryptic lore
- overly complicated puzzles
- way too much backtracking (some call this "exploration")
- got a bug when helping the otter with them coconuts, when i got THE FIRST COCONUT, thought it was part of the game at first, until i noticed nothing was happening and I couldn't move

some might enjoy this, not me

fun!