Player Comments on CYBERMONKEY

CYBERMONKEY is potentially the best written cyberpunk-animal-actionflick I have ever read.
Enter a world of octopus governments, naked yakuza brawls and bio-modified monkeys: the complete diversity in choices is incredibly intricate, with every move I made feeling like it satisfyingly fit with the overall narrative.
As with everything I’ve read of Malk’s, the grammar is great and the sentence structure is satisfying: never being repetitive at all. If you’re trying to learn how to write action scenes, giving the original chase montage from this story a read is a must.

While the action is, of course, the core of the story structure I have to commend the creativity of making the reader feel cool even when they weren’t in a fight. For example in the ‘giving the briefcase’ ending, even though I hadn’t gone out with a nuclear explosion I still felt awesome after the stocks I’d invested in rose exponentially in value.

As with everything, there are definitely flaws in this story: primarily that there wasn’t more of it. I want to know the lore of the octopus government, how the Chinese stall-owner felt about the Japanese Yakuza, who even made the CyberMonkeys? Obviously the fact this isn’t explained makes the tale open for interpretation, but I have the feeling these questions will be niggling at the back of my brain for the next few weeks.

Read this story: do it now.

Pros:

Brilliant example of how a short game, even one written in a day can still kick ass. CYBERMONKEY, in addition to just being fun to say, never lets up on the action for a second and radiates humor and style from the first paragraph on.

Malk is among the best on the site when it comes to dynamic fast paced combat, and the glimpses of the cyberpunk world you get in between it all add further layers of interest and depth.

Some of you know I'm not typically a fan of inconsistent settings, those stories where major things can change without explanation or any player input between one path and the next. But like many things it turns out this all comes down to whether the author is CHAD enough to break the rules and pull it off. It works here, the paths are short but every ending feels like I just watched the climax of a completely different sci-fi action movie. The amount of variation and cool world building details packed in gives the sense that the game is longer and more satisfying than the word count would imply.


Cons:

- Expected more monkeys.
- Would've been better as a parser game.

But what else can I say, I just liked it a lot!

This was the most motherfucking splendid ape-based carnage I've read in a while. You've always been good at intensely atmospheric writing that makes me feel like I'm snorting up the essential oil of the chosen genre through a distinctive stainless straw. And this is taken to fifth gear with the rate we're speeding through. Sentences are carefully picked to summarize it all in a frenetic style, being retold in the mind of somebody who's actually in this world experiencing it in real time.

The Soviet path is like reading clips from a John Carpenter movie- One of the really atmospheric ones where you can even remember all the extras- Not one of these words is wasted, even characters that'd go nameless in other stories all have memorable moments that makes you feel like you're rattling over *other* stories like speed strips on your unstoppable path to your own various destinies.

The Yakuza path is more focused- Unfolding in kaleidoscopic violence and intrigue with far more time for flesh and detail, even as the landscape changes drastically with your choices.
The protracted martial arts scene does not go unnoticed- I actually reread it twice. Very fitting that it led into my second favorite ending.

The only thing that I feel could've improved it is if the choices were grammatically correct, but I suppose it's the style of things these days. I would have thought that the apes would feature a little more than they did, but it's good that they were reserved for a handful of paths. When you make a game called CYBERMONKEY, it's very easy to blow your load by exploring the concept too early. But we're instead artfully tantalized by the biomodded apes of this setting, and the monkeyshines never overstay their welcome. They kick off the action well, and their return is cause for excitement.

In short, I think this would be the highest I've ever rated a game of this length, and finally a living example we have to stand as a powerful argument against certain discord boomers who like to badmouth storygames where the circumstances of the story are altered retroactively according to your choices. I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the plots and layers of this game as they unfolded. At this size it was like a brief taste of one of those 'complicated' wines that tastes like 8 things after you spit it out. My only regret is that I didn't get a whole glass.

Action sequences are great. Its pretty funny at times. The only thing I didn't really like about it is the lack of coherence between some of the paths. For instance in the Soviet path, if you choose to say there's a nuke in the briefcase there is a nuke, if you say there isn't there actually isn't.

But overall I enjoyed the read, so that automatically makes it better than average.

Wow, so short that I completed it in 2 seconds

this was not only hilarious but clever. The 2 endings I discovered were totally contradictory and wildly imaginative. Good writing!

The story was really fun, however I felt there were too few choices

This is a short story and I did not spend much time with it. But it is very entertaining and well written. I loved every minute of it. The path I took had some very entertaining twists. It really makes me explore the other paths as well.

Short and sweet. I wanted more chimps tho. Liked mc name. Bravo.

This is a fantastic cyberpunk game. It literally starts with cybernetic murder monkeys and can possibly end with restored honor. It's worth a few read-throughs.

Pros: monkeys

Cons: you don't play as the monkeys

Wildcard: but you can be an octopus?

Dude, I knew this was going to be good when starting out pursued only by some group ominously referred to as "the Monkeys". Not many things strike more fear into a man's heart. This lived up to its high octane description, and how quick this world is to violence is evident immediately. The yakuza path instantly reminded me of something like "Ninja Assassin", particularly in the naked bathhouse fight where the combat is intimate, visceral, and yeah, silly as fuck.

I have a favorite line: "These people are high-tech lowlives, vermin that twist, scream, and fuck in the neon-drenched streets." Hadn't read anything of yours before and didn't know what to expect from your writing, but it's quite good.

I'm all here for the mania and chaos this story provides, and will sink my teeth into the sequel soon. In the meantime, great work, great style, it's a 7.

CYBERMONKEY, despite being short, is silly and intense fun. At first readers may feel that the story is crudely crafted, there’s no reason or rhyme to most of the choices. At points we have childlike humor and frivolous conflicts between major powers.

Those people need to lighten up.

It’s exhilarating to be thrust into the midst of action without any notion of what comes next, or came before for that matter. One moment you could be charging through crowded marketplaces waving a plasma rifle, and the next you’ll be entangled within the conflicts between the CIA, China, Russia, etc. You’ll make choices that have the inner monkey screech and claw in glee, what more could you ask for?

Moving on to more substance, the distinctive style of the story makes it or breaks it for some. While many would love to read something with a rich backstory and much deliberation gone into the overall flow of the writing, some of us just want to have fun shooting, shouting, and blowing things up. Malk works this perfectly: there’s never a moment of rest or delay, always constant chaotic action. This maintains a tense atmosphere that’s jarring in comparison to the lighthearted, absurd scenes and decisions we make. At least for me, that’s an amazing feeling.

Of course, there’s the ALL CAPS. It’s up to the reader to decide how they feel about that.

There’s no denying that it’s short(after all, it was written in a day), but don’t discredit it’s quality and amount of branching. If the reader is thirsting for more, there’s a similarly fast-paced WARCHIMPS by the same author.

Quick, clean, fun. Best date I've had in months.

Can't say I'm a fan of this genre but I can appreciate the well built plot and the writing so yea good job!

Just as the rating states. I have been enlightened. Getting thrown into a chaotic battleground with no contextualization or background of the person you are playing makes absolute sense. No motives, no attachments, no relationship, just straight up chaos and destruction. Love it <3

But... I was kind of picky that a sentence was written in all caps. Other than that, perfection. Oh, and you have to pick the Soviets because ALL HAIL RASPUTIN.

Ah hells yeah. This fantasy-based story was exploding with arcane power and mythical creatures. Those two-horned winged monkeys were the magic hermits all along?!?! Great twisters and surprise endings. A must read for noobies.

Intriguing , fast paced story with radically different outcomes , a solid 6.

Calling CYBERMONKEY an intense thriller would be an understatement. This story goes from monkeys to explosions to secret octopuses in the span of a few minutes. The fast-paced writing creates an enjoyable experience which doesn’t take up much of your time. Reading this interactive story makes you feel like you are watching one scene from a Michael Bay movie, but everything that happens in this scene is enough to be an entire movie. I was certainly surprised when the story suddenly ended when I thought it had just begun, but the short length doesn’t subtract any enjoyment from the overall experience. In fact, it could be argued that the shortness of the story only adds to the intensity and pacing. A longer story would be more stretched out and would not be as fast-paced. There wasn’t a lack of choices in this story either. For a story this short, there are enough different paths you could go on. Another aspect of the story that I appreciated was the comedic element. There were multiple moments where I caught myself laughing at the dialogue between certain characters and just the absurdity of the situation. The pacing of the story does, however, make for a lack of time spent on certain characters and names that would come back later. I found myself struggling to remember who Sergei was because he was only mentioned once before, and I mixed up different characters because of this, but then again, the situation you find yourself in and the overall writing and dialogue makes up for this completely. Overall, CYBERMONKEY is simply an intense, entertaining , action-packed story with multiple aspects that will make you chuckle. This story gives you enough to create a fun experience.

Monke,yakuza and Commie? Good stuff.

Fun, neo-noir and utter chaos. I am glad that this story isn't shy to be wacky as hell. From a Russian octupus and the lingering cold war sci-fi vibes to monkeys and ruining a Chinese man's day. Organized chaos. CYBERMONKEY has it all.

Super fun, like an action B-movie. Even with it being so short, it was a great experience!

My favorite part was when I got to sweep the leg.

From start to finish, every single word of this 4k piece was all about the action. The world changes, the situations and weapons change with every branch, and the details feel like a sort of afterthought based on the rule of cool. Malk clearly only wasted words on them when they supported this orgy of violence. And it's hard to review action as shit's either hard or lame. This definitely falls in the former category.

So I'll just compare the guns from the start and Soviet branch with the gritty melee of the Yakuza branch and say I preferred the latter. It's the difference between Hollywood, where everything was a bit too slick on the one side, and the fucking brutality of Indonesian action flicks on the other. Every punch, kick and bash had way more impact.

Yes that bathhouse brawl fucks

Certainly written with enough flavor and voice to keep me reaching for more. Probably the highest-quality story I’ve read of this length. Blood was spilled, monkeys wielded guns. Malk never ceases to impress.

HEY! Nobody told me this was a furry game. It was amusing enough though. I would have liked more choices.

Now, this may be because I've eaten too many egg-shaped Reeses' Cups® lately, but damn, this WAS better. Short, punchy, and full of fun twists. My favorite was striking a glorious blow for [redacted].

Like Mizal, I'm not usually a fan of reality changing between paths, but I think by basically making that the point of the game, you make it work.

If I have one critique, it's that I'd like more. But honestly, I'd rather play a game that leaves me wanting more, versus one that overstays its welcome.

So yeah, all in all... very nicely done. Looking forward to seeing more from you!

Absolutely fucking brilliant. 8/8

"You're Mohammed James Wang and you *do anything at all*" can only be the greatest sentence in the history of literature no matter what your fill in the blanks with.



"Not slowly enough for the spooks, however, as it blasts you until all that remains is a red-stained crater in the concrete." --Shouldn't that be quickly?

This was too much fun, just insane. I liked how the briefcase was different every time.

Strong intro, quick and fast-paced story. The format is very Chris-like, with Malk's voice and flavor. I'd be lying if I didn't say I wish there was more. Not to say the story doesn't stand on it's own--when I read Malk's writing, it always makes me want to read more.

"You’re Mohammed James Wang and you’ve gotten out of far worse" From this line I just knew this story was going to be a fun ride! CYBERMONKEY was a very good time killer with great humor that didn't sacrifice any substance to achieve its goofy story. Every inch of CYBERMONKEY had new twist that filled it to the brim with creative humor and just itched the right spots in my brain.

LOVED THE ENDINGS

This was really fun, I liked this :D

This game is a ton of fun, and well worth your time, so go read it.

I'll leave my thoughts here anyway.

I love cyberpunk settings, and this is absolutely up to snuff. The writing is perfect, it sets up the grim but also goofy plot and setting and kept me entertained all the way through. The aesthetic of all-caps is also very fitting and a sci-fi classic (also a comment to anyone who says it's bad: Malk clearly knows what he's doing, so there's nothing wrong with breaking rules for added effect).

I came into CYBERMONKEY expecting cyber and monkey. Plenty of cyber, but lacking a little monkey. Oh well, gonna read the other path to see if there's some more monke.

I think there was enough choice for a game of this length, and the plot itself is pretty cool. Cephalopods are absolutely balling, so I'm glad I lived up to their hopes. Interesting thing I noticed is that your character is worried about interacting with another octopus. Why? Is he just playing the part of a human that well, or is there something else at play here?

Wait, Malk can write? Apparently, the answer is yes, and quite well, thank you!

I like the way that this starts out with action. Short, choppy sentences communicate the quick action and the fast pace right from the start. That’s a lot of fun. At the same time, there is enough information to show that this isn’t sudden, we’ve just entered in the middle of a story, at the point where there is action, but there is a more complete story going on. That’s an excellent and effective way to start out a story.

The descriptions and details are entertaining throughout. You might need to read it more than once to catch all the hilarity included, even when things like the main character’s name just slap you in your face with fun. The fast paced action does continue through the story, really making this fun. This feels like the middle of an action movie, but without the build-up, set up, romance part, or conclusion. Sure, it is short, but it’s load of fun and a very good read. It only takes a few minutes, but do re-read it and make sure you catch it all.

It’s also a load of fun because there’s a good number of endings, especially for such a short story, and a lot of them are fun. You “win” in a lot more than you “lose.” Fun times, Malk, great writing!

I love the intensity of the flow, and the energy it brings to the table. The background wonderfully crafted with almost a few lines and a catchy intro.

The soviet path is my favorite if the rest were the same intensity it would have been a 7/8.

The Yakuza is great, but for me less epic and dynamic.

Really wonderful.

For something that's not epic in length, when it comes to quality of writing and character, I would say that it doesn’t fall short in any way for me to not call it 'epic'. This is a genuinely fun ride for what is here.

Short, sweet, and all action. There's no drag in the storytelling, probably because stories this short get to print exposition right up to the end links. You're plopped in as a badass with a briefcase that you try to deliver somewhere. The narration is as brutal as the pace of the story, with some comedic narration once in a while. It's easily worth twice the time spent reading it.

This story goes by FAST. And that's not a bad thing.

It's a fast-paced, high-octane ride, just as advertised, but that doesn't make the endings any less rewarding to reach (most of them at least). While the reader does get rushed through various high-speed chases, tense encounters, fights, and beautiful displays of martial arts, it's never done in a way that feels "too" fast. It's easy to get carried away with writing stories like these and focus on all the action and flashy aspects without stopping for a moment to consider who exactly we're facing, what we're running from, who we're fighting, where we are and where we're going. Fortunately that isn't the case here.

Both the Soviet and Yakuza paths play out in entertaining ways, and both paths deserve a playthrough. I may hold a slight preference for the Yakuza path solely due to the mesmerizing action sequences and martial arts, but the interesting introduction of Sergei in the Soviet storyline was delightfully silly and amusing. Regardless, the two storylines both hold up quite well, and whatever path you choose to embark on, you're in for a fun ride.

6/8, rated solely because of the grammatically incorrect capitalization. /UGH./
Also needs more monkeys.

*MONKEY NOISES*