In Which we Run Into a Rude Doctor

Note: I will put my commentary in italics, and the rest of the text in regular writing style to make it easier to follow, with the exception of dialogue. I will try my best to give a fair overview of the story, so that the reader can follow it well enough and understand what I'm commenting on. Moving forward... 

The title screen begins promisingly enough. We have the motif of a moon as the main object of interest, with its rays prominently and creatively lighting up the currently selected option on the screen. Also visible is a lighthouse, which, spoilers, is fairly crucial for the plot of this game. A pleasant and moody ditty combined with a calm, relaxing night background round off the theme nicely.

On that note though, why no Options menu?

The game opens with a scenic overview of a house and the lighthouse nearby. We briefly get a glimpse of two people on the bench, looking at the lighthouse, then we cut to the inside of the house. 

A girl plays a piano version of the title theme. She and the boy next to her are suddenly interrupted by the sounds of a car crashing. Then we cut to the car itself, which seems to be at the bottom of the cliff.

Two doctors step out of the crashed car, and one of them makes angry gestures at the other. She then responds:

Dr. Rosalene: Where were you looking, Neil?!
Dr. Watts: (raises hand in protest) Well excuse me for heroically evading that squirrel coming out of nowhere!
Dr. Rosalene: (looks at squirrel) You ran over it anyways.
Dr. Watts: (looks away) ...Oh.
Dr. Rosalene: You ran over it and hit a tree..
Dr. Watts: (looks at Rosalene, facepalming) Look, don't worry, it's a company car.
Dr. Rosalene: (turns to Neil with an angry face) Are you kidding me? The boss is going to kill us!
Dr. Watts: (folds his hands thoughtfully) Hm... We'll just say I was saving a puppy. He likes puppies, right?
Dr. Rosalene: He's more of a cat person.
Dr. Watts: (looking away) ... Why does the world have to be so complicated?
Dr. Watts: Fine, whatever furball he fancies. Crisis averted.
Dr. Rosalene: (walks towards Watts) Good, go write that on your report later.
Dr. Rosalene: Let's grab the equipment from the car and move already.

There's so much to unpack here. First, note the rather subtle foreshadowing with the people on the bench, which lasts for all of 2, maybe 3 seconds. Next, note just how many words get spent on a silly argument because one doctor can't own up to his mistakes. Third, note just how much of a bastard Neil is being, first trying to make excuses for his act, then playing down the consequences, and finally thinking up excuses for his boss. Basically we spent a few moments listening to him deflecting blame for a crash he did.

Note that this is the first dialogue of the game. This is how the author chose to open his sentimental story. In more ways than one, this is a sign of things to come...

We're given control at this point. Collecting the equipment triggers some minor dialogue.

Dr. Watts: Got the sucker. Let's roll.

We can also look around and interact with the squirrel and the sign.

Squirrel:

Dr. Rosalene: Tsk tsk.

Dr. Watts: Aw c'mon, I crashed the car while trying to evade it! What more do you want?!
Dr. Rosalene: Not crash the car and evade it?

Dr. Watts: ...That's asking too much.

Looking at it again:

Dr. Watts: I blame it on the car. Who puts the driver's seat on the right side anyway?

The Sign:

Wyles house ahead

Dr. Watts: Putting up a sign when they live in the middle of nowhere is like asking to be robbed.

Going to the left leads to another small bit of dialogue:

Dr. Rosalene: The sign to the house points to the other way.

Dr. Watts: Oh, how kind of it to exist.

While leaving for the house:

Dr. Watts: Hey wait, don't forget the car!
Dr. Rosalene: Just wanted to see if you'd remember.

- a short pause later

Dr. Watts: ...How thoughtful of you.

These small snippets of dialogue more or less just build on the situation established here. We learn that the car's steering is on the right side, and Watts' comment establishes that this is a country which steers on the left side. This is interesting because later evidence will make this quite unlikely. Also this house is situated in a fairly remote place, though the terrain and lack of response to a crashed car sort of make that obvious.

Besides that, the author is trying hard to make Watts sound like a smart crack, but honestly it just makes him look like a jerk, given the context of him having just rammed a car on the way to his supposed patient.

Drs. Neil and Rosalene climb up a weirdly grass laden set of clifftops, and then run into a rock atop a narrow flight of stairs.

Dr. Rosalene: ...Who put a boulder here?
Dr. Watts: Maybe it's their security system.
Dr. Rosalene: Cucumbers... We don't have time for this fluff.
Dr. Rosalene: Let's try pushing it out of the way.
Dr. Watts: Maybe we could find a tree branch to jack it with--
Dr. Watts: Wait...
Dr. Watts: (turns around) ... Or, we could just call it a night and blame it on that!
- Dialogue options pop up: 

1. Push it by hand
2. Find a branch
3. Abort mission and go home.

The first two options only really change minor bits of dialogue. The third option is the most humorous, but of course doesn't actually change the story. I'll pick it just to show it off. More comments later.

3. Abort mission and go home
Dr. Rosalene: You do know that you won't be paid if we don't go through with it, right?
Dr. Watts: Hm, I do need to fund an IKEA shopping spree soon...

1. Push it by hand
Dr. Rosalene: Alright, on three.
Dr. Rosalene: One... two...
Dr. Rosalene:..Three!
- Rosalene gives the rock a heavy shove. It proceeds to bounce off the cliff and away.
Dr. Rosalene: (staring in disbelief) I... I don't even...
Dr. Watts: ...What was that?
Dr. Rosalene: Not a boulder, that's for sure...
- Both doctors are speechless for a moment.
Dr. Rosalene: Uh, we need to get going for now...
Dr. Rosalene: (turning towards the path) We'll... we'll figure that thing out later.
Dr. Watts: Riiight...

So that's a lot of time spent on a minor gag. The basic premise is fine(mocking the idea of rocks and other minor obstacles acting as walls in video games) but the author got carried away with the idea and turned it into a full blown scene, at the detriment of the main plot. Certainly it is amusing at points and does have sparks of wit, but is it really necessary to drag it out like this?

Also, notice that Rosalene uses the names of vegetables in place of swear words. This is a running gag with her, it'll come up a bunch later.

The doctors continue climbing up the cliff, and run into even more fertile ground, complete with freshwater lakes and streams. 

Rosalene knocks on the door, and we cut to the inside of the house again, where the girl is back to playing the piano. She hears the knocks and stops playing, while the boy calls out for his mother:

Boy: Ma! They're here!

Their mother checks outside through the window and proceeds downstairs. While waiting downstairs, Rosalene begins to chat some more.

Dr. Rosalene: ... Not a bad place to retire at, huh?
Dr. Watts: (looking around) I could do better.
Dr. Watts: (turning back to Rosalene) Nightshifts; love 'em or hate 'em?

Dr. Rosalene: (sounding annoyed) You know the answer, you stupid owl.
- Rosalene proceeds to knock some more.
Dr. Watts: (raising his hand, perhaps in proclamation) ... It's probably gonna be another all-nighter, y'know.
Dr. Rosalene: I know.
Dr. Watts: And I doubt they'd have any coffee...
Dr. Rosalene: (sounding annoyed again) Shut up.
- Rosalene knocks yet more.
Dr. Watts: ... And the ocean waves will sing lullabies...
Dr. Rosalene: (sounding very annoyed) Not through your blathering, they won't.
Dr. Watts: ... And your eye-lids will...
- The door abruptly opens. Rosalene moves inside, Neil proceeds to follow but is cut short by Rosalene yelling.
Dr. Rosalene: Don't forget the equipment, moron.
- Watts goes back and picks up the box.
Dr. Watts: ... I don't get paid enough for this.
- Watts slowly moves inside, backwards.

Unlike the last few times, this is actually good dialogue - rather than being incredibly forced attempts at slapstick comedy that go on for too long, it draws upon legitimate musings and queries the characters would have in this situation, establishes the characters further, and has a fairly natural progression to it. However, once again note how Neil is acting quite abrasively, trying his damned best to annoy his coworker over their nightshift. Perhaps this Neil guy is not a very good person.

Going into the house triggers a splash screen signalling the start of Act 1. We'll tackle that next time.

Next: In Which We Explore a Mansion. Also a Lighthouse, Maybe.