Reviews from

in the past


I am not experienced with point-and-click adventure games, and thus found this game to be more cerebral than most other story-focused games I have played. I was often left wandering around town, clicking every dialogue option until the game gave me a hint of what I was actually supposed to be doing. I also felt that the puzzles, whilst more challenging and engaging than I would expect from something that was not a straight-up puzzle game, were at times rather obtuse and frustrating.

The main focus of the game is, of course, the story. I think it's okay. It's short, and doesn't really have a beginning or ending — it's more like a slice-of-life thing, where the characters' past is mostly left to the imagination, and the future — to speculation. The game has blatant commentary on the nature of artificial intelligence, as well as presenting a rather... unapproachable moral dilemma about the dangers of semiconductor-based technology. As someone who used an extremely complex semiconductor-based system to play the game, and is using one to write this review, I honestly could not take the arguments against technology presented in the game seriously.

The music was decent, providing a good atmosphere without particularly sticking out to me. The actual prose was fine, though lacking in the poetic flare of the likes of Disco Elysium, Planescape: Torment, or even Norco.

The game has narrative paths which define your "play style". Since this is a point-and-click adventure game, they don't really end up changing your approach to solving problems as much as they would in a game with more player agency and free-form gameplay, but it is nice to feel like there is something unique to your play style. Of course, the alignment system leaves questions, as it is usually very obvious when a dialogue is prompting you to pick a direction to nudge your alignment in (most dialogues seem to have three options, corresponding to three alignments)

Overall, I would say that the game was just fine, if not overly memorable. It did not come off as particularly ambitious in any regard. The pixel-art style seems to have been well-realised, at least.

Set in a post-AI futuristic dystopia, Whispers of a Machine presented a murder mystery to solve as Vera, a cybernetically augmented special agent. Humanity versus AI is more relevant than ever these days, so I enjoyed the topics it brought up, even if some threads were never truly resolved. There were options on how to go about the investigation and approach situations, the three paths relating to being empathetic, analytical, or assertive, each having their own abilities to use during puzzles and dialogue.

I liked Vera as a character, the sort of no-nonsense woman that had a subtle sense of humour. Even though it differed from Kathy Rain (Clifftop Games' other title), I still found it to have its own strengths.

Somehow I always feel that there were something lacking.
I liked the style, script, lore and the game play (with the character learning new skills), but I feel like there were almost no challenge, or that the skills were misused.

At the end, a good story, and a game to put a small pause in the day and in between heavy games.

Genial aventura gráfica con buena historia, buenos personajes, y buena ambientación. Además, tiene mecánicas interesantes, como que puedes examinar los escenarios con el filtro de las pruebas que hayas conseguido, o sentir el pulso de la gente para ver si mienten o están pochos. Con el desarrollo desbloqueas otros poderes, pero estos, al igual que la mayoría de las localizaciones, solo los usas 1 o 2 veces a lo sumo.

Según seas más emocional, lógico o asertivo (aunque yo lo veía más bien borde), conseguirás unos poderes u otros totalmente distintos entre sí, que no desvelaré, pero dan diversas formas de solucionar puzzles conversacionales, ya que el juego es mayormente de hablar con la gente y resolver que ha pasado. Artísticamente no hay queja alguna, es todo precioso, aunque alguna que otra animación más no le habría venido mal del todo. Aun así, 0 quejas

So I played once through this and I don't really have the motivation to play through it again. There's a lot of things I like about the game, the art style is great, the special powers are delightful and I like the concept of the game aligning to your play style.

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But I found the story and the setting a little flat. It seemed to be looking to ask big questions about AI and humanity but I don't feel like the questions where as big as it thinks they are, nor do I feel like the game has any opinions about what the answers could be.

I really liked their previous game (Kathy Rain), but this one just left me cold. I hope that they do another game like this with a story that really grabs me.


Diversi puzzle veramente troppo bruttini.

Cyberpunková noir adventura, o které beze zbytku platí, že "zdání klame". Jde totiž o tradiční klikací adventuru o čtyřech dějstvích, která staví na solidním (byť až příliš žánrově nalinkovaném) ději a puzzlech s logickým vysvětlením. Tudíž se nikde nezaseknete (lokací je minimum a to ještě pětina slouží pouze jako rozcestník) a za čtyři až pět hodin máte dohráno. Hlavní devizou jsou augmentované schopnosti ústřední postavy; kupříkladu když si zapnete monitoring tepu, tak můžete během dialogů objevit nevyrovnanosti v tepu, když zapnete scan, můžete analyzovat DNA v lokacích apod. Navíc nejde o pouze o ideu, ale skutečně se s tímto vynalézavě (a přesto logicky) pracuje v jednotlivých hádankách. Jde tedy o kvalitního žánrového zástupce s dobře napsanými dialogy i chytře vymyšlenými zádrhely, v lehkém odkazu žánrové klasiky Beneath a Steel Sky.

V čem tedy spočívá ono klamavé zdání? V tom, že si možná ani nevšimnete, nakolik a v kolika ohledech jde o nelineární záležitost. Sice to tvůrci zmíní v tutorialu (ovšem kdo by měl u klikací adventury zapnutý tutorial, že), ovšem i tak to lehce minete. Ano, možná si všimnete, že když nějaký úkol dotáhnete dříve než jiný, tak se trochu změní reakce některých postav, že třeba do zavřené skříňky se můžete dostat hrubou silou stejně jako nalezením klíčku, že když se máte dostat na místo vyžadující scan otisku prstu, tak můžete vyrobit odlitek prstu mrtvoly či jí ho prostě ufiknout. Ovšem takových momentů je pár a přímočaře se za pár hodin dostanete do finále, dohrajete to a za zvědavosti se podíváte do diskuzí, co si o tom myslí ostatní. A nestačíte se divit, protože záhy zjistíte, že ona ta nelinearita řešení je mnohem rozsáhlejší než se zdá. Akorát je tak dobře zaintegrovaná do celého designu, že je takřka neviditelná. A tak má mnoho hádanek vícero řešení, ovšem platí "Occamova břitva" čili na většinu nenarazíte, protože řešení, které jste zkusili jako první, fungovala také. Nejvíce se to však větví v získávaných nových augmentacích, které jsou vám přidělovány dle toho, jak se chováte. Čili pokud se budete chovat odtažitě a analyticky, tak budete mít jiné augmentace než pokud budete vystupovat asertivně a všem chápavě naslouchat. Sice se nezmění zadání (např. dostaň se z místnosti), ale díky dostupným prostředkům se diametrálně změní řešení.

Každopádně je otázkou, zda jde o vhodné využití nelinearity. Abyste se s ní totiž střetli, tak byste to museli hrát vícekrát. A při hraní si toho prostě nevšimnete čili to působí jako přísně nalinkované a naopak hrozí brblání "že to je až moc přímočaré". Navíc pro opakované hraní není důvod ani motivace, jelikož to pohříchu není nelineární i po dějové stránce. Pokud tedy máte chuť na cyberpunkovou klasickou adventuru, tak rozhodně zvolte Technobabylon. Pokud ho již nahraný máte, a chuť vás stále nepřešla, pak Whispers of a Machine za obezřetnou pozornost stojí.

This is a bit weird, because I don't have any strong feelings towards this game, but while trying to explain why, I always end up at something that's actually pretty good. So why is it ultimately just an okay-ish package?

It does extend the classic gameplay a fair amount through more intensive dialogues, different personality paths you can take and different abilities (though those are really just a replacement for items). They're pretty straightforward though and none of these new interactions stand out more than usual puzzles. It's definitely a good alternative for this crime scene investigation gameplay, but I generally don't feel like alternative paths in games offer anything more than linear stories.

It does touch upon different topics including AI singularity, cults and parenthood. I think the latter is fascinating but gets remedied to a subplot, while the overly all-encompassing topics don't stand out. Maybe because the presentation and pacing in the point-n-click genre is tough to manage.

The setting of a town on a pedestal doesn't have any relevance except for one point, and then only for ten minutes. And while there's so much to talk about elsewhere, I think a well-developed environment is very important. At most, the setting is used to convey a vague sense of isolation, but that's not really anything special about this genre. It's also in the weird spot where it's visually presented as a city, but is more of a town socially.

Incongruence is the key: between the limited scope and the grand story, the rigid cage of point-n-clicks and the tense moments, the image of a city and the feeling of a village. I feel there's a need for more intimate stories in sci-fi, and it can be done - take a look at Tacoma.

I'm not very invested in scandinavian crime stories, so I might have been rather puzzled about what to expect from Whispers of a Machine, commonly described as a Sci-Fi Nordic Noir take on graphic adventures. With my love for pointing and clicking and long after the purchase also learning this is the second game by Joel Staaf Hästö's Clifftop Games after the awesome Kathy Rain, whose Director's Cut I just reviewed, I was looking forward to give the follow up a chance and wasn't disappointed.

Indeed I was very happy to have been recapturing the predecessor Kathy Rain just before, because whilst you can see technically the Director's Cut draws from the experience on Whispers of a Machine, Whispers just as well took over some establishments made previously via the Adventure Game Studio engine. But it's actually more than just a process in development. With recurring topics you can actually see a handwriting emerge.

Wait, how can a sci-fi story about AI and transhumanism be anything similar to a typical nineties mystery with Twin Peaks flavor? Well, first this is post collapse of AI, so what's hot these days and might still have been discussed rather on a philosophical level during the making of Whispers of a Machine is actually a thing of the past during the plot. So when we follow another turmoiled female protagonist to a remote village, there's not much tech involved besides some useful cybernetic augmentation.

It's true that as a legitimate investigator sent to solve a murder there's more of a case in the beginning of Whispers of a Machine, but with the involvement of another church and new questions like if humanity wants to create god in their image, it totally feels like jamming new riffs within the same scale. It's like both stories could be independent from each other, but also happening in the same universe at opposite ends of a timeline, that could, but doesn't have to cross our present. We kinda decide on that as we go.

Aside from functions like the notebook known from Kathy Rain, Whispers of the Machine also incorporates the use of devices like computers, which isn't exactly a throwback to parser games, but requires using a simple text interface that might not be familiar with the younger folks. It won't require a handbook for that reason, but it feels nice having a glimpse back on the past, when that was how we ran programs.

Another similarity to Kathy Rain is digital restoration. Then, you had to adjust sliders to make picture content visible. Whispers of a Machine caters to that virtual nostalgia by a form of retro futurism. Despite (or because?) in a world past the collapse of AI, not only are the computer interfaces old, the player also picks up audio tapes and in one case has to de-noise and compress them, which should fall into place easily if you at least tried that in Audacity before.

To me personally Kathy Rain had more of a hang around factor, because the two roommates felt like two outcasts that could have easily been part of our clique back in the day. It makes sense though Vera in Whispers of a Machine feels more cold and distanced in the beginning, because the player is supposed to give her a personality via irreversible decisions that define between the paths "analytical", "assertive" or "empathetic". Depending on what is tracked on a meter throughout the game there will be two additional out of six possible augmentations for example.

After one playthrough that felt natural to me and two other intentional attempts at the opposite extremes I can say in theory my first individual version of Whispers of a Machine would have been enough, though I'd like to acknowledge slight differences especially in the puzzles related to the specific augmentations. It comes in handy that the ending independently allows for three decisions, so it can be worth it, especially if you leave more time in-between your plays and don't end up rushing your third playthrough in two and a half hours like me.

Having said that, my first eight and a half hour playthrough really satisfied my analytical urges, especially with the scanner augmentation allowing me to search for traces. Whilst the possibility to double click for swift exits more or less compensates for having to walk a luckily confined area, the replays, for which a start from the beginning is mandatory, showed limitations quite distinctly.

After you know what to talk about with whom, you might want to create a little more havok by using augmentations like mind control or mimicry on random NPCs, but as the principle of Whispers of a Machine is to guide you gently through this sci-fi murder mystery, there's no chance to use your forces on anybody you're not supposed to. On the other hand that also underlines the absence of moon logic. Listen and watch for the clues and you'll be fine. It's quite thought through.

Knowing the dimensions of additional effort required to supply non-linear multiple choice like I was suggesting before keeps me aware that's nothing I should expect from an independent developer that's basically Joel Staaf Hästö hiring additional artists for artwork and Dave Gilbert to return for directing voice actors. For that, he's been doing another awesome job in giving us a fresh take on classic point'n'click gameplay and I can't thank him enough for trying to be significant with less stereotypical topics.

I know it's hard to rely on players to interpret a work of art in a world where any loose end has to be winded up by canonized sequels, prequels or spin-offs and the easiest way to find financial backing is to trigger some nostalgia with typical catchphrases on Kickstarter. But whilst the latter often can't come up with a story at all, Clifftop Games has become a quality seal for outstanding and slightly surreal adventures.

I can't wait to play another one of these, be it Kathy Rain 2 or another Whispers of a Machine, both of which have been presented as possible in the future by Hästö. With the required attention to continuity though I'd be fine with more of an independent expansion on his topics rather than a sequel - something that could happen in the same universe but at another time or place.

The worst that could happen is the Robert Eggers effect, like when you directed the brilliant The VVitch and The Lighthouse all it takes is some budget to make a nugatory The Northman. I'd say don't throw your money for that reason, but the truth is, you'd be missing out on some of the most relevant graphic adventures of our day and age and in reality there can't be enough support for this rather niche of gaming.

As long as you're not trying to squeeze it, but rather aim to make one definitive playthrough your personalized version of Whispers of a Machine, there's not much to criticize. It's a splendid, story driven mystery with moderate puzzles to solve and as long as you see playing the other paths as a bonus you're most likely keep enjoying this game.

Pretty fun game! So I'm a big fan of Cyberpunk as a Sci-Fi subgenre and any game I find that is based around it instantly has my attention! I saw this game on a good sale, so I bought it on a whim. The game has you take on the role of Vera, a cop from the big city who's basically like a Blade Runner, who comes to a small town to investigate a murder. The game is a point and click in the vain of the older pc games from the 90s of that genre. You will be solving puzzles, talking to the locals and making dialogue choices.

Story-wise this game was quite cool to play through as it reminded me quite a bit of Detroit Become Human, in many of its themes and lore. The world the devs have built here is quite a cool one to explore and learn about. It kept me guessing who the murderer could be and surprised me in some cases. The story does get a bit formulaic towards the end and it has some elements that are some of my pet peeves in general when it comes to stories in games and movies.

Gameplay-wise it gets interesting as your character has access to augmentations to help you out. You start with 3 basic ones: a Batman detective mode type augment; a biometric analyzer that you can use when talking to NPCs to tell if they're lying or keeping something from you and muscle boost that gives you temporary enhanced strength which is good for breaking open lock doors. Another interesting part is you unlock 3 new augments, however, it's based on the dialogue choices you make, which are split into three different types (empathic, assertive and analytical). My playthrough I mostly made Empathic choices so I unlocked mods for that decision type and they were really fun to use as each path introduces different ways to get passed certain levels depending on what augments you've unlocked. I think this was a really cool addition and it definitely adds incentive to go back and replay the game to see what different augments you can unlock.

In terms of negatives, while some of the puzzles are fun to do, others are really complicated and I think it's because the game doesn't communicate the puzzle that well sometimes. One part in particular where you have to go and get an item, you have to solve a puzzle to get to it but the game at no point tells you that there even is a puzzle to complete in the first place. The game also is pretty short, taking me only 5 hours to complete. Your mileage may vary based on how quickly you can solve the game's puzzles. The game does have replay value with some variations in the story based on your choices as well as the different augments you can get, but I do wish the game was longer.

Overall, Whispers of a Machine is a fun game that can satisfy both Cyberpunk fans and fans of the point and click genre. I got my game on a sale and it had about the same value for what I paid. I'd say definitely get it on a sale, as the length can be a bit of a turn-off.

Really good PnC game. I don't remember many specifics of the plot, but the puzzles were well done and the personality profile aspect was interesting, if not fully realized.

kinda.... despise both endings of this. all pretty unsatisfying either way and Vera's Road Trip ending is way less gay than it should be.