Me puse a jugarlo por probar algo distinto y porque vi que había muy buenas reseñas sobre el juego, y entiendo perfectamente el porque.
Su forma de narrar la historia es muy cinematográfica, tiene algunos planos que a pesar de notarse que es un juego indie hacían que me quedara bobo mirando la pantalla, una ost bastante solida que acompaña perfectamente los momentos clave y una actuación de voz espectacular (en la versión inglesa al menos). El juego aprovecha increíblemente bien sus recursos para desde el principio generarte dudas que hacen que te inmerjas en su mundo y, personalmente a mi, la historia me ha encantado.
Es difícil recomendarlo porque es un juego que no tiene prácticamente gameplay y cuya historia puede llegar a ser abstracta, pero si un "walking simulator" no es una molestia para ti y te gusta disfrutar de una buena narrativa debes probar este juego.
Personajes favoritos:
1- The youngest
2- Iris
3- Watcher
4- Father
5- Knower
Su forma de narrar la historia es muy cinematográfica, tiene algunos planos que a pesar de notarse que es un juego indie hacían que me quedara bobo mirando la pantalla, una ost bastante solida que acompaña perfectamente los momentos clave y una actuación de voz espectacular (en la versión inglesa al menos). El juego aprovecha increíblemente bien sus recursos para desde el principio generarte dudas que hacen que te inmerjas en su mundo y, personalmente a mi, la historia me ha encantado.
Es difícil recomendarlo porque es un juego que no tiene prácticamente gameplay y cuya historia puede llegar a ser abstracta, pero si un "walking simulator" no es una molestia para ti y te gusta disfrutar de una buena narrativa debes probar este juego.
Personajes favoritos:
1- The youngest
2- Iris
3- Watcher
4- Father
5- Knower
is there a feeling worth getting incinerated over?
This review contains spoilers
Llevaba siguiendo el desarrollo de este proyecto desde hace unos cuantos meses. Uno de sus trailers me llamó muchísimo la atención en el LudoNarraCon que hace Fellow Traveller cada año en mayo. Fascinado por su estética y sus obvias influencias en algunos de mis videojuegos y animes favoritos, estaba claro que me iba a gustar, pero no imaginaba que lo haría de esta forma. Ya solo en la manera que está concebido, rezuma originalidad y ganas de probar cosas diferentes por los cuatro costados. Sunset visitor es una desarrolladora independiente de videojuegos, formada por un grupo de desarrolladores asiatico-canadienses con décadas de experiencia en otras artes como pueda ser la danza, el teatro, la música, o las artes visuales. Esa composición heterogénea de influencias en el arte, se nota en el enfoque que pretenden darle a este título, probando nuevas formas de narrativa y experimentando con el medio. Sin contar claramente que su nacionalidad ha influenciado directamente los temas de la obra, a veces se siente muy personal. (Spoilers de aquí en adelante)
1000xresist es una experiencia centrada absolutamente en su narrativa y mundo. Tanto es incluso, que su historia la he sentido más larga y compleja que muchos títulos con el doble o triple de horas. Consecuentemente, sumando además a su estilo surrealista y abstracto, llevo unos días desde que lo finalicé tratando de sacar conclusiones y organizar mis ideas. Esta obra trata principalmente temas como la diáspora y el trauma generacional. Como nuestras vivencias traumáticas nos influyen personalmente, y como hacemos que la siguiente generación los arrastre también, atrapados en un bucle de sufrimiento. Podemos verlo representado tanto en Iris, como en su madre o en la directora. Todas sufrieron situaciones difíciles, y educaron a sus descendientes en esos términos. El juego se introduce profundo en la psicología de Iris para abordar estos temas de una forma magistral, no solo por la buena escritura en la forma de plantearlos, si no también por su estructura. Vemos todo a través de recuerdos, de un pasado en el que Iris vive todavía atrapada. Se nos van mostrando sus vivencias sin orden, con lentitud y espacio para construir firmemente la narrativa. De hecho, también los recuerdos y cómo los afrontamos, son un tema bastante primordial en esta obra.
Por otro lado, esos recuerdos son visualizados por diferentes clones, Watcher y Blue, nuestras protagonistas, que deben afrontar las consecuencias de sociedades autoritarias creadas por las susodichas antes mencionadas (Iris y la directora). Watcher por su lado, tiene que ir descubriendo cómo los pilares de su mundo se fragmentan, como todo lo que creía como cierto era una farsa. La diosa a la que rinden culto no es tan perfecta como la han hecho creer, y en su ceguera, ha sacrificado a la persona más importante que tenía en su vida. Su reacción tras esto es la más lógica, y en un arrebato de ira cambia el transcurso de lo que sería la civilización hasta ese momento para ella. La trampa perfecta de la directora, para de nuevo seguir cometiendo los errores de su progenitora y vivir estancada en el pasado. Aquí entra en ecuación Blue, con sus problemas de identidad. Ella consigue terminar rompiendo el bucle y encontrar un lugar que sí le pertenezca a esos restos de la civilización. Personalmente el final me encanta, una montaña rusa de emociones que acaba conectando con el prólogo del juego y te deja decidir. Decidir cuál es el futuro que les espera y que merecen después de todo. Escenas como la del padre en su tumbona tras suicidarse, o la conversación de Iris con su madre al final me ponen todavía los pelos de punta.
He entrado de forma muy superficial en la narrativa en los anteriores párrafos, para todo lo que se podría extraer y analizar en profundidad, capitulo por capitulo, personaje por personaje. Estos temas los envuelve en un escenario de ciencia ficción post-apocalíptico. La tierra ha sido destruida por unos alienígenas denominados “los ocupantes”, llevando a la civilización a vivir en una nave bajo el mar pacífico. Me encanta lo bien que están fundidas la parte de ciencia ficción con el resto de elementos narrativos del título. Todos los componentes empujan a la narrativa hacia delante y no funcionarían en otro contexto. Además de esto, poder explorar lugares como “the orchard” me parece fascinante. No solo en cómo está compuesto, si no además por su estética, como un paraíso, un edén para lo que queda de la civilización. Aunque la estética es una virtud general de esta obra. Su apartado artístico es de escándalo y tiene mucha personalidad. Me encanta como usa el color tanto de forma artística, como para sumar a su narrativa. Pero sin duda, para mi, lo que más destaca es el uso de la iluminación. Esa aberración cromática saturada, le da muchísimo carácter y personalidad al título, casando muy bien con su ambientación de ciencia ficción.
Sin embargo, sé que 1000xresist no es un título para todo el mundo. Es en parte también su virtud. No hay prácticamente gameplay, a parte de unos puzzles simples y pasearte para hablar con los diferentes personajes. No se encasillarlo en un género en concreto si quiera. No obstante, si es el tipo de juego que te gusta, te va a flipar, aunque tenga algunos problemillas de ritmo en los capítulos iniciales. Sobre todo relacionados con esa excesiva cantidad de paseos para tener charlas opcionales.
En definitiva, sí, 1000xresist me ha encantado, incluso más de lo que esperaba. Es un título muy especial que siento verdaderamente único a nivel personal. Tiene una narrativa brillante y una construcción de mundo de escándalo. Es capaz de conectar contigo, transmitiendote emociones e ideas. Six to one, sister.
1000xresist es una experiencia centrada absolutamente en su narrativa y mundo. Tanto es incluso, que su historia la he sentido más larga y compleja que muchos títulos con el doble o triple de horas. Consecuentemente, sumando además a su estilo surrealista y abstracto, llevo unos días desde que lo finalicé tratando de sacar conclusiones y organizar mis ideas. Esta obra trata principalmente temas como la diáspora y el trauma generacional. Como nuestras vivencias traumáticas nos influyen personalmente, y como hacemos que la siguiente generación los arrastre también, atrapados en un bucle de sufrimiento. Podemos verlo representado tanto en Iris, como en su madre o en la directora. Todas sufrieron situaciones difíciles, y educaron a sus descendientes en esos términos. El juego se introduce profundo en la psicología de Iris para abordar estos temas de una forma magistral, no solo por la buena escritura en la forma de plantearlos, si no también por su estructura. Vemos todo a través de recuerdos, de un pasado en el que Iris vive todavía atrapada. Se nos van mostrando sus vivencias sin orden, con lentitud y espacio para construir firmemente la narrativa. De hecho, también los recuerdos y cómo los afrontamos, son un tema bastante primordial en esta obra.
Por otro lado, esos recuerdos son visualizados por diferentes clones, Watcher y Blue, nuestras protagonistas, que deben afrontar las consecuencias de sociedades autoritarias creadas por las susodichas antes mencionadas (Iris y la directora). Watcher por su lado, tiene que ir descubriendo cómo los pilares de su mundo se fragmentan, como todo lo que creía como cierto era una farsa. La diosa a la que rinden culto no es tan perfecta como la han hecho creer, y en su ceguera, ha sacrificado a la persona más importante que tenía en su vida. Su reacción tras esto es la más lógica, y en un arrebato de ira cambia el transcurso de lo que sería la civilización hasta ese momento para ella. La trampa perfecta de la directora, para de nuevo seguir cometiendo los errores de su progenitora y vivir estancada en el pasado. Aquí entra en ecuación Blue, con sus problemas de identidad. Ella consigue terminar rompiendo el bucle y encontrar un lugar que sí le pertenezca a esos restos de la civilización. Personalmente el final me encanta, una montaña rusa de emociones que acaba conectando con el prólogo del juego y te deja decidir. Decidir cuál es el futuro que les espera y que merecen después de todo. Escenas como la del padre en su tumbona tras suicidarse, o la conversación de Iris con su madre al final me ponen todavía los pelos de punta.
He entrado de forma muy superficial en la narrativa en los anteriores párrafos, para todo lo que se podría extraer y analizar en profundidad, capitulo por capitulo, personaje por personaje. Estos temas los envuelve en un escenario de ciencia ficción post-apocalíptico. La tierra ha sido destruida por unos alienígenas denominados “los ocupantes”, llevando a la civilización a vivir en una nave bajo el mar pacífico. Me encanta lo bien que están fundidas la parte de ciencia ficción con el resto de elementos narrativos del título. Todos los componentes empujan a la narrativa hacia delante y no funcionarían en otro contexto. Además de esto, poder explorar lugares como “the orchard” me parece fascinante. No solo en cómo está compuesto, si no además por su estética, como un paraíso, un edén para lo que queda de la civilización. Aunque la estética es una virtud general de esta obra. Su apartado artístico es de escándalo y tiene mucha personalidad. Me encanta como usa el color tanto de forma artística, como para sumar a su narrativa. Pero sin duda, para mi, lo que más destaca es el uso de la iluminación. Esa aberración cromática saturada, le da muchísimo carácter y personalidad al título, casando muy bien con su ambientación de ciencia ficción.
Sin embargo, sé que 1000xresist no es un título para todo el mundo. Es en parte también su virtud. No hay prácticamente gameplay, a parte de unos puzzles simples y pasearte para hablar con los diferentes personajes. No se encasillarlo en un género en concreto si quiera. No obstante, si es el tipo de juego que te gusta, te va a flipar, aunque tenga algunos problemillas de ritmo en los capítulos iniciales. Sobre todo relacionados con esa excesiva cantidad de paseos para tener charlas opcionales.
En definitiva, sí, 1000xresist me ha encantado, incluso más de lo que esperaba. Es un título muy especial que siento verdaderamente único a nivel personal. Tiene una narrativa brillante y una construcción de mundo de escándalo. Es capaz de conectar contigo, transmitiendote emociones e ideas. Six to one, sister.
Incredibly bold storytelling with a stong style and confidence to its narrative and design.
Gets a little incomprehensible towards the end but there's too many pivitol moments that linger with me to knock it too hard.
Also one of the few games where I prefer the limited nature of the mechanics; anything additional would have likely gotten in the way of story and likely wouldn't have added much to the experience.
Feels like a long lost PS2 game. Thumbs up.
Gets a little incomprehensible towards the end but there's too many pivitol moments that linger with me to knock it too hard.
Also one of the few games where I prefer the limited nature of the mechanics; anything additional would have likely gotten in the way of story and likely wouldn't have added much to the experience.
Feels like a long lost PS2 game. Thumbs up.
This is what I play games for, hell, this is what I experience art for. An absolute masterclass in narrative design. Confident in every decision. A complex and layered sci-fi story built on a deeply personal and focused foundation, mastering the challenge of evoking strong emotions while navigating heady concepts and world building.
L'un des meilleurs jeu auquel j'ai j'ai eu la chance de jouer cette année.
J'ai principalement apprécié la narration, évidemment, c'est un jeu narratif, qui m'a tenu par les tripes jusque la fin.
Le plus important pour moi, c'est à quel point le jeu n'a pas peur de parler de sujets contemporains et majeurs, on y retrouve totalement la patte des auteur.ice.s.
Cependant, ne vous attendez pas à du Gameplay, il n'y que très peu de choix qui influent sur l'histoire et une phase de gameplay avec une forme de défi.
J'ai principalement apprécié la narration, évidemment, c'est un jeu narratif, qui m'a tenu par les tripes jusque la fin.
Le plus important pour moi, c'est à quel point le jeu n'a pas peur de parler de sujets contemporains et majeurs, on y retrouve totalement la patte des auteur.ice.s.
Cependant, ne vous attendez pas à du Gameplay, il n'y que très peu de choix qui influent sur l'histoire et une phase de gameplay avec une forme de défi.
This review contains spoilers
Finding it hard to sum up my thoughts on this one. 1000xResist is a very ambitious story with a lot of confidence in itself that unfortunately started losing me a bit by the end.
There's multiple time periods explored across various stages of an apocalypse, a sprawling cast of mostly clones, a look at the diaspora and disconnects felt between generations of immigrants, and many depictions of oppression and resistance - through the Hong Kong protests, the alien occupation, and across different periods of the clones' self governance.
Whenever you take a step back to sift through the density of the narrative or watch the pieces come together as they do, it's clear how much thought and time went into this. It's obviously a story the creators thought through tirelessly and truly cared about and it shows. But as I went through the last few chapters of the game especially, I couldn't help but feel like it might be too big for its own good.
I think what drove this sentiment home for me was the late game scenes involving Iris' parents, where I'd realize just how much more I care about that real, direct part of the story than the increasingly abstract and complex plot involving the sisters, occupants and Principal's post-allmother governance. The scenes between her parents after Iris has left home and the late game scene between Iris and her mother on the stairwell are, to me, the strongest, most powerful moments the game has to offer. And it makes sense, as this family dynamic and how it shaped her is much of what the first half of the game sets up and treats as important. But playing through the last few chapters I kept feeling like I didn't actually know who the characters of any of the Sisters really were. By the time the final decision in the game rolled around, I felt like I didn't have a full enough understanding to properly make a choice, with so many characters and groups being thrown at you in the last act of the game and little that makes them stick enough.
And maybe that's part of the point as well. Maybe everyone created from Iris is always searching for what makes them their own person. The ones who are most different from the pack are consistently either the most jaded from oppression or those holding the most power, and there's a lot to be said with that about how both sides of power and control can shape people. But it also leads to a large cast of characters that, to me, mostly fall a bit flat. The characters of Mother, Father and Jiao especially are so well written that it makes a lot of the other characters feel dull or rushed in comparison.
As well, a lot of the light gameplay sections just don't really have much going for them. Wandering around the orchard always feels like a bit of a chore, and the flying movement is pretty janky. That being said, they know gameplay isn't the focus here, and as ways of breaking up the story and giving the player a change of pace, they're serviceable and often welcome.
While I'm not as in love with this as many are right now, it's the kind of game I'm really happy to see getting the acclaim that it is. This is undeniably such an incredible achievement as a first game for sunset visitor. The voice acting, art direction and shot composition does so much heavy lifting in making every scene feel alive and vibrant when the actual animation is often very subtle or non-existent. Everything is in service of telling the story and it's refreshing to see a game truly take a story first approach and pull it off this well.
There's multiple time periods explored across various stages of an apocalypse, a sprawling cast of mostly clones, a look at the diaspora and disconnects felt between generations of immigrants, and many depictions of oppression and resistance - through the Hong Kong protests, the alien occupation, and across different periods of the clones' self governance.
Whenever you take a step back to sift through the density of the narrative or watch the pieces come together as they do, it's clear how much thought and time went into this. It's obviously a story the creators thought through tirelessly and truly cared about and it shows. But as I went through the last few chapters of the game especially, I couldn't help but feel like it might be too big for its own good.
I think what drove this sentiment home for me was the late game scenes involving Iris' parents, where I'd realize just how much more I care about that real, direct part of the story than the increasingly abstract and complex plot involving the sisters, occupants and Principal's post-allmother governance. The scenes between her parents after Iris has left home and the late game scene between Iris and her mother on the stairwell are, to me, the strongest, most powerful moments the game has to offer. And it makes sense, as this family dynamic and how it shaped her is much of what the first half of the game sets up and treats as important. But playing through the last few chapters I kept feeling like I didn't actually know who the characters of any of the Sisters really were. By the time the final decision in the game rolled around, I felt like I didn't have a full enough understanding to properly make a choice, with so many characters and groups being thrown at you in the last act of the game and little that makes them stick enough.
And maybe that's part of the point as well. Maybe everyone created from Iris is always searching for what makes them their own person. The ones who are most different from the pack are consistently either the most jaded from oppression or those holding the most power, and there's a lot to be said with that about how both sides of power and control can shape people. But it also leads to a large cast of characters that, to me, mostly fall a bit flat. The characters of Mother, Father and Jiao especially are so well written that it makes a lot of the other characters feel dull or rushed in comparison.
As well, a lot of the light gameplay sections just don't really have much going for them. Wandering around the orchard always feels like a bit of a chore, and the flying movement is pretty janky. That being said, they know gameplay isn't the focus here, and as ways of breaking up the story and giving the player a change of pace, they're serviceable and often welcome.
While I'm not as in love with this as many are right now, it's the kind of game I'm really happy to see getting the acclaim that it is. This is undeniably such an incredible achievement as a first game for sunset visitor. The voice acting, art direction and shot composition does so much heavy lifting in making every scene feel alive and vibrant when the actual animation is often very subtle or non-existent. Everything is in service of telling the story and it's refreshing to see a game truly take a story first approach and pull it off this well.
Incredible game, if you're a fan of terrific narrative experiences like 13 Sentinels (the story part) then do yourself a favour and pick this one up.
Here's my full review: https://thethirstymage.com/2024/06/05/1000xresist-on-steam-a-review/
Here's my full review: https://thethirstymage.com/2024/06/05/1000xresist-on-steam-a-review/
I saw an article saying that if I liked Nier, I would like this game. More specifically, I believe it was titled something like "The best new story-heavy game that no one is talking about" and it mentioned a similarity to Nier. I've never finished Nier, so I don't know if the comparison is apt.
But holy shit, I could not put this game down. It is insane in all the best ways. Twists, turns, revelations. The story was fantastic. I really can't talk about it much without spoiling anything, but if anyone decides to play it, pay attention. Every last detail matters.
But holy shit, I could not put this game down. It is insane in all the best ways. Twists, turns, revelations. The story was fantastic. I really can't talk about it much without spoiling anything, but if anyone decides to play it, pay attention. Every last detail matters.
Without a doubt one of the best stories I've seen told in video games.
hekki almo
hekki almo
There is a me that cannot bear this and a we that cannot look away.
This game is fucked up. Relentlessly fucked up. Every choked breath you fail to hold back begging the game to give you one second of grace will be met with a knife. No happy endings. No second chances.
But in service of those who fought in Hong Kong and so many cities like it, we must confront the depths of humanity explored here head on, lest we suffer the doom that follows should we cut our eyes out to look away.
Sold here is a promise - a horrific rollercoaster of emotions that dares to show you humankind's faintest hopes even at their lowest, darkest pit of despair. Breathtaking, in all the good ways to match all the bad. I couldn't possibly recommend it enough. I just hope you have the strength to bear despair that I nearly could not.
This game is fucked up. Relentlessly fucked up. Every choked breath you fail to hold back begging the game to give you one second of grace will be met with a knife. No happy endings. No second chances.
But in service of those who fought in Hong Kong and so many cities like it, we must confront the depths of humanity explored here head on, lest we suffer the doom that follows should we cut our eyes out to look away.
Sold here is a promise - a horrific rollercoaster of emotions that dares to show you humankind's faintest hopes even at their lowest, darkest pit of despair. Breathtaking, in all the good ways to match all the bad. I couldn't possibly recommend it enough. I just hope you have the strength to bear despair that I nearly could not.
Even my shitty government isn't as good at rehashing generational trauma as this game's masterful recycling of art assets
Es difícil poner en palabras una experiencia que aun tu cerebro esta procesando y asimilando.
Quizás eso ya diga mucho del juego: 1000xResist es uno de esos juegos que dejan poso, que dejan su huella y te acompañan durante mucho tiempo.
1000xResist es una aventura narrativa, lo que viene a ser una novela gráfica con pasos extras, increíblemente bella con una gran puesta en escena (se nota que parte del equipo desarrollador hay gente que viene del teatro) e increíblemente bien actuada (al menos en una gran parte).
Lo único malo es la parte "juego" que presenta que a veces es increíblemente tediosa (navegar por la laberíntica zona principal para poder hablar con todos los personajes en varios momentos del juego) o simplemente innecesarias como la secciones donde saltamos de un punto a otro para llegar al siguiente marcador.
Una pequeña e insignificante mancha para el que es sin duda uno de los juegos del año.
Quizás eso ya diga mucho del juego: 1000xResist es uno de esos juegos que dejan poso, que dejan su huella y te acompañan durante mucho tiempo.
1000xResist es una aventura narrativa, lo que viene a ser una novela gráfica con pasos extras, increíblemente bella con una gran puesta en escena (se nota que parte del equipo desarrollador hay gente que viene del teatro) e increíblemente bien actuada (al menos en una gran parte).
Lo único malo es la parte "juego" que presenta que a veces es increíblemente tediosa (navegar por la laberíntica zona principal para poder hablar con todos los personajes en varios momentos del juego) o simplemente innecesarias como la secciones donde saltamos de un punto a otro para llegar al siguiente marcador.
Una pequeña e insignificante mancha para el que es sin duda uno de los juegos del año.
Holy fuck
Hoooooly fuck
This might just be one of the best games of all time. Such beautiful writing.
Hoooooly fuck
This might just be one of the best games of all time. Such beautiful writing.
1000xResist is one of those sleeper indie games I picked up because of the seemingly out of nowhere cult favoritism and fanfare they've gotten, thinking I may be in the running for a hidden gem and possible memorable sleeper hit. What I quickly found out as I made my way through this visual-novel esque piece of abstract was that you are intended to revel and take in the confusion as a piece of endearment towards this media and not as a detraction. The scope of the narrative is entirely obscure and reminiscent of an amalgamation of futuristic and philosophical pieces of work that I've experienced in the past like Nier: Automata, Land of the Lustrous, and strangely enough Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. I'm all for the out-there when it comes to penning a story, but there has to be a level of grounding for me to have a buy-in. Nier: Automata's abstractism and grandiose questioning of Philip K Dickian ponderings works because it has an immediate pressing storyline to help carry on the deeper and more intrinsic philosophies. Where 1000xResist separates for me is that you as the player are immediately thrust into a cavernously deep thought-focused plot with no real endeavor made to either coat it under an easier to parse coat of paint or giving it a guiding light. I'm not saying that it needed to be spoken to the player like they were out of Idiocracy or something, but Moreso that levelling out a ten or so hour experience in abstract and only making it more confusing and... abstract leads to a story that never really sticks for me.
I was able to understand the loose goings-ons of things as they happened and the messages placed throughout the game, but it never really struck with me as a critically important or thought provoking piece of media. This is the same gripe I had with the last six episodes of Neon Genesis: Evangelion that gets me in hot water with friends of mine as we discuss the hallmark and legendary anime. As the creator delved further into the conceptional of Shinji's mind and enemies at large and further and further into psychological mysticism, I fell out of favor with the show. It felt like it was trying to "think too much" and not "say enough." That is ultimately my qualm with 1000xResist, there is a lot being done in weird ways that are meant to be symbolic and interesting but ultimately fell flat because of the persistence to non-linear and ambiguous storytelling.
On top of qualms with the way the story was told, there are some slight issues I had with this game that don't really chalk up to much of a real con-list: voice acting I felt could have been greatly improved to create a more passionate tale, and the hub world that you revisit quite a bit is maze-like and annoying to traverse.
Pick this up if you want a mildly interesting (basically) visual novel that jumps heavily into science fiction themes, but if you want a game that will stick with you and make you think, this was not it.
I was able to understand the loose goings-ons of things as they happened and the messages placed throughout the game, but it never really struck with me as a critically important or thought provoking piece of media. This is the same gripe I had with the last six episodes of Neon Genesis: Evangelion that gets me in hot water with friends of mine as we discuss the hallmark and legendary anime. As the creator delved further into the conceptional of Shinji's mind and enemies at large and further and further into psychological mysticism, I fell out of favor with the show. It felt like it was trying to "think too much" and not "say enough." That is ultimately my qualm with 1000xResist, there is a lot being done in weird ways that are meant to be symbolic and interesting but ultimately fell flat because of the persistence to non-linear and ambiguous storytelling.
On top of qualms with the way the story was told, there are some slight issues I had with this game that don't really chalk up to much of a real con-list: voice acting I felt could have been greatly improved to create a more passionate tale, and the hub world that you revisit quite a bit is maze-like and annoying to traverse.
Pick this up if you want a mildly interesting (basically) visual novel that jumps heavily into science fiction themes, but if you want a game that will stick with you and make you think, this was not it.
I absolutely love walking simulators and adventure games. Any day, I will choose a game with a fantastic story over anything else. The complex story and moral choices in 1000xResist initially drew my attention, but ultimately, it left me with a walking simulator filled with anime tropes and more questions than answers. This game swiftly teaches you that there are no definitive answers or absolutes. The game begins with a reasonable number of questions, but towards the end, only a few remain. What remained for me was a game I will soon forget.
You play a character named Watcher. She is one of the Six Sisters, who are part of some sort of post-apocalyptic society or group. The environment is very sterile and too perfect. It almost feels like a starship or something else. The game thrusts you into an unknown part of this timeline. It is up to you to unravel and follow the linear path that the game leads you on. There are a few instances where you have more control over Watcher, specifically when you explore the "center" and engage in conversations with people. This ends up feeling like a chore because you have to do it multiple times, and only yesterday (as of this writing) did the developers patch in a map. There is almost no gameplay. If you consider zipping around the sky on some flying orbs as gameplay, you shouldn't expect much more. You will likely navigate through thousands of lines of spoken dialogue. The voice-over is decent, if mundane. Even side characters and NPCs speak in every scene.
The pacing is the only thing the game has going for it. While the first few chapters feel repetitive, as you commune with various sisters, you go from location to location, simply walking around in small rooms and engaging in dialogue. This will bore anyone who isn't an adventure game fan. The story is hard enough to follow, and when you try to make sense of it all, you get more characters to trust you. The game advances when you talk to the correct person. At times, the game presents this as a task, while at others, it becomes more evident.
This game defies easy description or explanation. At times, the dialogue and story can be quite poignant, touching on topics such as adolescence and parental conflict and separation. Additionally, the game heavily references the COVID-19 pandemic, with characters donning masks and discussing a disease that could potentially wipe out humanity. Honestly. I can't even tell you if that's exactly what the story is about, as it's so vague all the time. We don't get any true, hard facts on what's going on in this world. The "Allmother" named Iris serves as the foundation for these Six Sisters, who have the ability to replicate themselves. It's just a bunch of confusing threads that don't really lead anywhere.
I had a strong desire to enjoy this game. The narrative exhibits promise, featuring numerous characters on the verge of likability or memorability, yet it succumbs to the anime conventions of guiding you through a perpetually perplexing plot, only to leave you feeling let down at the conclusion. At times, the narrative excels, presenting you with a flurry of answers towards the conclusion. This can be satisfying and memorable, but 1000xResist just refuses to give in. I just wanted the game to end, but it goes on for 10–12 hours even if you read all of the dialog and skip most of the voice lines. The choices don't really matter until the very end of the game, and even then, you aren't sure if there were choices earlier that mattered.
1000xResist is hard to recommend, even to anime lovers. The animations, visuals, and everything else are fairly generic, forgettable, and mostly dull. The game's overuse of bloom and lack of lip-syncing during dialog gives it a cheap, low-budget feel, which is normally acceptable if executed well. The game drags the player along for so long that, in the end, you expect a massive pay-off but end up with a fizzle and sputter. I can't really recommend this game to anyone outside of die-hard adventure game fans.
You play a character named Watcher. She is one of the Six Sisters, who are part of some sort of post-apocalyptic society or group. The environment is very sterile and too perfect. It almost feels like a starship or something else. The game thrusts you into an unknown part of this timeline. It is up to you to unravel and follow the linear path that the game leads you on. There are a few instances where you have more control over Watcher, specifically when you explore the "center" and engage in conversations with people. This ends up feeling like a chore because you have to do it multiple times, and only yesterday (as of this writing) did the developers patch in a map. There is almost no gameplay. If you consider zipping around the sky on some flying orbs as gameplay, you shouldn't expect much more. You will likely navigate through thousands of lines of spoken dialogue. The voice-over is decent, if mundane. Even side characters and NPCs speak in every scene.
The pacing is the only thing the game has going for it. While the first few chapters feel repetitive, as you commune with various sisters, you go from location to location, simply walking around in small rooms and engaging in dialogue. This will bore anyone who isn't an adventure game fan. The story is hard enough to follow, and when you try to make sense of it all, you get more characters to trust you. The game advances when you talk to the correct person. At times, the game presents this as a task, while at others, it becomes more evident.
This game defies easy description or explanation. At times, the dialogue and story can be quite poignant, touching on topics such as adolescence and parental conflict and separation. Additionally, the game heavily references the COVID-19 pandemic, with characters donning masks and discussing a disease that could potentially wipe out humanity. Honestly. I can't even tell you if that's exactly what the story is about, as it's so vague all the time. We don't get any true, hard facts on what's going on in this world. The "Allmother" named Iris serves as the foundation for these Six Sisters, who have the ability to replicate themselves. It's just a bunch of confusing threads that don't really lead anywhere.
I had a strong desire to enjoy this game. The narrative exhibits promise, featuring numerous characters on the verge of likability or memorability, yet it succumbs to the anime conventions of guiding you through a perpetually perplexing plot, only to leave you feeling let down at the conclusion. At times, the narrative excels, presenting you with a flurry of answers towards the conclusion. This can be satisfying and memorable, but 1000xResist just refuses to give in. I just wanted the game to end, but it goes on for 10–12 hours even if you read all of the dialog and skip most of the voice lines. The choices don't really matter until the very end of the game, and even then, you aren't sure if there were choices earlier that mattered.
1000xResist is hard to recommend, even to anime lovers. The animations, visuals, and everything else are fairly generic, forgettable, and mostly dull. The game's overuse of bloom and lack of lip-syncing during dialog gives it a cheap, low-budget feel, which is normally acceptable if executed well. The game drags the player along for so long that, in the end, you expect a massive pay-off but end up with a fizzle and sputter. I can't really recommend this game to anyone outside of die-hard adventure game fans.
not typically a fan of f2p shooters but ubisoft really knocked it out of the park with this one. to say anything more would spoil the experience. you simply must try it for yourself! (and i suggest you do. even if you're skeptical, i'm sure you'll be hooked before the steam refund period ends)
six to one; that's my kill/death ratio
six to one; that's my kill/death ratio
YOWZA!
I went into this game looking at the screenshots thinking it was going to be a bit stale but it was actually quite opposite. What I got was something I didn't expect which surprised me. It's hard to get into why this game really stood out to me without spoiling it but they way it handles specific situations and dealing with other's emotions and thoughts was really well done.
The way scenes were left to breathe as you soaked in the dialogue and beautifully minimal backgrounds felt like a film at times. While the game is basically you running around talking to others I actually felt compelled to rather than skipping the optional dialogue. I felt like the way the story went was great and the pacing was really well done. I don't see this as a game everyone can enjoy but for those looking for something a bit deeper in terms of themes and don't mind running around without action, then this will probably be your game.
The way scenes were left to breathe as you soaked in the dialogue and beautifully minimal backgrounds felt like a film at times. While the game is basically you running around talking to others I actually felt compelled to rather than skipping the optional dialogue. I felt like the way the story went was great and the pacing was really well done. I don't see this as a game everyone can enjoy but for those looking for something a bit deeper in terms of themes and don't mind running around without action, then this will probably be your game.
i've been struggling with what to say about this for a couple weeks, it's a very difficult piece to talk about abstractly because it's best experienced blind. i guess the most important thing for me is that this piece expanded my view of what the medium can do and be. the best argument for a multidisciplinary approach to creativity i've seen in a long time.
Another piece of art that uses its absurd, whiplashing setting to explore deeply cultural, philosophical and psychological themes.
The good thing is, it’s empathetic, it’s emotional, it’s deep and it works. This is one of those games that want you to think, and think it makes you do.
It is recent and thus it’s relevant, but its themes transcend time. It touches on themes like the cycle of oppression, revolution and forgiveness; striving to make its own point about how we should approach our everlasting societal problems.
It’s deeply political whilst maintaining an absurd science fiction post-apocalyptic setting. It shows the grand scheme of things, while focusing on its own major players, fleshing out their human aspects.
It’s a time-bending journey that creates parallels between generations; between real life and fiction. And it does so using very much familiar ingredients; yet it is thought-provoking in a way I’ve never witnessed before.
I lived in this game; the 12 hours it took to get through it felt like 100, and I mean that in a good way. The way it was able to explore so much in such a short amount of time is nothing short of a narrative masterpiece.
It really came out of nowhere, and hit me like a truck. I hope people are able to go past looks and lack of action gameplay and let themselves experience this. It really is deserving of a spot among the best of the best.
The good thing is, it’s empathetic, it’s emotional, it’s deep and it works. This is one of those games that want you to think, and think it makes you do.
It is recent and thus it’s relevant, but its themes transcend time. It touches on themes like the cycle of oppression, revolution and forgiveness; striving to make its own point about how we should approach our everlasting societal problems.
It’s deeply political whilst maintaining an absurd science fiction post-apocalyptic setting. It shows the grand scheme of things, while focusing on its own major players, fleshing out their human aspects.
It’s a time-bending journey that creates parallels between generations; between real life and fiction. And it does so using very much familiar ingredients; yet it is thought-provoking in a way I’ve never witnessed before.
I lived in this game; the 12 hours it took to get through it felt like 100, and I mean that in a good way. The way it was able to explore so much in such a short amount of time is nothing short of a narrative masterpiece.
It really came out of nowhere, and hit me like a truck. I hope people are able to go past looks and lack of action gameplay and let themselves experience this. It really is deserving of a spot among the best of the best.
Bang Bang Fire: Cannot intuit the mechanics of the Death Note/Could not solve the Kira case.
Fixer: Cannot intuit the mechanics of the Death Note/Could solve the Kira case.
Healer: Can intuit the mechanics of the Death Note/Could not solve the Kira case.
Knower: Can intuit the mechanics of the Death Note/Could solve the Kira case.
Watcher: Probably would be manipulated and killed by kira.
Fixer: Cannot intuit the mechanics of the Death Note/Could solve the Kira case.
Healer: Can intuit the mechanics of the Death Note/Could not solve the Kira case.
Knower: Can intuit the mechanics of the Death Note/Could solve the Kira case.
Watcher: Probably would be manipulated and killed by kira.
I’m going to have to accept that avoiding hyperbole here is probably not possible, because, man…this is just the kind of transcendent game that only comes every once in a while and reminds me why I love this medium so deeply. It’s easily one of the most powerful gaming experiences I’ve ever had, and I strongly suspect that it will eventually become one of my all time favorite games once it’s fully settled itself into my brain.
It’s astounding that this is the first game by the small team at Sunset Visitor. It’s a wildly ambitious project. A nearly 15-hour narrative focused adventure, thoughtfully written and fully voiced, with gorgeous art and genuine cinematography. It’s packed with inspired ideas - part high-concept sci-fi apocalypse story, part immigrant family drama, part psychological mystery, that spans many years and multiple main characters. The plot twists and reveals reshape and reinvent the narrative focus and scope multiple times over, multiplying the themes without managing to drop any of them.
Where to even begin in unraveling these themes? It’s obviously a post-pandemic story, offering reflections on what we’ve all gone through since 2020 by way of a fictional contagion that causes its victims to cry themselves to death. It also weaves in an alien invasion that asks us to grapple with understanding and communicating with unknown forms of life, and intention versus outcomes. Then there’s the story of Iris, an Asian-Canadian teenager, and her relationships with her parents - who left Hong Kong following the 2019 protests - and her friend Jiao, a recent Chinese immigrant, which integrates powerful ideas of generational and cultural conflict, both internal and external. The culture that develops following these events, which you witness through the eyes of Iris/Allmother, Watcher, Blue, and the dozens of other characters in the Orchard highlights how religions and cultural movements develop, our complicated relationships with faith and loyalty, and how we shape our worldviews. Then there are the more personal ideas of alienation, regret, mental and physical illness, bodies, identity, nature, nurture, memory, forgiveness…and it goes on.
Even making a brief list here of all of the disparate but interconnected subject matter is a bit of a task, let alone expounding on any of it to any meaningful degree, which is something I don’t have much interest in doing here, where I typically just like to give some cursory thoughts upon completing a game. In 2021, I was so awed and inspired by Disco Elysium that I made an hour-long YouTube analysis video, and this is the first game since then that has me even vaguely considering making another one. All I will say here is that Sunset Visitor has weaved so many ideas into a complex tapestry that somehow does service to all of them, and the result is supremely impressive.
I played this game on the heels of listening to the very enlightening conversation between Remap Radio’s Rob Zacny and Xalavier Nelson Jr. (of Strange Scaffold and lead on El Paso, Elsewhere, another one of the coolest and most memorable game narrative experiences in recent memory) for the most recent LudoNarraCon. They talked a lot about evolving perspectives on gameplay/interactivity vs linear storytelling, and I kept coming back to a point that both of them were making throughout the talk, which is that, regardless of the ratio between these two often competing design approaches, the potential of interactivity to elevate a story to harder-hitting levels when done right.
This is an interesting concept to consider for this game in particular, for a couple reasons. First, this game has some extremely strong writing, art, and direction, to the point that I think it COULD have still worked very well within another medium. It shares a lot of visual language with anime, for example, and takes clear inspiration from the psychological horror of Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue, or the sci-fi worldbuilding and aesthetic stylings of Neon Genesis Evangelion. I feel fairly confident in saying that 1000xRESIST would be an absolute banger of an anime, even if I'd still argue it works better as a game. Additionally, while other strong narrative-heavy games from recent memory (Sleeper Citizen, Pentiment, the aforementioned Disco Elysium) incorporate clear and present elements from tabletop roleplaying games, like player choice, dice rolls, or even character stats, the “gamey” aspects of the game are fairly limited. Most of the interactive parts are spent just running around talking to people. The communion sequences make use of a mechanic where you can jump back and forth between different moments of time, and another where you move around abstract environments by zipping to various points in the area. The very last scene of the game asks you to make choices that will determine the ending, but until then, dialogue options are purely for added flavor, not steering the course of the story, as far as I could tell. And that’s about it.
And yet, there’s undeniable power in these interactive aspects. Getting to explore the Orchard, becoming familiar with its many interconnected pathways, then feeling like a stranger to it again as it changes - that’s important. Coming to know all the side characters and recognizing them later on is important. Controlling the time period and perspective to unravel mysteries in the Allmother’s psyche is important. There are multiple communion sequences so engrossing that I nearly stopped noticing the fact that I was controlling all of it, the interactivity becoming an automatic impulse equivalent with my desire to learn what happened next, yet key to my absolute immersion in embodying the character(s). It’s a sublime synthesis, and the game does it over and over again.
This is kind of a hard review to write. There’s so much more I can dive into thematically and/or emotionally, not to mention things like just how damn good looking it is (I am once again on my soapbox about how graphics never needed to surpass the PS2 era, with this game’s Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne-esque stark beauty as my prime example), or how well the voice actors embody a cast of characters who are largely all clones of the same person with their own unique personalities. Each of the game’s many aspects could warrant a few thousand words, so I’ll just end my rambling here. I know that I’m going to be thinking about this game every day for the foreseeable future anyway. I can’t wait to see what more revelations I come to as I do, and to finally start to read and listen to what other people have to say about it.
It’s astounding that this is the first game by the small team at Sunset Visitor. It’s a wildly ambitious project. A nearly 15-hour narrative focused adventure, thoughtfully written and fully voiced, with gorgeous art and genuine cinematography. It’s packed with inspired ideas - part high-concept sci-fi apocalypse story, part immigrant family drama, part psychological mystery, that spans many years and multiple main characters. The plot twists and reveals reshape and reinvent the narrative focus and scope multiple times over, multiplying the themes without managing to drop any of them.
Where to even begin in unraveling these themes? It’s obviously a post-pandemic story, offering reflections on what we’ve all gone through since 2020 by way of a fictional contagion that causes its victims to cry themselves to death. It also weaves in an alien invasion that asks us to grapple with understanding and communicating with unknown forms of life, and intention versus outcomes. Then there’s the story of Iris, an Asian-Canadian teenager, and her relationships with her parents - who left Hong Kong following the 2019 protests - and her friend Jiao, a recent Chinese immigrant, which integrates powerful ideas of generational and cultural conflict, both internal and external. The culture that develops following these events, which you witness through the eyes of Iris/Allmother, Watcher, Blue, and the dozens of other characters in the Orchard highlights how religions and cultural movements develop, our complicated relationships with faith and loyalty, and how we shape our worldviews. Then there are the more personal ideas of alienation, regret, mental and physical illness, bodies, identity, nature, nurture, memory, forgiveness…and it goes on.
Even making a brief list here of all of the disparate but interconnected subject matter is a bit of a task, let alone expounding on any of it to any meaningful degree, which is something I don’t have much interest in doing here, where I typically just like to give some cursory thoughts upon completing a game. In 2021, I was so awed and inspired by Disco Elysium that I made an hour-long YouTube analysis video, and this is the first game since then that has me even vaguely considering making another one. All I will say here is that Sunset Visitor has weaved so many ideas into a complex tapestry that somehow does service to all of them, and the result is supremely impressive.
I played this game on the heels of listening to the very enlightening conversation between Remap Radio’s Rob Zacny and Xalavier Nelson Jr. (of Strange Scaffold and lead on El Paso, Elsewhere, another one of the coolest and most memorable game narrative experiences in recent memory) for the most recent LudoNarraCon. They talked a lot about evolving perspectives on gameplay/interactivity vs linear storytelling, and I kept coming back to a point that both of them were making throughout the talk, which is that, regardless of the ratio between these two often competing design approaches, the potential of interactivity to elevate a story to harder-hitting levels when done right.
This is an interesting concept to consider for this game in particular, for a couple reasons. First, this game has some extremely strong writing, art, and direction, to the point that I think it COULD have still worked very well within another medium. It shares a lot of visual language with anime, for example, and takes clear inspiration from the psychological horror of Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue, or the sci-fi worldbuilding and aesthetic stylings of Neon Genesis Evangelion. I feel fairly confident in saying that 1000xRESIST would be an absolute banger of an anime, even if I'd still argue it works better as a game. Additionally, while other strong narrative-heavy games from recent memory (Sleeper Citizen, Pentiment, the aforementioned Disco Elysium) incorporate clear and present elements from tabletop roleplaying games, like player choice, dice rolls, or even character stats, the “gamey” aspects of the game are fairly limited. Most of the interactive parts are spent just running around talking to people. The communion sequences make use of a mechanic where you can jump back and forth between different moments of time, and another where you move around abstract environments by zipping to various points in the area. The very last scene of the game asks you to make choices that will determine the ending, but until then, dialogue options are purely for added flavor, not steering the course of the story, as far as I could tell. And that’s about it.
And yet, there’s undeniable power in these interactive aspects. Getting to explore the Orchard, becoming familiar with its many interconnected pathways, then feeling like a stranger to it again as it changes - that’s important. Coming to know all the side characters and recognizing them later on is important. Controlling the time period and perspective to unravel mysteries in the Allmother’s psyche is important. There are multiple communion sequences so engrossing that I nearly stopped noticing the fact that I was controlling all of it, the interactivity becoming an automatic impulse equivalent with my desire to learn what happened next, yet key to my absolute immersion in embodying the character(s). It’s a sublime synthesis, and the game does it over and over again.
This is kind of a hard review to write. There’s so much more I can dive into thematically and/or emotionally, not to mention things like just how damn good looking it is (I am once again on my soapbox about how graphics never needed to surpass the PS2 era, with this game’s Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne-esque stark beauty as my prime example), or how well the voice actors embody a cast of characters who are largely all clones of the same person with their own unique personalities. Each of the game’s many aspects could warrant a few thousand words, so I’ll just end my rambling here. I know that I’m going to be thinking about this game every day for the foreseeable future anyway. I can’t wait to see what more revelations I come to as I do, and to finally start to read and listen to what other people have to say about it.
hekki great
i'm not exaggerating when i say this is one of the most incredible games i've had the pleasure of playing. everything about this game is so carefully crafted and unapologetic about its style and sentimentality. the cinematic shot compositions and camera work are peak -- every cutscene frame could be a painting made for a wong kar-wai animated sci-fi film.
without digging into spoilers, the wide breadth of themes present in the narrative (anti-asian racism, experience of the asian diaspora , historical revisionism, intergenerational trauma, cycles of abuse and violence, motherhood and girlhood, etc etc) are covered with such thought-provoking depth and care. the writing is so succinct and sharp -- cutting straight to the emotional core that perfectly balances tragedy and the grief that follows with hope and levity in the connections we make within our relationships. it never feels pretentious or preachy -- it's honest. it perfectly captures both the beauty and cruelty of what it means to be alive.
genuinely a game i will think about forever... i never write reviews and i don't think i'll make a habit of doing so, but i felt the need to write something short because i genuinely think this is a masterful portrayal of storytelling in games....thank you to the devs who worked on this game <3
without digging into spoilers, the wide breadth of themes present in the narrative (anti-asian racism, experience of the asian diaspora , historical revisionism, intergenerational trauma, cycles of abuse and violence, motherhood and girlhood, etc etc) are covered with such thought-provoking depth and care. the writing is so succinct and sharp -- cutting straight to the emotional core that perfectly balances tragedy and the grief that follows with hope and levity in the connections we make within our relationships. it never feels pretentious or preachy -- it's honest. it perfectly captures both the beauty and cruelty of what it means to be alive.
genuinely a game i will think about forever... i never write reviews and i don't think i'll make a habit of doing so, but i felt the need to write something short because i genuinely think this is a masterful portrayal of storytelling in games....thank you to the devs who worked on this game <3
Interesting but did not captivate me. Shitty assets dont usually bother me but this was a little too glitchy and unity asset store driven for me. Really cool story but I dont think i want to commit to it.
at some point you gotta stop saying vaguely evocative shit and making me rorschach test it into something of value
and actually show me something of value
barring a few sleights of hand in the presentation, this is almost entirely a waste of time. and if you're interested in said sleights of hand, you would probably be better off making ur way through satoshi kon's actual oeuvre. or anything by yuasa. the only thing this gains out of being a videogame is... weirdly long chunks of time getting lost in a huge archvis greybox doing random fetch quests with minimally helpful markers and no map?
and actually show me something of value
barring a few sleights of hand in the presentation, this is almost entirely a waste of time. and if you're interested in said sleights of hand, you would probably be better off making ur way through satoshi kon's actual oeuvre. or anything by yuasa. the only thing this gains out of being a videogame is... weirdly long chunks of time getting lost in a huge archvis greybox doing random fetch quests with minimally helpful markers and no map?
This review contains spoilers
hair to hair
It would be unfair, reductive and inaccurate to categorize "1000xRESIST" as a walking simulator. The experience of playing it is more akin to having a person's thoughts and feelings laid bare for you to voyeuristically pick through then subsequently clasping their hand and leaping into the unknown. I won't pretend to understand the full intent or meaning that "1000xRESIST" presents, but that's okay. The backpack can't fit everything. But it spoke to me and it has a lot to say. This game feels like it is made for everyone but more intently for those like Iris or her parents.
"To be alertly on the lookout, look attentively, or observe, as to see what comes, is done, or happens."
The amount of consideration placed in the construction of the world, its inhabitants and how it relates both presently and as a cautionary future to our modern time is staggering. Gentle pleasantries are appropriated or twisted to become ammo for fascist powers. Good natures are exploited to further the agendas of those that would stop at nothing to get what they desire. Even your own actions and understandings are rewritten through farcical performances that distort the truth into something you can't even recognize, despite having seen it happen.
Expressive lighting, posing and framing convey so much more than traditional animated performances might permit. There is so much implied and inferred through the minimalism on screen, that it would detract to have more articulated motions occurring while the weight of the story is delivered. This minimal approach also means that the world quickly imprints itself on you and more readily presents its changes as events progress. Easier to appreciate the subtle and sweeping ways the world has altered when you can observe it.
The subway system design and the ever-changing appearance of the Orchard beautifully weave together with the various eras of the story threads. The sterile, far-future look juxtaposed with the familiar contemporary school and home life of Iris feels like traveling back to a forgotten time. How long has life been this way? What have we lost along the way that we don't even remember having? This is most powerfully felt during the more active parts of the game when Watcher is soaring through the exploded dioramas of Iris' world, being flung from one vignette to another in rapid succession. A life disrupted by catastrophic events that we can only see reach their inevitable conclusions.
"To converse or talk together, usually with profound intensity, intimacy, etc.; interchange thoughts or feelings."
From the very beginning, you are invited to participate in this world through words that you don't appreciate or understand. They are familiar but ethereal. Lacking context to put them into perspective. You latch onto their ideas and soon find them repeated back at you. The selected words stayed with Watcher. And myself. Never choosing to deviate, despite given ample opportunity. The world just impresses upon you so confidently its pieces and your place that it is easy to become these characters and feel the words evolve despite never changing.
You are not simply walking or reading or watching. You are building. Watcher and yourself are building a frame of reference, an understanding or this world. How did this place come to be and why are the people and ideas in it as they are? You are building a point of view. Speaking with the inhabitants is enthralling because of how narrow a space they exist within, boiling their lives down to a function, but how broad they are within that sliver through such rich shades of performance and personality. Building an outcome through choices that feel like your own, but upon reflection, were unavoidable steps in the progress of its story. It certainly doesn't feel that way in the moment, and that is one of its greatest accomplishments in making you want those actions.
And those actions are radical change to upend the status quo and create a better world that protects and values the lives of the people. To choose forgiveness and give it, despite being incredibly difficult. To right the wrongs by your own hand and those that were inherited from those long before you in the world.
The function of all sisters appears straight forward, but the function of Watcher is out of place. Were the intended purpose of Watcher at face value to simply observe Iris/ALLMOTHER's past, that could suffice through Knower. The crucial difference between knowing and watching is the experience. Knowing something and being there to live it are vastly different, and this experience is what pushes Watcher and us to need things to change. It is all too easy to passively hear statistics of atrocities or read a headline of suffering in the world, but when faced with the inescapable truth of pain, you should no longer be able to compartmentalize it.
We're all thankful to have been Watcher, but we all wish to be Blue.
"To cause to combine or coalesce; unite."
Trauma has devastated the world in so many ways. It has shaped the behaviors of those we hold dear, removing so much from them. Deleted cultures, foods, identities. We should not allow these to continue unabated. We can and should try to do better, for those directly affected and future generations. Like Iris' parents conclude- better to have failed and history show that we tried than to have idly allow it to happen.
Empathy builds action, and action builds empathy.
It is truly incredible how the buried memories of Hong Kong land. Nothing of true significance, just daily life and textures. A car ride, watching lights roll by from a window. It pierces deeply how fragile and fleeting it all can be. There is a reason the final object we leave behind is that of an image. We can't just watch and not be affected.
"1000xRESIST" is a call to action to never stop building our perspectives through the people and world around us and to never stop building toward a better tomorrow. Here is hoping that I and we can live up to that challenge.
hair to hair
It would be unfair, reductive and inaccurate to categorize "1000xRESIST" as a walking simulator. The experience of playing it is more akin to having a person's thoughts and feelings laid bare for you to voyeuristically pick through then subsequently clasping their hand and leaping into the unknown. I won't pretend to understand the full intent or meaning that "1000xRESIST" presents, but that's okay. The backpack can't fit everything. But it spoke to me and it has a lot to say. This game feels like it is made for everyone but more intently for those like Iris or her parents.
"To be alertly on the lookout, look attentively, or observe, as to see what comes, is done, or happens."
The amount of consideration placed in the construction of the world, its inhabitants and how it relates both presently and as a cautionary future to our modern time is staggering. Gentle pleasantries are appropriated or twisted to become ammo for fascist powers. Good natures are exploited to further the agendas of those that would stop at nothing to get what they desire. Even your own actions and understandings are rewritten through farcical performances that distort the truth into something you can't even recognize, despite having seen it happen.
Expressive lighting, posing and framing convey so much more than traditional animated performances might permit. There is so much implied and inferred through the minimalism on screen, that it would detract to have more articulated motions occurring while the weight of the story is delivered. This minimal approach also means that the world quickly imprints itself on you and more readily presents its changes as events progress. Easier to appreciate the subtle and sweeping ways the world has altered when you can observe it.
The subway system design and the ever-changing appearance of the Orchard beautifully weave together with the various eras of the story threads. The sterile, far-future look juxtaposed with the familiar contemporary school and home life of Iris feels like traveling back to a forgotten time. How long has life been this way? What have we lost along the way that we don't even remember having? This is most powerfully felt during the more active parts of the game when Watcher is soaring through the exploded dioramas of Iris' world, being flung from one vignette to another in rapid succession. A life disrupted by catastrophic events that we can only see reach their inevitable conclusions.
"To converse or talk together, usually with profound intensity, intimacy, etc.; interchange thoughts or feelings."
From the very beginning, you are invited to participate in this world through words that you don't appreciate or understand. They are familiar but ethereal. Lacking context to put them into perspective. You latch onto their ideas and soon find them repeated back at you. The selected words stayed with Watcher. And myself. Never choosing to deviate, despite given ample opportunity. The world just impresses upon you so confidently its pieces and your place that it is easy to become these characters and feel the words evolve despite never changing.
You are not simply walking or reading or watching. You are building. Watcher and yourself are building a frame of reference, an understanding or this world. How did this place come to be and why are the people and ideas in it as they are? You are building a point of view. Speaking with the inhabitants is enthralling because of how narrow a space they exist within, boiling their lives down to a function, but how broad they are within that sliver through such rich shades of performance and personality. Building an outcome through choices that feel like your own, but upon reflection, were unavoidable steps in the progress of its story. It certainly doesn't feel that way in the moment, and that is one of its greatest accomplishments in making you want those actions.
And those actions are radical change to upend the status quo and create a better world that protects and values the lives of the people. To choose forgiveness and give it, despite being incredibly difficult. To right the wrongs by your own hand and those that were inherited from those long before you in the world.
The function of all sisters appears straight forward, but the function of Watcher is out of place. Were the intended purpose of Watcher at face value to simply observe Iris/ALLMOTHER's past, that could suffice through Knower. The crucial difference between knowing and watching is the experience. Knowing something and being there to live it are vastly different, and this experience is what pushes Watcher and us to need things to change. It is all too easy to passively hear statistics of atrocities or read a headline of suffering in the world, but when faced with the inescapable truth of pain, you should no longer be able to compartmentalize it.
We're all thankful to have been Watcher, but we all wish to be Blue.
"To cause to combine or coalesce; unite."
Trauma has devastated the world in so many ways. It has shaped the behaviors of those we hold dear, removing so much from them. Deleted cultures, foods, identities. We should not allow these to continue unabated. We can and should try to do better, for those directly affected and future generations. Like Iris' parents conclude- better to have failed and history show that we tried than to have idly allow it to happen.
Empathy builds action, and action builds empathy.
It is truly incredible how the buried memories of Hong Kong land. Nothing of true significance, just daily life and textures. A car ride, watching lights roll by from a window. It pierces deeply how fragile and fleeting it all can be. There is a reason the final object we leave behind is that of an image. We can't just watch and not be affected.
"1000xRESIST" is a call to action to never stop building our perspectives through the people and world around us and to never stop building toward a better tomorrow. Here is hoping that I and we can live up to that challenge.
hair to hair
I was engrossed in this one sisters! Hekki ALLMO 🙏
Very interesting walking sim with a tight narrative full of themes that are explored in interesting ways. If you're like me and enjoy a good story and running around talking to everyone in between plot tasks for more lore, then this is for you.
If there's anything that would stick out as a complaint, it would be the voice acting, which can be a bit hit and miss at times.
Highly recommend if you're in the market for a good sci-fi story.
Very interesting walking sim with a tight narrative full of themes that are explored in interesting ways. If you're like me and enjoy a good story and running around talking to everyone in between plot tasks for more lore, then this is for you.
If there's anything that would stick out as a complaint, it would be the voice acting, which can be a bit hit and miss at times.
Highly recommend if you're in the market for a good sci-fi story.
I see other people listing 'Hong Kong stuff' as a con, but for me it's one of the main reasons this game is so special. Not every video game should be shy and abstract.