While I won't try to spoil anything: the pastel-smeared paint of nostalgia coats a somber, depressing reality that no matter how new and exciting and presumed safe something can be: there will be someone that tries to ruin it. Emotions still exist, even in cyberspace, and the early days of the Hypnospace, much like our own World Wide Web, came at a time where minds were just maturing. And no matter how much policing will be done, one must learn to prepare for the worst, or suffer the wrath of anonymity and the guilt of perceived invincibility. Hypnospace Outlaw succumbs to cliché genre troupes, but delivers a nostalgia-filled head trip through a broken 1990s internet fever dream, and is worth every HypnoCoin you funnel into it.
this is so cool I wish the 90's were real
loved the gameplay in this game was very novel and reminded me of browinsg old geocities web sites back in the day. the characters all felt really fleshed out and real so i empthized with them a lot.
This game is special.
The idea of you being a moderator in the early internet days is really unique and works way too well for a puzzle/detective game and, honestly, I'm surprised no other game tried it before! (not that i know of).
The way you progress through the game is also really unique and the game trusts you enough to not hand hold or straight up give you the answer to puzzles. You'll find most of the answers by reading sites, getting to know people and piecing together information you adquire through browsing the posts.
Aesthetic wise it's also very charming and simulates the old internet gifs, 3D models, and overall blog structure perfectly. There's also so many people you get to know through their posts during the game, it's incredible.
Hypnospace Outlaw gets so immersive that upon finishing it, it felt to me like an entire lifetime has passed, and I think that's beautiful. People on this game feel human in a way I can't exactly explain, but there's just this sincerity and personality on their webpages that isn't really common nowadays, everyone feels human and this feeling only gets stronger as you play more of the game and get to know every user.
This game reminded me of a lot of experiences I had on my early internet days but it's also so much more.I can't say more without spoiling things but if you have the means to and doesn't find reading things boring, ABSOLUTELY play this. It's a truly special experience and I'm really SHOCKED almost no one talks or knows about it.
The idea of you being a moderator in the early internet days is really unique and works way too well for a puzzle/detective game and, honestly, I'm surprised no other game tried it before! (not that i know of).
The way you progress through the game is also really unique and the game trusts you enough to not hand hold or straight up give you the answer to puzzles. You'll find most of the answers by reading sites, getting to know people and piecing together information you adquire through browsing the posts.
Aesthetic wise it's also very charming and simulates the old internet gifs, 3D models, and overall blog structure perfectly. There's also so many people you get to know through their posts during the game, it's incredible.
Hypnospace Outlaw gets so immersive that upon finishing it, it felt to me like an entire lifetime has passed, and I think that's beautiful. People on this game feel human in a way I can't exactly explain, but there's just this sincerity and personality on their webpages that isn't really common nowadays, everyone feels human and this feeling only gets stronger as you play more of the game and get to know every user.
This game reminded me of a lot of experiences I had on my early internet days but it's also so much more.I can't say more without spoiling things but if you have the means to and doesn't find reading things boring, ABSOLUTELY play this. It's a truly special experience and I'm really SHOCKED almost no one talks or knows about it.
I cannot wait for the 2000s and 2010s version of this game concept.
I don't think a game has done a better job at making me feel upset down to my very soul as effectively as this game. Which is nuts since this game treats itself like a joke more than half the time.
I really don't know what to say about this game but that it's very singular. I haven't played games like Hypnospace because they don't exist. It makes it way too hard for me to articulate the strengths of this game.
I will complain about the puzzles sometimes being way too obtuse though. Because the "web" is so big, it can be VERY easy to keep going around in circles if you don't check a guide for some things. The Sanwich file thing was something I'd never have figured out on my own.
Overall great game! I hope I can bring myself to finish it because wow it makes me feel so sad.
I really don't know what to say about this game but that it's very singular. I haven't played games like Hypnospace because they don't exist. It makes it way too hard for me to articulate the strengths of this game.
I will complain about the puzzles sometimes being way too obtuse though. Because the "web" is so big, it can be VERY easy to keep going around in circles if you don't check a guide for some things. The Sanwich file thing was something I'd never have figured out on my own.
Overall great game! I hope I can bring myself to finish it because wow it makes me feel so sad.
It's hard to find more positive attitudes towards the internet these days, so it is more than refreshing to play something that expresses so much affection for all of the weird, silly, and downright nonsensical things the internet has to offer.
And while Hypnospace does adorn itself with the nostalgia-inciting aesthetic of the internet circa the late 90s, I think much of what is lovable about the Hypnospace denizens depicted in this game can still be found in what we have today. I would like to imagine the creators of this game would agree since their depiction of Hypnospace is certainly not an idealistic imagined past and much of the problems on display mirror the ones we still see today.
All in all, this is a loving tribute to the internet that is thoroughly enjoyable and at times, surprisingly affecting.
And while Hypnospace does adorn itself with the nostalgia-inciting aesthetic of the internet circa the late 90s, I think much of what is lovable about the Hypnospace denizens depicted in this game can still be found in what we have today. I would like to imagine the creators of this game would agree since their depiction of Hypnospace is certainly not an idealistic imagined past and much of the problems on display mirror the ones we still see today.
All in all, this is a loving tribute to the internet that is thoroughly enjoyable and at times, surprisingly affecting.
I'm sorry Zane
“Hypnospace Outlaw” reminded me somewhat of “Her Story” in its principle. You carry out what is basically detective work, starting with minimal information and gradually learning more to push forward your investigation, often using tags or keywords. There are more tools available in “Hypnospace Outlaw”, and they work very well within the central theme of the game, which is the early days of the Internet. If you’re a millennial or older then there’s a good chance you will be hit by a wave of nostalgia looking at the pages, essentially personal blogs, available through HypnOS. The devs clearly put a lot of work into recreating the feel of the late 90’s Internet, where it was still kind of a Wild West, moments before the corporations and start-ups alike realized the monetary potential within the world wide web. The collection of teenage wannabe hackers, middle aged nerds with tragic pasts, forgotten rock stars attempting to relive their glory days, teenage bullies, awkward online relationships, religious zealots - Hypnospace feels like it could’ve been a real place and simply browsing through the pages gives immense joy, plus there are plenty of options for customizing your OS. And the original songs are just the icing on the cake.
The actual gameplay loop is satisfying, as - not unlike aforementioned “Her Story” - it will make you feel smart by breaking each case. One complaint I have is that towards the end of the story some of the steps required to progress are a little too obscure and spoil the fun a bit. Otherwise, for the nostalgia hit alone I’d definitely recommend the game to anyone who even vaguely remembers those days.
The actual gameplay loop is satisfying, as - not unlike aforementioned “Her Story” - it will make you feel smart by breaking each case. One complaint I have is that towards the end of the story some of the steps required to progress are a little too obscure and spoil the fun a bit. Otherwise, for the nostalgia hit alone I’d definitely recommend the game to anyone who even vaguely remembers those days.
that ending was so grim wtf
worldbuilding is insane, how do you even make a fake internet and pull it off this well
this is my favourite visual novel
This review contains spoilers
It's certainly impossible to deny that Hypnospace Outlaw is unique. I wasn't alive or cognizant enough to remember the internet at the turn of the millennium, so I'll leave the descriptions about that to people who are more knowledgeable, but Hypnospace Outlaw absolutely nails the atmosphere it's going for. It's lovingly made and put together, reveling unapologetically in its nostalgia, but as always comes with nostalgia there's a note of sadness. At what was lost as websites grew in complexity until the idea of making something yourself with HTML over a couple of weekends was no longer enough.
The core gameplay of Hypnospace Outlaw is, as other people have pointed out, the kind of thing that seems so incredibly obvious now that this game has done it. Yeah, of course being an internet moderator is a perfect backdrop to set a puzzle/mystery game around. People get weird online, and it leverages that to create a memorable cast and a storyline that couldn't have been done anywhere else.
Unfortunately I can't give this game a full 5 stars because of its tendency to fall into puzzle game moon logic, though this is more pronounced in the end. I did use a guide to solve some problems starting at about the halfway mark, and I'm gonna be honest I have no idea how you're supposed to figure out the final puzzle by yourself. Still, it always feels inventive and refreshing - there was never a point where I'd felt like the game had run out of tricks.
I also was not expecting the story I got out of this game. It starts more or less as you'd expect, featuring all the same problems you're familiar with, but then it escalates in a way that I could not have seen coming. The sudden tonal shift in the third act is impressive stuff, given that for most of your time with the game, you're almost accustomed to take it as a joke. And then suddenly there are real consequences, real people wound up dead because of a complete moron's bug-riddled pet project. I'm impressed with the direction the story took; I'm even more impressed it stuck the landing.
I'm in a strange place regarding this game's music. There's a huge amount of it and a similarly huge amount of variety, but I never really found something I like. I'm stunned by the amount of work that must have gone into it, though - that the game is able to pivot effortlessly between chiptune and 90s nu-metal in the space of a few seconds is phenomenal.
Although Hypnospace Outlaw sells itself predominantly on being a recreation of what once was, it's smart enough to not rely on that. Instead it marries its aesthetics and gameplay with a great story that could only have been told in this medium, and with all those components working as one it becomes so much more. Hypnospace Outlaw is really good
The core gameplay of Hypnospace Outlaw is, as other people have pointed out, the kind of thing that seems so incredibly obvious now that this game has done it. Yeah, of course being an internet moderator is a perfect backdrop to set a puzzle/mystery game around. People get weird online, and it leverages that to create a memorable cast and a storyline that couldn't have been done anywhere else.
Unfortunately I can't give this game a full 5 stars because of its tendency to fall into puzzle game moon logic, though this is more pronounced in the end. I did use a guide to solve some problems starting at about the halfway mark, and I'm gonna be honest I have no idea how you're supposed to figure out the final puzzle by yourself. Still, it always feels inventive and refreshing - there was never a point where I'd felt like the game had run out of tricks.
I also was not expecting the story I got out of this game. It starts more or less as you'd expect, featuring all the same problems you're familiar with, but then it escalates in a way that I could not have seen coming. The sudden tonal shift in the third act is impressive stuff, given that for most of your time with the game, you're almost accustomed to take it as a joke. And then suddenly there are real consequences, real people wound up dead because of a complete moron's bug-riddled pet project. I'm impressed with the direction the story took; I'm even more impressed it stuck the landing.
I'm in a strange place regarding this game's music. There's a huge amount of it and a similarly huge amount of variety, but I never really found something I like. I'm stunned by the amount of work that must have gone into it, though - that the game is able to pivot effortlessly between chiptune and 90s nu-metal in the space of a few seconds is phenomenal.
Although Hypnospace Outlaw sells itself predominantly on being a recreation of what once was, it's smart enough to not rely on that. Instead it marries its aesthetics and gameplay with a great story that could only have been told in this medium, and with all those components working as one it becomes so much more. Hypnospace Outlaw is really good
as someone obsessed with y2k culture this game is so damn hilarious and oddly kind of heartwarming and endearing. i am officially now a scholar on the history of coolpunk, coolfest '99, and the birth of the fungus scene.
Gumshoe Gooper
🍕
y2k death
ذكرتني برايدو هيد قمت لعبتها بس احس ماحاولت افهمها
An excellent, unique game that really brings back how the Internet used to function. It takes that nostalgia and uses it effectively (It really made me miss the Internet when it relied more on personal pages and forums, not social media and apps). At the same time, it distributes a postmodern dread of new technology and in a way preaches about the dire consequences it can have for everyone. The plot isn't too original, but it's the unique game design where HO really shines.
The only thing is that the web pages are very flashy and colorful, and it can be an eye-strain for a longer period of time. I recommend not playing more than an hour or two at a time to get full enjoyment out of the game.
The only thing is that the web pages are very flashy and colorful, and it can be an eye-strain for a longer period of time. I recommend not playing more than an hour or two at a time to get full enjoyment out of the game.
Fundamentally misguided.
Aesthetically the game misfires by attempting a pastiche of the old internet. The over-exaggerated LARP of what it was like to use a pre-proliferation internet came off as too obnoxious to use for any protracted amount of time. This was certainly intended, of course, as no one would think that the Geocities aesthetic holds up in 2024, but the offensive visuals cross a line with the choice of gameplay loop.
Solving the cases of Hypnospace Outlaw largely entails searching through and reading websites. While there are clues and the solutions are able to be deduced logically, there is still an overwhelming amount of noise relative to signal. That's par for the course as designers typically want to obfuscate the solutions to their puzzles, but rarely has the noise in a game been so detrimental to my experience.
The designers succeeded so well at creating gaudy websites filled with word salad that it hurts to pore over them with a discerning eye while on the hunt for clues. Doing this also exposes a core issue with the mission statement: Old internet wasn't endearing because it was "an aesthetic", and it wasn't fun to plunder because it was wacky. The old internet is remembered fondly because it was an era of sincerity before social media incentivized likes and the death of anonymity incentivized conformity.
Hypnospace Outlaw has no sincerity. Its status as a work of artifice will always be front and center during the experience, and at that point, where is the joy in seeing flame gifs haphazardly pasted across a page while a Linkin Park knockoff plays in the background? Am I supposed to laugh and say "Yup, that's how it was!"? It's a joke that wears thin by the time you're asked to install a BonziBuddy clone.
The only parts of the experience that I think succeeded were the immersive qualities. It's enjoyable that the game boots up like a mock-OS. It's nice to choose one's wallpaper, and it's fun when the screensaver kicks on if you take too long during a bathroom break. It is disappointing that Hypnospace Outlaw isn't the first game to frame itself in this way, as all of its more original elements have dropped the ball.
I would recommend this game if you have ever put on a four hour video of "beats" to "study to". If you have, you're probably young enough to enjoy this as a "frontier town" style theme-park of an internet that never actually resembled what is present in Hypnospace Outlaw. You're also probably more concerned with vestigial elements like aesthetic than thinking critically about what you play. So go ham.
Aesthetically the game misfires by attempting a pastiche of the old internet. The over-exaggerated LARP of what it was like to use a pre-proliferation internet came off as too obnoxious to use for any protracted amount of time. This was certainly intended, of course, as no one would think that the Geocities aesthetic holds up in 2024, but the offensive visuals cross a line with the choice of gameplay loop.
Solving the cases of Hypnospace Outlaw largely entails searching through and reading websites. While there are clues and the solutions are able to be deduced logically, there is still an overwhelming amount of noise relative to signal. That's par for the course as designers typically want to obfuscate the solutions to their puzzles, but rarely has the noise in a game been so detrimental to my experience.
The designers succeeded so well at creating gaudy websites filled with word salad that it hurts to pore over them with a discerning eye while on the hunt for clues. Doing this also exposes a core issue with the mission statement: Old internet wasn't endearing because it was "an aesthetic", and it wasn't fun to plunder because it was wacky. The old internet is remembered fondly because it was an era of sincerity before social media incentivized likes and the death of anonymity incentivized conformity.
Hypnospace Outlaw has no sincerity. Its status as a work of artifice will always be front and center during the experience, and at that point, where is the joy in seeing flame gifs haphazardly pasted across a page while a Linkin Park knockoff plays in the background? Am I supposed to laugh and say "Yup, that's how it was!"? It's a joke that wears thin by the time you're asked to install a BonziBuddy clone.
The only parts of the experience that I think succeeded were the immersive qualities. It's enjoyable that the game boots up like a mock-OS. It's nice to choose one's wallpaper, and it's fun when the screensaver kicks on if you take too long during a bathroom break. It is disappointing that Hypnospace Outlaw isn't the first game to frame itself in this way, as all of its more original elements have dropped the ball.
I would recommend this game if you have ever put on a four hour video of "beats" to "study to". If you have, you're probably young enough to enjoy this as a "frontier town" style theme-park of an internet that never actually resembled what is present in Hypnospace Outlaw. You're also probably more concerned with vestigial elements like aesthetic than thinking critically about what you play. So go ham.
they made being a moderator fun
Played this for video game club. Had to look up hints a couple of times, but overall, really dug it! Also turns out I'd started to play it before and never finished it, heh.
Hypnospace Outlaw is an incredibly special game. I don't really know what else to say about it other than that. It is such a special and unique experience and I adore it