This review contains spoilers
6/10
Ok, this was quite disappointing compared to its sequel (Automata).
The design philosophy is still recognisable: you must do the same boring stuff over and over, and eventually get to enjoy the meaning behind boring and repetitive stuff. In Automata, some fetch quests are explicitly self-reflexive: it's not what you do but how you experience it, you're told. In Replicant it's basically the same. But the way to get to the endings is way too punishingly boring and long. In Automata, things change a lot quite fast and you realize that the end isn't just the end quite soon. This makes the plot way more enjoyable and meaningful. Here ng and ng+ are identical. And ng++ is just striving to find all the stuff you missed beforehand. You just get a bunch of new dialogues (ng+) and a new final boss + true ending (ng++). Actually, the best ending is the ver. 1.22etc exclusive, i.e., ending E. But it's way too dramatically boring to achieve. You must replay the same 7 hours over and over, endlessly, with almost nothing new each time. This made the game almost unplayable for me: too much determination requested, and with too few (narrative, aesthetic, ludic) "rewards" along the way. It's just uselessly repetitive, there's no reason to delay the true ending that much (the ng structure in Automata makes a lot more sense. Here it makes any). In Automata, repetion is part of the very existential/theological meaning of the game. Here there's no point in repeating things.
The mix of genres is even more vibrant than in the sequel. Hack'n'slash is still its core but you also have shoot'em'up, isometric action rpg, side-scrolling adventure game, even text adventure and survival horror (!!). But: this is just not enough to make the game feel less repetitive. After the first run, it's all just smashing the same button to kill hundreds of enemies.
The plot is quite original after all, and imbued with existential themes. But it also seems rushed and fragmented. Ng and ng+ seem truncated and barely make sense. Ng++ revolves around a great design idea (you'll find something waaaaay better in Automata) but feels entirely out of place from a narrative perspective. The choice you make just doesn't make sense, considering the premises: one of the options, the most interesting one, is entirely unmotivated.
Replicant seems nothing but a draft for Automata. In case you enjoyed Automata, you'll find something interesting here as well. But it's way less powerful, refined, intelligent, and touching. As a draft cannot but be.
Ok, this was quite disappointing compared to its sequel (Automata).
The design philosophy is still recognisable: you must do the same boring stuff over and over, and eventually get to enjoy the meaning behind boring and repetitive stuff. In Automata, some fetch quests are explicitly self-reflexive: it's not what you do but how you experience it, you're told. In Replicant it's basically the same. But the way to get to the endings is way too punishingly boring and long. In Automata, things change a lot quite fast and you realize that the end isn't just the end quite soon. This makes the plot way more enjoyable and meaningful. Here ng and ng+ are identical. And ng++ is just striving to find all the stuff you missed beforehand. You just get a bunch of new dialogues (ng+) and a new final boss + true ending (ng++). Actually, the best ending is the ver. 1.22etc exclusive, i.e., ending E. But it's way too dramatically boring to achieve. You must replay the same 7 hours over and over, endlessly, with almost nothing new each time. This made the game almost unplayable for me: too much determination requested, and with too few (narrative, aesthetic, ludic) "rewards" along the way. It's just uselessly repetitive, there's no reason to delay the true ending that much (the ng structure in Automata makes a lot more sense. Here it makes any). In Automata, repetion is part of the very existential/theological meaning of the game. Here there's no point in repeating things.
The mix of genres is even more vibrant than in the sequel. Hack'n'slash is still its core but you also have shoot'em'up, isometric action rpg, side-scrolling adventure game, even text adventure and survival horror (!!). But: this is just not enough to make the game feel less repetitive. After the first run, it's all just smashing the same button to kill hundreds of enemies.
The plot is quite original after all, and imbued with existential themes. But it also seems rushed and fragmented. Ng and ng+ seem truncated and barely make sense. Ng++ revolves around a great design idea (you'll find something waaaaay better in Automata) but feels entirely out of place from a narrative perspective. The choice you make just doesn't make sense, considering the premises: one of the options, the most interesting one, is entirely unmotivated.
Replicant seems nothing but a draft for Automata. In case you enjoyed Automata, you'll find something interesting here as well. But it's way less powerful, refined, intelligent, and touching. As a draft cannot but be.
2 Comments
Hi! Thanks for your comment :)
Yes, it's true that Automata borrows a lot from Replicant. At the same time, I think that Automata improves the formula in every aspect. The gameplay is richer, more dynamic, and even more self-reflexive (when it repeats itself); characters, plot and worldbuilding are deeper and more philosophical. Many things can be said on how the game deals with existential and theological themes more effectively than this but that's less interesting, perhaps. The game just pulls you forward more, both plotwise, gameplaywise, and aestheticswise.
I'd not say that Automata is a masterpiece. It's just a more refined version of this. Of course, I'd like to replay it to see how it is after having played Replicant. Maybe things would change!
A thing that won't change is how the game narrativize its own repetition. In Replicant, repetition is unmotivated. There's no reason you must replay everything thrice. In Automata, repetition is the very core of the spiritual/existential structure of the game, boh on a micro (fetch quests) and macro scale.
Another thing is objectively better in Automata is the ending.
SPOILER
The unmotivated choice is that of erasing your save file to save Kaine. In Automata, erasing save data is the very core of the existential reflection within the game. It's the answer you find to the existential struggle of the main characters (and the whole narrative world of the game, so to speak). Here, the meta device of erasing files is entirely gratuitous: the love story between the two characters is thrown into the plot without any hint, without a reason. You just cannot care about Kaine as you should. There's no growth: you cannot grow with your characters, nor reflect on the game's themes enough. This is also what I meant with 'fragmented': the plot of the game is so deserted, so diluted in subsequent runs, it's just hard to understand what's the very point of the whole experience. Therefore, this ending makes no sense at all: what's the point of giving your save files to save her? What are save files? Why should you do that?
In Automata, the ending was the very peak of the game. A meta device, wrapping up plot, lore, character growth, existential themes, everything. Here, for me, erasing files is just an experimental narrative device. Nothing more. Automata will take the same device and make it deep, effective, moving.
Yes, it's true that Automata borrows a lot from Replicant. At the same time, I think that Automata improves the formula in every aspect. The gameplay is richer, more dynamic, and even more self-reflexive (when it repeats itself); characters, plot and worldbuilding are deeper and more philosophical. Many things can be said on how the game deals with existential and theological themes more effectively than this but that's less interesting, perhaps. The game just pulls you forward more, both plotwise, gameplaywise, and aestheticswise.
I'd not say that Automata is a masterpiece. It's just a more refined version of this. Of course, I'd like to replay it to see how it is after having played Replicant. Maybe things would change!
A thing that won't change is how the game narrativize its own repetition. In Replicant, repetition is unmotivated. There's no reason you must replay everything thrice. In Automata, repetition is the very core of the spiritual/existential structure of the game, boh on a micro (fetch quests) and macro scale.
Another thing is objectively better in Automata is the ending.
SPOILER
The unmotivated choice is that of erasing your save file to save Kaine. In Automata, erasing save data is the very core of the existential reflection within the game. It's the answer you find to the existential struggle of the main characters (and the whole narrative world of the game, so to speak). Here, the meta device of erasing files is entirely gratuitous: the love story between the two characters is thrown into the plot without any hint, without a reason. You just cannot care about Kaine as you should. There's no growth: you cannot grow with your characters, nor reflect on the game's themes enough. This is also what I meant with 'fragmented': the plot of the game is so deserted, so diluted in subsequent runs, it's just hard to understand what's the very point of the whole experience. Therefore, this ending makes no sense at all: what's the point of giving your save files to save her? What are save files? Why should you do that?
In Automata, the ending was the very peak of the game. A meta device, wrapping up plot, lore, character growth, existential themes, everything. Here, for me, erasing files is just an experimental narrative device. Nothing more. Automata will take the same device and make it deep, effective, moving.
Giap
3 months ago
i do agree its kinda boring sometimes but its worth it id say, its also shorter compared to automata so nothing too concerning, now about changes in each playthrough id say youre kinda underpreciating the things happening due to the less harsh nature of automata, idk if you played automata first or not but it would be a big factor to consider when talking about game design and overall storytelling of replicant
and wdym about fragmented plot and unmotivated choices