This review contains spoilers
Recommended by mutyumu for this list.
I’ve spent a lot of time since completing Hypnospace Outlaw debating the inclusion of all the conspiratorial elements- how could such an uncanny premise not have a dark secret behind it? Initially, I largely agreed with a number of the other reviews here that argued the pivot towards such a tidy conclusion a little distracting, but as I’ve sat with it over the last week or so, I’ve wondered if it’s something of a response to titles such as Gone Home and Firewatch. So much of the negative reception towards those games seemed founded on the unfulfilled promise of the mysteries those games set-up, giving way to some great character work but what were also seen as disappointingly mundane revelations.
Hypnospace Outlaw manages to do both- you’ll hit credits and get an easy narrative resolution, but you’re also given the space to look over the stratified pages one more time, maybe wrap up the scavenger hunt you’re sent on the final act, a lasting sense of the lives cut short and the vibrancy of these communities slowly being drained out as you scan between pages. It’s a surprising balance, and while I think the real strength of the game is found more in it’s more honest, human moments, (hated Dylan far more his reaction to being involved in pirating music, than with the Y2K disaster), I’ve appreciated the catharsis and drama the hunt for the truth provides as I’ve put some distance from the game.
I feel far less qualified to speak to its depiction of the late-90’s Internet, but if there’s one bit of wisdom that’s stuck with me, it’s seeing a few of the communities jump ship from platform to platform. It seems almost inevitable these spaces will fall prey to corporatization and greed, but at least they’re habitable for awhile- and there's always somewhere new to carve out a niche when the time comes.
(On a more minor note: this is a surprisingly robust game structurally, with sequence breaks and a number of hidden areas scattered throughout the game, making exhaustively searching through every link and dead page more exciting than tedious- slowly amassing a desktop full of widgets, wallpapers, and music.)
I’ve spent a lot of time since completing Hypnospace Outlaw debating the inclusion of all the conspiratorial elements- how could such an uncanny premise not have a dark secret behind it? Initially, I largely agreed with a number of the other reviews here that argued the pivot towards such a tidy conclusion a little distracting, but as I’ve sat with it over the last week or so, I’ve wondered if it’s something of a response to titles such as Gone Home and Firewatch. So much of the negative reception towards those games seemed founded on the unfulfilled promise of the mysteries those games set-up, giving way to some great character work but what were also seen as disappointingly mundane revelations.
Hypnospace Outlaw manages to do both- you’ll hit credits and get an easy narrative resolution, but you’re also given the space to look over the stratified pages one more time, maybe wrap up the scavenger hunt you’re sent on the final act, a lasting sense of the lives cut short and the vibrancy of these communities slowly being drained out as you scan between pages. It’s a surprising balance, and while I think the real strength of the game is found more in it’s more honest, human moments, (hated Dylan far more his reaction to being involved in pirating music, than with the Y2K disaster), I’ve appreciated the catharsis and drama the hunt for the truth provides as I’ve put some distance from the game.
I feel far less qualified to speak to its depiction of the late-90’s Internet, but if there’s one bit of wisdom that’s stuck with me, it’s seeing a few of the communities jump ship from platform to platform. It seems almost inevitable these spaces will fall prey to corporatization and greed, but at least they’re habitable for awhile- and there's always somewhere new to carve out a niche when the time comes.
(On a more minor note: this is a surprisingly robust game structurally, with sequence breaks and a number of hidden areas scattered throughout the game, making exhaustively searching through every link and dead page more exciting than tedious- slowly amassing a desktop full of widgets, wallpapers, and music.)
3 Comments
Always glad to play stuff that's totally outside my wheelhouse- thanks for the recommendation!
CoolPunk 4ever
mutyumu
1 year ago