I'm not very invested in scandinavian crime stories, so I might have been rather puzzled about what to expect from Whispers of a Machine, commonly described as a Sci-Fi Nordic Noir take on graphic adventures. With my love for pointing and clicking and long after the purchase also learning this is the second game by Joel Staaf Hästö's Clifftop Games after the awesome Kathy Rain, whose Director's Cut I just reviewed, I was looking forward to give the follow up a chance and wasn't disappointed.
Indeed I was very happy to have been recapturing the predecessor Kathy Rain just before, because whilst you can see technically the Director's Cut draws from the experience on Whispers of a Machine, Whispers just as well took over some establishments made previously via the Adventure Game Studio engine. But it's actually more than just a process in development. With recurring topics you can actually see a handwriting emerge.
Wait, how can a sci-fi story about AI and transhumanism be anything similar to a typical nineties mystery with Twin Peaks flavor? Well, first this is post collapse of AI, so what's hot these days and might still have been discussed rather on a philosophical level during the making of Whispers of a Machine is actually a thing of the past during the plot. So when we follow another turmoiled female protagonist to a remote village, there's not much tech involved besides some useful cybernetic augmentation.
It's true that as a legitimate investigator sent to solve a murder there's more of a case in the beginning of Whispers of a Machine, but with the involvement of another church and new questions like if humanity wants to create god in their image, it totally feels like jamming new riffs within the same scale. It's like both stories could be independent from each other, but also happening in the same universe at opposite ends of a timeline, that could, but doesn't have to cross our present. We kinda decide on that as we go.
Aside from functions like the notebook known from Kathy Rain, Whispers of the Machine also incorporates the use of devices like computers, which isn't exactly a throwback to parser games, but requires using a simple text interface that might not be familiar with the younger folks. It won't require a handbook for that reason, but it feels nice having a glimpse back on the past, when that was how we ran programs.
Another similarity to Kathy Rain is digital restoration. Then, you had to adjust sliders to make picture content visible. Whispers of a Machine caters to that virtual nostalgia by a form of retro futurism. Despite (or because?) in a world past the collapse of AI, not only are the computer interfaces old, the player also picks up audio tapes and in one case has to de-noise and compress them, which should fall into place easily if you at least tried that in Audacity before.
To me personally Kathy Rain had more of a hang around factor, because the two roommates felt like two outcasts that could have easily been part of our clique back in the day. It makes sense though Vera in Whispers of a Machine feels more cold and distanced in the beginning, because the player is supposed to give her a personality via irreversible decisions that define between the paths "analytical", "assertive" or "empathetic". Depending on what is tracked on a meter throughout the game there will be two additional out of six possible augmentations for example.
After one playthrough that felt natural to me and two other intentional attempts at the opposite extremes I can say in theory my first individual version of Whispers of a Machine would have been enough, though I'd like to acknowledge slight differences especially in the puzzles related to the specific augmentations. It comes in handy that the ending independently allows for three decisions, so it can be worth it, especially if you leave more time in-between your plays and don't end up rushing your third playthrough in two and a half hours like me.
Having said that, my first eight and a half hour playthrough really satisfied my analytical urges, especially with the scanner augmentation allowing me to search for traces. Whilst the possibility to double click for swift exits more or less compensates for having to walk a luckily confined area, the replays, for which a start from the beginning is mandatory, showed limitations quite distinctly.
After you know what to talk about with whom, you might want to create a little more havok by using augmentations like mind control or mimicry on random NPCs, but as the principle of Whispers of a Machine is to guide you gently through this sci-fi murder mystery, there's no chance to use your forces on anybody you're not supposed to. On the other hand that also underlines the absence of moon logic. Listen and watch for the clues and you'll be fine. It's quite thought through.
Knowing the dimensions of additional effort required to supply non-linear multiple choice like I was suggesting before keeps me aware that's nothing I should expect from an independent developer that's basically Joel Staaf Hästö hiring additional artists for artwork and Dave Gilbert to return for directing voice actors. For that, he's been doing another awesome job in giving us a fresh take on classic point'n'click gameplay and I can't thank him enough for trying to be significant with less stereotypical topics.
I know it's hard to rely on players to interpret a work of art in a world where any loose end has to be winded up by canonized sequels, prequels or spin-offs and the easiest way to find financial backing is to trigger some nostalgia with typical catchphrases on Kickstarter. But whilst the latter often can't come up with a story at all, Clifftop Games has become a quality seal for outstanding and slightly surreal adventures.
I can't wait to play another one of these, be it Kathy Rain 2 or another Whispers of a Machine, both of which have been presented as possible in the future by Hästö. With the required attention to continuity though I'd be fine with more of an independent expansion on his topics rather than a sequel - something that could happen in the same universe but at another time or place.
The worst that could happen is the Robert Eggers effect, like when you directed the brilliant The VVitch and The Lighthouse all it takes is some budget to make a nugatory The Northman. I'd say don't throw your money for that reason, but the truth is, you'd be missing out on some of the most relevant graphic adventures of our day and age and in reality there can't be enough support for this rather niche of gaming.
As long as you're not trying to squeeze it, but rather aim to make one definitive playthrough your personalized version of Whispers of a Machine, there's not much to criticize. It's a splendid, story driven mystery with moderate puzzles to solve and as long as you see playing the other paths as a bonus you're most likely keep enjoying this game.
Indeed I was very happy to have been recapturing the predecessor Kathy Rain just before, because whilst you can see technically the Director's Cut draws from the experience on Whispers of a Machine, Whispers just as well took over some establishments made previously via the Adventure Game Studio engine. But it's actually more than just a process in development. With recurring topics you can actually see a handwriting emerge.
Wait, how can a sci-fi story about AI and transhumanism be anything similar to a typical nineties mystery with Twin Peaks flavor? Well, first this is post collapse of AI, so what's hot these days and might still have been discussed rather on a philosophical level during the making of Whispers of a Machine is actually a thing of the past during the plot. So when we follow another turmoiled female protagonist to a remote village, there's not much tech involved besides some useful cybernetic augmentation.
It's true that as a legitimate investigator sent to solve a murder there's more of a case in the beginning of Whispers of a Machine, but with the involvement of another church and new questions like if humanity wants to create god in their image, it totally feels like jamming new riffs within the same scale. It's like both stories could be independent from each other, but also happening in the same universe at opposite ends of a timeline, that could, but doesn't have to cross our present. We kinda decide on that as we go.
Aside from functions like the notebook known from Kathy Rain, Whispers of the Machine also incorporates the use of devices like computers, which isn't exactly a throwback to parser games, but requires using a simple text interface that might not be familiar with the younger folks. It won't require a handbook for that reason, but it feels nice having a glimpse back on the past, when that was how we ran programs.
Another similarity to Kathy Rain is digital restoration. Then, you had to adjust sliders to make picture content visible. Whispers of a Machine caters to that virtual nostalgia by a form of retro futurism. Despite (or because?) in a world past the collapse of AI, not only are the computer interfaces old, the player also picks up audio tapes and in one case has to de-noise and compress them, which should fall into place easily if you at least tried that in Audacity before.
To me personally Kathy Rain had more of a hang around factor, because the two roommates felt like two outcasts that could have easily been part of our clique back in the day. It makes sense though Vera in Whispers of a Machine feels more cold and distanced in the beginning, because the player is supposed to give her a personality via irreversible decisions that define between the paths "analytical", "assertive" or "empathetic". Depending on what is tracked on a meter throughout the game there will be two additional out of six possible augmentations for example.
After one playthrough that felt natural to me and two other intentional attempts at the opposite extremes I can say in theory my first individual version of Whispers of a Machine would have been enough, though I'd like to acknowledge slight differences especially in the puzzles related to the specific augmentations. It comes in handy that the ending independently allows for three decisions, so it can be worth it, especially if you leave more time in-between your plays and don't end up rushing your third playthrough in two and a half hours like me.
Having said that, my first eight and a half hour playthrough really satisfied my analytical urges, especially with the scanner augmentation allowing me to search for traces. Whilst the possibility to double click for swift exits more or less compensates for having to walk a luckily confined area, the replays, for which a start from the beginning is mandatory, showed limitations quite distinctly.
After you know what to talk about with whom, you might want to create a little more havok by using augmentations like mind control or mimicry on random NPCs, but as the principle of Whispers of a Machine is to guide you gently through this sci-fi murder mystery, there's no chance to use your forces on anybody you're not supposed to. On the other hand that also underlines the absence of moon logic. Listen and watch for the clues and you'll be fine. It's quite thought through.
Knowing the dimensions of additional effort required to supply non-linear multiple choice like I was suggesting before keeps me aware that's nothing I should expect from an independent developer that's basically Joel Staaf Hästö hiring additional artists for artwork and Dave Gilbert to return for directing voice actors. For that, he's been doing another awesome job in giving us a fresh take on classic point'n'click gameplay and I can't thank him enough for trying to be significant with less stereotypical topics.
I know it's hard to rely on players to interpret a work of art in a world where any loose end has to be winded up by canonized sequels, prequels or spin-offs and the easiest way to find financial backing is to trigger some nostalgia with typical catchphrases on Kickstarter. But whilst the latter often can't come up with a story at all, Clifftop Games has become a quality seal for outstanding and slightly surreal adventures.
I can't wait to play another one of these, be it Kathy Rain 2 or another Whispers of a Machine, both of which have been presented as possible in the future by Hästö. With the required attention to continuity though I'd be fine with more of an independent expansion on his topics rather than a sequel - something that could happen in the same universe but at another time or place.
The worst that could happen is the Robert Eggers effect, like when you directed the brilliant The VVitch and The Lighthouse all it takes is some budget to make a nugatory The Northman. I'd say don't throw your money for that reason, but the truth is, you'd be missing out on some of the most relevant graphic adventures of our day and age and in reality there can't be enough support for this rather niche of gaming.
As long as you're not trying to squeeze it, but rather aim to make one definitive playthrough your personalized version of Whispers of a Machine, there's not much to criticize. It's a splendid, story driven mystery with moderate puzzles to solve and as long as you see playing the other paths as a bonus you're most likely keep enjoying this game.