A simple concept executed perfectly.
The frantic pace of the gameplay perfectly complements the mercilessly realistic setting: you strive to do your job as an immigration officer efficiently because it truly feels like your life and your family's depend on it, and you hold my breath every time you let someone through in fear of a dreaded citation.
Papers, Please's world is bleak for everyone, and you're constantly reminded of that through some unique characters the game throws your way every so often, who each struggle to get by just as you do. They also serve to remind you that you aren't just dealing with some nameless NPCs; all of your actions and decisions as an immigration officer affect other people's lives, and you're given complete freedom on what to do with them. Help someone out illegally out of compassion, detain people or not for the slightest irregularity, collaborate with a secret group aiming to weaken the country's regime, etc.
Even from a purely presentation standpoint this game is incredible, the pixel art is beautiful and very detailed, the interface is clean and heavily promotes finding your own way to manage it, the sprites are all memorable. The fact that there are a grand total of two music tracks in the whole game and all you hear most of the time are just the diegetic sounds of people in line, documents being shuffled around and your own character's tensed breathing just further adds to the incredible atmosphere.
By the way there are 20 endings in total which all depend on your choices, by beating the game once I've only barely scratched the surface of how it can be played.
Papers, Please is fucking brilliant. Glory to Arstotzka.
Score: 10
The frantic pace of the gameplay perfectly complements the mercilessly realistic setting: you strive to do your job as an immigration officer efficiently because it truly feels like your life and your family's depend on it, and you hold my breath every time you let someone through in fear of a dreaded citation.
Papers, Please's world is bleak for everyone, and you're constantly reminded of that through some unique characters the game throws your way every so often, who each struggle to get by just as you do. They also serve to remind you that you aren't just dealing with some nameless NPCs; all of your actions and decisions as an immigration officer affect other people's lives, and you're given complete freedom on what to do with them. Help someone out illegally out of compassion, detain people or not for the slightest irregularity, collaborate with a secret group aiming to weaken the country's regime, etc.
Even from a purely presentation standpoint this game is incredible, the pixel art is beautiful and very detailed, the interface is clean and heavily promotes finding your own way to manage it, the sprites are all memorable. The fact that there are a grand total of two music tracks in the whole game and all you hear most of the time are just the diegetic sounds of people in line, documents being shuffled around and your own character's tensed breathing just further adds to the incredible atmosphere.
By the way there are 20 endings in total which all depend on your choices, by beating the game once I've only barely scratched the surface of how it can be played.
Papers, Please is fucking brilliant. Glory to Arstotzka.
Score: 10
Reviewed on Sep 26, 2022
naraku4656
1 year ago