I think, therefore I AM.
☆
This game was NOT something I expected to ever enjoy in my lifetime. I forgot where I heard about this game, but whatever lead me to it... thank you. It was an enjoyable little experience, even if my game bugged out numerous times (luckily I save like a maniac, so...). I liked going through the stories of each character and finding out what they were running from/trying to face, even if some of them were definitely not the best of people. The puzzles were a little complicated to solve at times, and for sure places the game in that category of "trying an item on every single pixel" IMO, but once you get the hang of how exactly this game wants you to progress through it, it feels like things fall into place and make SO much sense.
ELLEN - She was who I started out with, and her storyline/section immediately roped me into the game. Everything about her was charming to me and I just felt a great connection toward her. It kind of felt like she held my hand and walked me through the rest of the game since there were places I recognized throughout the entirety of it because of one of her rooms. It broke my heart going through the end of her part, but I loved how it seemed like she took a step closer in the right direction for herself. I only wish it was done a little better, but I liked how her fear of the color yellow (something we are introduced to almost immediately) is something that starts out as being odd to the player until it's revealed WHY exactly this strange fear plagues her mind. She is introduced in the description as a "hysterical phobic", which seems almost true until you end up realizing why she is the way she is.
NIMDOK - The second part I went through. Nimdok was, IMO, the most gruesome story of all to play through, but that doesn't mean I hated it. He is a bad person, yes, and I do not think he can be redeemed no matter what actions are taken in your playthrough, and I do love how the story seems to agree with that statement. In this games description, Nimdok is referred to as the "secretive sadist", and it has to be one of the most accurate ones out of all of the little character blurbs. I feel very unsure about what exactly to say when speaking on Nimdok, but it seems like you can tell what his entire section is going to be about as soon as you spawn into his location.
BENNY - Benny's part, my third one, was one I was kind of struggling with, but that didn't ruin the experience THAT much for me. My game was really bugging out in this section, and I truly have no idea why, so that definitely added to my slight frustrations. This one just didn't stick out to me as much but was, for sure, a section I'd probably put above Ted's. His characterization just felt a little more present in this one, even if it felt more "right in your face". His blurb describes him as a "mutilated brute", which, out of everything that could've been chosen, was a little odd to me. I guess I can see how it makes sense, but still.
GORRISTER - Next up: Gorrister, the "suicidal loner", and my fourth character I played as. Although his section was extremely tedious at times, causing me to be lost very often, I really liked the story that came out of it. "Suicidal loner" is ONE way to describe him, sure, but his story runs a LOT deeper than that once you find out exactly what reasons he has behind feeling the way he does. This section, personally, felt like playing through the five stages of grief, which I very much enjoyed.
TED - Being the last part I went through (expecting to go out with a bang), I do wish Ted had a little more to his characterization in this one. Don't get me wrong, I still did enjoy playing through his sequence, but as I went through his it just felt like, after going through everybody else's, that his was lacking something to make it stand out from the rest, especially after what AM says about him before starting his route, basically hyping him up to be this different character compared to all the others. It just felt a little empty to me, and I would've loved to see a lot more of his "cynical paranoid" (as they say in the description) personality seep out during his bit, but it was alright.
This entire cast (lowkey minus Ted, sorry) made me not want to pull my eyes away from the screen at all, just wanting to know what happens next in their story. The themes of most of these stories are all pretty dark at times, so a slight trigger warning on that (look into it for a lot more info pertaining to each section), but it's nice to have a game that goes through some of these themes in the way that IHNMAIMS did, although it was handled a little oddly at times, and could've been played out better. It's the idea of the themes that makes it work out.
The only issue I have with this game (minus the bugginess I experienced) is that although the sections can be a little difficult at times, nothing compares to the end section once you complete every character's story. This section just felt like I was thrown in with no explanation at all, and expected to fail and restart while I figured things out on my own. Perhaps that was the whole point, and I didn't mind it THAT much, but it was still pretty obnoxious. Saving a ton (quite possibly before every decision you make) is crucial here, especially if you like experimenting, or are struggling with the "clicking on every pixel until something works" syndrome (as I was). However, after a couple of save reloads, once I found the first thing I needed to do, part of it just made a lot more sense to me, especially after walking through all the areas again and REALLY examining what was happening design wise in each.
One last thing I just HAVE to mention is how the author of the book is actually the voice behind AM. He does a FANTASTIC job, with a perfect fitting voice and tone for a supercomputer seeking revenge on humanity. AM is probably up there in my top antagonists. He just purely seemed like a manic AI, and I loved every bit of it. His commentary and line delivery really sealed the deal on this game, making it the cherry on top for me. The monologues this character goes on as well are very interesting to listen to, especially with how they're spoken.
I would say this is a game I would LOVE to recommend, but I can ALSO safely say that this definitely isn't a game for everybody. It's one of those pieces you so badly want to talk about with somebody but wouldn't ever subject them to sitting there and clicking pixels all day. This most likely won't stop me from offering it up as a little experience to be had, but I can't be too surprised if I'm immediately shut down.
☆
This game was NOT something I expected to ever enjoy in my lifetime. I forgot where I heard about this game, but whatever lead me to it... thank you. It was an enjoyable little experience, even if my game bugged out numerous times (luckily I save like a maniac, so...). I liked going through the stories of each character and finding out what they were running from/trying to face, even if some of them were definitely not the best of people. The puzzles were a little complicated to solve at times, and for sure places the game in that category of "trying an item on every single pixel" IMO, but once you get the hang of how exactly this game wants you to progress through it, it feels like things fall into place and make SO much sense.
ELLEN - She was who I started out with, and her storyline/section immediately roped me into the game. Everything about her was charming to me and I just felt a great connection toward her. It kind of felt like she held my hand and walked me through the rest of the game since there were places I recognized throughout the entirety of it because of one of her rooms. It broke my heart going through the end of her part, but I loved how it seemed like she took a step closer in the right direction for herself. I only wish it was done a little better, but I liked how her fear of the color yellow (something we are introduced to almost immediately) is something that starts out as being odd to the player until it's revealed WHY exactly this strange fear plagues her mind. She is introduced in the description as a "hysterical phobic", which seems almost true until you end up realizing why she is the way she is.
NIMDOK - The second part I went through. Nimdok was, IMO, the most gruesome story of all to play through, but that doesn't mean I hated it. He is a bad person, yes, and I do not think he can be redeemed no matter what actions are taken in your playthrough, and I do love how the story seems to agree with that statement. In this games description, Nimdok is referred to as the "secretive sadist", and it has to be one of the most accurate ones out of all of the little character blurbs. I feel very unsure about what exactly to say when speaking on Nimdok, but it seems like you can tell what his entire section is going to be about as soon as you spawn into his location.
BENNY - Benny's part, my third one, was one I was kind of struggling with, but that didn't ruin the experience THAT much for me. My game was really bugging out in this section, and I truly have no idea why, so that definitely added to my slight frustrations. This one just didn't stick out to me as much but was, for sure, a section I'd probably put above Ted's. His characterization just felt a little more present in this one, even if it felt more "right in your face". His blurb describes him as a "mutilated brute", which, out of everything that could've been chosen, was a little odd to me. I guess I can see how it makes sense, but still.
GORRISTER - Next up: Gorrister, the "suicidal loner", and my fourth character I played as. Although his section was extremely tedious at times, causing me to be lost very often, I really liked the story that came out of it. "Suicidal loner" is ONE way to describe him, sure, but his story runs a LOT deeper than that once you find out exactly what reasons he has behind feeling the way he does. This section, personally, felt like playing through the five stages of grief, which I very much enjoyed.
TED - Being the last part I went through (expecting to go out with a bang), I do wish Ted had a little more to his characterization in this one. Don't get me wrong, I still did enjoy playing through his sequence, but as I went through his it just felt like, after going through everybody else's, that his was lacking something to make it stand out from the rest, especially after what AM says about him before starting his route, basically hyping him up to be this different character compared to all the others. It just felt a little empty to me, and I would've loved to see a lot more of his "cynical paranoid" (as they say in the description) personality seep out during his bit, but it was alright.
This entire cast (lowkey minus Ted, sorry) made me not want to pull my eyes away from the screen at all, just wanting to know what happens next in their story. The themes of most of these stories are all pretty dark at times, so a slight trigger warning on that (look into it for a lot more info pertaining to each section), but it's nice to have a game that goes through some of these themes in the way that IHNMAIMS did, although it was handled a little oddly at times, and could've been played out better. It's the idea of the themes that makes it work out.
The only issue I have with this game (minus the bugginess I experienced) is that although the sections can be a little difficult at times, nothing compares to the end section once you complete every character's story. This section just felt like I was thrown in with no explanation at all, and expected to fail and restart while I figured things out on my own. Perhaps that was the whole point, and I didn't mind it THAT much, but it was still pretty obnoxious. Saving a ton (quite possibly before every decision you make) is crucial here, especially if you like experimenting, or are struggling with the "clicking on every pixel until something works" syndrome (as I was). However, after a couple of save reloads, once I found the first thing I needed to do, part of it just made a lot more sense to me, especially after walking through all the areas again and REALLY examining what was happening design wise in each.
One last thing I just HAVE to mention is how the author of the book is actually the voice behind AM. He does a FANTASTIC job, with a perfect fitting voice and tone for a supercomputer seeking revenge on humanity. AM is probably up there in my top antagonists. He just purely seemed like a manic AI, and I loved every bit of it. His commentary and line delivery really sealed the deal on this game, making it the cherry on top for me. The monologues this character goes on as well are very interesting to listen to, especially with how they're spoken.
I would say this is a game I would LOVE to recommend, but I can ALSO safely say that this definitely isn't a game for everybody. It's one of those pieces you so badly want to talk about with somebody but wouldn't ever subject them to sitting there and clicking pixels all day. This most likely won't stop me from offering it up as a little experience to be had, but I can't be too surprised if I'm immediately shut down.