Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You
Preface
This review is being written before the conclusion of the game in episode five. I’ve played through the first four episodes a couple times exploring different outcomes, however, as episode five is not out yet I’m not able to comment on the totallity of the story.
The Machine
Orwell has a very close Person of Interest vibe. The government of the fictitious country has obtained a Machine, or System, that surveils the populous gathering information however it does not act on the gathered information. The idea of the game is that the system, aptly named Orwell, isn’t able to decern human subtlety, sarcasim, or deciet. As such, the fictious government has outsourced the task of resolving conflicts in the data, and identifying what is relevant and what is not. You as the player take on this role as an outsider to the country, tasked with sifting through the data that Orwell gives you access to inorder to identify person(s) of interest. This is a role somewhat like Person of Interest’s Harold Finch.
– Real player with 14.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Choices Matter Political Sim Games.
My playtime: 10h (based on steam, 100% achievement; 2.5x playthrough)
Grindy Achievement(s): No.
Optional Achievement(s): Yes (17 achievements).
Difficult Achievement(s): No.
Intro
Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You is a massive information gathering system where you, an investigator, is taking a role in sorting the relevant data and fix conflicting data that the system gathered to assist a crime. The game has story branching that persists over 5 chapters.
– Real player with 10.5 hrs in game
Beholder 2
I love this game. The dark setting, the artwork, the way the characters speak. If you are reading and wondering if you are going to buy it or not after watching the videos just go buy it already. Good value for the money.
– Real player with 34.9 hrs in game
Read More: Best Choices Matter Political Sim Games.
I really love this game!
– Real player with 15.6 hrs in game
Beholder
16.4.2018. Game #33
If this game was a woman, my wife would have left me
I didn’t just enjoy Beholder, I was obsessed with this game, in fact, obsessed is putting it mildly. As soon as I learned how to play the game I was infected. I couldn’t stop playing it. I played it till 4 am (I know that’s probably not so hardcore, but for me it’s quite late) for 3 days and whenever I wasn’t playing it I thought of playing it. I even dreamt of this game. I beat the game about 10 times, played it for 30 hours and got all the achievements and EVEN THAT WASN’T ENOUGH FOR ME, so I bought the DLC played it for another 10 hours (all achievements too) and only now am I finally satisfied.
– Real player with 41.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Choices Matter Political Sim Games.
Beholder is all about trying to be a decent person when the rules require foul play. You are Carl, a new government employee charged with running an apartment building. Of course this job is handed to you with strings attached. While you may occupy the landlord’s office, your primary occupation is collecting intelligence on your tenants. Hide cameras in all the apartments, search people’s belongings and eavesdrop on their conversations; just don’t get caught. When I was given this warning I assumed the consequences would be severe. I could only imagine the outrage I would feel if I came home to find my landlord rifling through my personal possessions. However, the residents didn’t seem all that upset by it. Sure they would tell you to leave immediately but there were no fisticuffs, fines, or complaints lodged with the ministry.
– Real player with 20.9 hrs in game
Song of Farca
Playing status: 100% achievement
Grindy Achievement(s): No.
Optional Achievement(s): Yes (~20 achievements).
Difficult Achievement(s): No.
Intro
Song of Farca sets in the state of Farca, an imaginary island that is still connected to the rest of the world. The story focuses on the life of a private investigator whose job is to find information about people, both online and offline.
Pros:
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Unique puzzles
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2 endings with minor story branchings
– Real player with 35.1 hrs in game
First, props for using a person-of-color female main character that doesn’t fit the standard mold. She’s a lesbian, black, tattooed, blue hair, under arrest, etc. It’s refreshing to have someone who differentiates from what other main characters are, but also has great background leading up to the events in the game.
I very much enjoyed this game. Since it is focused heavily on dialogue, the developers did an amazing job fleshing out the characters and making you feel for them. Everyone has their own personality and it certainly shines throughout their interactions with the female MC. I felt for everyone in the game, with whatever happened to them.
– Real player with 14.2 hrs in game
Superstorm Melon Date
Andi does it again and teleports us into yet another parallel universe of his wild imagination. Superstorm Melon Date takes place in a world that feels like a glimpse of the far future where struggles of the 21st century reverberate. Take a gander at the dating scene during a violent global storm with a gene-spliced melon race. You’ll feel a little odd but strangely familiar too as you break the ice and get to know your melon-date. If you like authentic characters, crazy worlds and visual novels this game is a perfect match for you! An expertly written and paced game that is short and sweet and lets you off the hook with a craving for more.
– Real player with 2.1 hrs in game
Superstorm Melon Date definitely delivers on the levels of bizarre suggested in it’s title. In this dystopian visual novel you date Mel, a non-binary half-human/half-watermelon hybrid. For the most part I found Mel obnoxious, but they have their moments of thoughtfulness and sincerity. One of the strongest aspects of the game is the setting. Opposed to the typical dystopian world where everyone is collared by an authoritarian regime, Superstorm Melon Date shows a world where the environment is seemingly the biggest oppressor. While this is occurring, there are growing tensions between humans and their melon counterparts. I want to see more of this world.
– Real player with 1.2 hrs in game
Take As Needed
Set in a dystopian world, “Take As Needed” has a “Papers, Please” vibe.
You are a chemical engineer developing new pharmaceuticals at Mazer.
At the end of the day, you’re graded by how well you perform in combining compounds to design formulas that meet three criteria:
Reach the minimum/maximum price, use a certain amount of a particular compound, all without going over the maximum volatility.
Different color strands, open or closed, play a part in raising and lowering the volatility for each formula.
– Real player with 3.8 hrs in game
The molecule building mechanics and the procedural generation of molecule goals is awesome and makes for a really challenging and fun puzzle solving game.
– Real player with 0.9 hrs in game
Not For Broadcast
I never write reviews, however I had quite a few thoughts on this one. I hope the devs can read and maybe respond.
I really recommend this game, even if you don’t think you are interested in the genre. It’s just the right amount of challenge for me, the actors are personable, funny, and similar to real life, and there are many realistic features. I also like the fact that you can replay any past broadcast you’ve done as if you are a viewer, and it’s satisfying to pull off some great shots. I also like the political side of the game, and the amount little details are crazy (e.g. what people say off shot in the ‘rushes’, which are the four camera feeds you can choose from to broadcast)
– Real player with 14.5 hrs in game
I really enjoy this game’s mechanics and pace. However there are some issues with the content that make playing it kind of a bummer.
The narrative’s reliance on hacky, sometimes offensive comedy tropes weakens what could be a really groundbreaking experience. I think these tropes also hinder the game’s message, so far as one can be discerned (as the game tends toward ridiculing whoever it can). In the first three game segments, we have:
1. A group of stereotypical theater kids. Included are a preening, flamboyant young man, a vapid, self-obsessed blonde, an over-eager social justice warrior type, and an intellectually disabled young man whose inability to navigate a sleeve is played for cheap laughs.
– Real player with 12.8 hrs in game
Booth: A Dystopian Adventure
I saw this game in the recommended on YouTube and I just clicked it and after 10 seconds I felt the vibe and I said I have to buy it. There are very few people who have reviewed this game or have done videos and tutorials about it and I feel like I fell on a gem here. Great atmosphere, 2036, you’re playing as Ned Crawford a Food Inspector that works directly for the government and your task is to live in a booth and do your work, all the time. It may seem boring, but along the days you start to meet other characters, which are all very detailed and have their own personalities, I found myself having a voice for every character and it made it much more immersive. The whole setup of a Dystopian point & click game was always the thing for me, and people want to compare it to Papers Please, but for me it’s much more in depth than Papers Please, who only focuses on the task and not much on storyline. The tasks are challenging and you have to be fast and cautious sometimes. I don’t want to spoil anything, but EVERY decision you make, every Item you take and everything you do has consequences, so beware of that, that’s part of the fun. I absolutely loved this and I could easily sit and play it and not even notice the time pass. So, I don’t really like 1-10 / 1-5 ratings, all I’m going to say is, if you have 15$ and want to support great creators for a great game that will make it worth your time and money, do it…. Papi out.
– Real player with 23.4 hrs in game
First off, I want to say that the fact that Booth is not getting much, much more attention is criminal. Booth has an excellent narrative, and very engaging story, interesting and functional graphics style, great music, and the setting is just so unique and cool. I really felt as if I was working the night shift (mostly) alone and doing my job 3000 feet above the ocean in a booth tethered only by cords…miles from anywhere. My occasional visitors became friends. The drama and events that occurred engrossed me completely, allowing me to feel both a sense of humanity for those I could help, along with an all-pervasive fear of Big Brother watching me the entire time. Booth is a game much in the tradition of “Papers Please” but in my firm opinion, builds upon the formula and is an even better game than its predecessor. I came into this experience not expecting much. That being said, this game moved me, engrossed me, terrified me, soothed me, and totally suspended my disbelief. It is one of if not my favorite game I have played this year and I will not soon forget my experience. It is certainly the dark horse indie game of the decade. By all means, play this game. NOW!! It deserves to be played and it needs much more recognition than it is getting. Bravo! 5/5
– Real player with 23.2 hrs in game
HEADLINER
Video Review:
Headliner caught my attention with a simple tagline “What if you control the national news?” Interesting premise and a question that made me wonder “What if I did control the national news?” Fact-based reporting? No slant? Spread the writings of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense… I could do so much. So what would Headliner allow me to do?
– Real player with 5.4 hrs in game
I recently got this game for free from a curator connect offer. This 2D simulation game with 2D side-scrolling adventure game elements by Unbound Creations features a custom male/female protagonist Dianne Kalushky who is married to a custom male/female spouse Andrew or Sasha and has a daughter Amber(names of any character can be changed). Dianne has just started work as a Headliner at a news broadcaster Galmedia in the fictitious nation of Galixia.
Amidst the backdrop of a deep polarised divide between the genetically modified population and the non-modified minority known as Purists and an ongoing war in the neighbouring nation of Lerisia with a subsequent influx of refugees to Galixia, Dianne must manage his/her company’s expectations as a corporate entity which needs to rely on broadcasting the type of news to attract interest and subscribers, the conflicting interests from the pro-modified and the Purists as well as on whether to allow or control the number of Lerisian refugees into Galixia, Andrew/Sasha’s declining health, job security and concerns over Amber’s idea on having fun at a festival in a week’s time as well as Amber’s plans to enrol at a secondary and study biology which is beyond the family’s finances.
– Real player with 5.3 hrs in game
Orwell: Ignorance is Strength
Orwell: Ignorance is Strength (genre: Story Telling - Investigation)
SCORE: 7.5/10
I have to say this game is more direct, genuine than the first game but lack the crush of having the ability to handling life and death situation on your hand. Also in the first game, the ending is somewhat more impactful than this one not to say this game’s ending is not. Secondly, I understand why this game sometimes get mixed reviews even though most of them is positive, it is mostly based on preference and I guess the person who tends to read more will eventually enjoy this game more than those who referred storytelling games like heavy rains and until dawn, etc. But even that doesn’t justify why this game isn’t good in my opinion.
– Real player with 29.4 hrs in game
Report for duty, Agent. Time to gossip our way to victory.
With season one of Orwell (or well, before we actually knew we would be getting another Orwell game) being an incredible experience, who wouldn’t want to revisit that universe again? Who wouldn’t want to be the person that spies rather than the one that gets spied on? We return with a whole new case to dig our hands into and more secrets to peek at.
Right as you start up, you will see changes that improves the immersion. Before you are even put into the system, you have to take a small survey to determine if you will be accepted. If you played the first Orwell game, this is also the time to choose whether you want to link your playthrough with it. This not only lets you skip the tutorial but whatever you did in that save carries over. If you haven’t noticed yet (like I didn’t) this canonically takes place during the events of season one. While you and well… past you will not interact, you will see those events referenced here. Once you get the survey out of the way, you will get a cutscene that does a great job in visualizing the “fake news” focus and, surprise, showing that this is voiced.
– Real player with 11.8 hrs in game