GameCentral catches up with a wonderful indie sport from earlier within the yr, that will have the perfect script and voice-acting of 2024.
Every yr, at round this time, we strive to verify we meet up with any fascinating video games we could have missed at different instances through the yr – invariably indie titles that weren’t nicely publicised at launch, however which subsequently gained vital acclaim.
Christmas has crept up on us a bit this yr, so we could must conclude our catch-up in January – which is maybe simply as nicely given how gradual the begin to the yr normally is (though maybe not, relying on Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal plans).
We wished to cowl 1000xResist first although, as a result of not solely is it a terrific sport, that we’d by no means heard of till a couple of weeks in the past, nevertheless it’s very prone to make it into our Top 20 of the yr. It is fairly obscure – it’s all-time peak on Steam is simply 154 individuals – nevertheless it’s simply among the best storytelling video games of the final 12 months.
This is the primary sport by developer Sunset Visitor, however the obvious level of reference is Vanillaware’s 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. Not when it comes to any of the specifics – this isn’t a technique sport – however the sci-fi setting and storytelling tone does really feel as if it’s lower from the identical fabric, with some similarities to NieR:Automata as nicely (and doubtless a bunch of anime that we’re not conscious of).
1000xResist takes place in a post-apocalyptic world the place humanity has been all however worn out by aliens, by way of a world pandemic. The allusions to Covid are clear from the beginning, though right here the factitious virus has decreased the human race to a small group of ladies cloned from the Allmother – a uncommon human resistant to the virus.
You play as certainly one of six clones given a selected management function, reminiscent of physician, librarian, and engineer. Your job, as Watcher, is extra complicated, because you’re tasked with recording the lifetime of the Allmother by accessing her reminiscences throughout a course of known as a communion and decoding and recording her actions and life earlier than the alien invasion. At the identical time, you additionally must control the opposite clones, which creates tensions amongst the group, despite the fact that you’re technically all ‘sisters’.
In phrases of gameplay, 1000xResist is basically a visible novel and more often than not you’re simply strolling round, searching for individuals to speak to. That’s truly the worst a part of the sport although, as there’s no correct map and it’s very simple to get misplaced. There’s no actual motion, past some parts much like Gravity Rush, the place you’re leaping between totally different areas, and the occasional puzzle. Both elements are very simplistic although and are in no way supposed as a problem.
In phrases of visuals, the sport just isn’t precisely high-tech, however that doesn’t imply you’re simply left trawling by way of pages of limitless textual content. For a begin, all of the dialogue is voice-acted, and very nicely too – with performances higher than many a triple-A sport. But communions are additionally visually creative, when it comes to each the digital camera angles – from side-scrolling to first particular person – and the various totally different time intervals the reminiscences are set in (technically the sport takes place over a interval of a thousand years).
Although the tribulations of the pandemic, each actual and fictional, are one apparent focus of the story, it’s something however one notice. Some of the extra basic matters vary from detrimental parental influences to governmental abuse of energy, however for the reason that developer is predicated in Canada, and primarily made up of Asian immigrants, the sport additionally explores that have too.
Like all good sci-fi, 1000xResist is extra in regards to the present day than it’s the far future, with very human tales combined in with evergreen issues about authoritarianism, discrimination, and radicalisation. If the sport has any singular message although, it’s how damaging the previous might be whether it is errors will not be acknowledged and addressed.
There’s plenty of grim material within the sport nevertheless it can be surprisingly humorous at instances, with all of the characters proving impressively three-dimensional when it comes to their flaws and character quirks. Physically, they could all be clones however they’re all people, with their very own personalities, issues, and hang-ups.
It’s now not uncommon for indie video games to have higher storytelling than large price range video games however it’s uncommon to expertise one that’s fairly this bold and succesful in its execution. Especially because the story runs for over 12 hours. 1000xResist could have a horrible, off-putting title however every part else about this can be very nicely written and compelling.
1000xResist evaluate abstract
Pros: Excellent script that tackles many topics with grace and, a minimum of often, humour. Surprisingly good voice-acting and extra visually fascinating than the low-tech graphics counsel.
Cons: Beyond a couple of branching paths, the story development is totally linear and there’s little or no conventional gameplay. Navigating the bottom is a ache with out a map.
Score: 8/10
Formats: PC (reviewed) and Nintendo Switch
Price: £16.75
Publisher: Fellow Traveller
Developer: sundown customer 斜陽過客
Release Date: ninth May 2024
Age Rating: 16
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