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[ASilentProtagonist]

Just finished the PC version. That ending sequence... just WTF. It honestly puts full studio devs to shame. It just felt so good, and that animation.... my god. How did they make it look so real, and move around in such a believable manner.

 

[border]

I am at the puzzle where you need 20 people to stand on a switch to open a gate. I am 3 dudes short. Any idea which ones I might have missed? I got the ones in the cage, the ones on the see-saw platform in the minecart, the dead one in the upper room that you have to throw down, and of course the initial 8-10 guys you get from the area where you initially get the control helmet.

I feel like I've solved every puzzle in the area, except for the one in the lowest level, left-side. There's a board you have to pull off of a wall, but you need the help of the others....except they can't climb up to where you are. That puzzle just looks like it's for one of the achievements anyway though since there's the telltale yellow wire that indicates "Achievement here!"

If you can help, please quote me, as I won't be reading any of the other posts in the thread -- still trying to avoid spoilers for the back half of the game of course

 

[SEGAvangelist]

I am at the puzzle where you need 20 people to stand on a switch to open a gate. I am 3 dudes short. Any idea which ones I might have missed? I got the ones in the cage, the ones on the see-saw platform in the minecart, the dead one in the upper room that you have to throw down, and of course the initial 8-10 guys you get from the area where you initially get the control helmet.

I feel like I've solved every puzzle in the area, except for the one in the lowest level, left-side. There's a board you have to pull off of a wall, but you need the help of the others....except they can't climb up to where you are. That puzzle just looks like it's for one of the achievements anyway though since there's the telltale yellow wire that indicates "Achievement here!"

If you can help, please quote me, as I won't be reading any of the other posts in the thread -- still trying to avoid spoilers for the back half of the game of course

It's probably the dudes behind the giant movable cart on the bottom left side. Pull the cart underneath the open area. Climb around over to the open area and use your help friends to put the cart to the left.

 

[statham]

The animation was amazing the last part

 

[The Albatross]

Just finished it and was amazed. I was amazed most of the way through, but the ending sequence just went full blown WTF and I've never experienced that in a game before.

It's a perfectly crafted game, so well done.

My game of the year for 2016 so far.

I only got about half of the orbs things.
This is my screenshot of the Orb room. I imagine if you get all of the lights (All of the orbs) then it allows you to do something with this device: http://i.imgur.com/zsX4dAl.jpg

 

[border]

It's probably the dudes behind the giant movable cart on the bottom left side. Pull the cart underneath the open area. Climb around over to the open area and use your help friends to put the cart to the left.

Yeah, I figured it out......the boards in the wall I thought I was supposed to yank off were actually a climbing surface I was supposed to go up. Stupid me.

 

[CitizenCope]

So I'm playing the secret ending and as I'm sure has been discussed, when I jump, the wires controlling the computer move. I feel so violated. I'm not who I thought I was.

 

[More_Badass]

So I'm playing the secret ending and as I'm sure has been discussed, when I jump, the wires controlling the computer move. I feel so violated. I'm not who I thought I was.

I don't think anyone mentioned that before. At least I don't recall it being discussed

 

[The Albatross]

Playing w/o getting the secret ending yet, but the idea of the scientists rooting for you at the end when you're naked, I'm not sure.

IF you unplug one of the brain wire things, and then swim back to them, their reactions are different. Pounding on the window, waving their hands "No" sort of, but that could also be interpreted as encouraging you. Clearly, at that point, they don't care about you or want to kill you.

Part of me gets to thinking about that... A handful of creatures want to kill you, like the security guards, and they want to kill you basically right up to those last scenes. But, then, none of the scientist-looking people have any interest in killing you. Even right before that scene, if you go over and stand between the two scientists up against the cage, they look at you and they look you over, and then that's that. They go back to looking into the cage. Eve if you jump around and make noise, you don't get much of a reaction. I think the game encourages you to notice this because the cart you use to pull over to that ladder makes a rattle on the ground and nobody thinks twice to look at you.

 

[LiK]

how do i get secret ending? find all those collectibles?

 

[shiba5]

Yeah, I figured it out......the boards in the wall I thought I was supposed to yank off were actually a climbing surface I was supposed to go up. Stupid me.

You can yank those boards off - with a little help.

 

[Chitown B]

Playing w/o getting the secret ending yet, but the idea of the scientists rooting for you at the end when you're naked, I'm not sure.

They're not rooting for you, they want you to leave so they don't get killed.

 

[Ushay]

What the flying fuck did I just play hahaha. My mind is blown right now. What an amazing game.

I agree, the boy was a test subject breaking back in to the facility. The ending freaked me out though, it made little sense. I was half expecting the boy to re-emerge from the blob.

 

[CitizenCope]

You played a game that was my quickest time ever to start a second play through. Immediately.

 

[The Albatross]

Unlocked the alternate ending/secret ending...

Not sure what to make of it.

My thoughts are generally that the game is conjecture about the nature of free will. Someone else went into some detail in this thread about it, and that sounds pretty reasonable.

There's so many small hints that you can think a lot about:

• In the film development secret room early on, what is the significance of seeing the photos of the limb monster?
• Why does a photograph develop that is a scene fro later in the game?
• Why does that father and son character watch you complete one of the water puzzles?
• Why are natural creatures drawn to you like the chicks or the fish in the water, but one particular unnatural creature -- the water monster -- is seemingly not on your side.
• In the gravity water puzzle room there looks to be a camera device setup outside the window, which is similar to the camera devices pointed at the test subjects near the end of the game (particularly that giant lanky creature that is seemingly rubbing blood on the wall)
• When you become the limb creature, and go back to those study areas, the tall lanky one is gone... But the other creatures are still there being drones (well, one other, in the room with the printer machine).
• Why is there an exact replica model of the ending sequence of the game in one of the science laboratories?

So many more questions...

Also in the Trailer you get a great view of this area, the working lab, before it all seemingly went to hell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-2wlQM8BgE

Compare this to how it is right before you get to the big tank... Now, should we assume the guy sitting on that hospital bed in the trailer is the barely moving creature that you see in this area in the game? It's pretty clear that the E3 2016 trailer is set at a time before the events of the game. Even without the character "interfereing" things are significantly worse, out of sorts, test subjects becoming those humanoid sponges, etc.

So, with relation to free will, you as the player take over these human sponges with your mind and make them do things to you. You can then use those human sponges to control other human sponges. Meanwhile, you, as the player, have no real idea why you're doing any of this. Later you can control those humanoids without any devices, and they naturally flock to you and you seem to all be thinking the same thing... E.g., when you want to go up, they all life you up, when you want to open something, they all open something with you. Finally, something triggers all of the scientists to know that you're on your way and they all group around the giant test chamber knowing that something significant is happening... When you approach, they look at you like "Eh, whatever," and keep their viewing position. They, seemingly, know that you're coming.

BUt then when you do break in... And you start dismantling the controls around it, they definitely want you to stop. When you start to break free, they flee (except for a couple of them who stay and presumably die).

ANd then just the weirdest part ... That model of the outside of the building, which is also in a viewing chamber of sorts, with a spotlight shining down on the exact place that you die/rest/finish the game. This all seems to suggest that you either don't have your own faculties, that you're destined to reach that point, or that you're doing it over and over again in a Limbo-esque loop (the photographs seem to corroborate this).

Of course, the alternate ending sort of throws a wrench into this. You unplug these power stations or whatever they are, all over the map. Meanwhile somebody or some thing has sealed a chamber off from you and conveniently planted a tape recorder that plays an identical "music" loop of the password that you need to unlock the secret room that... At least you have to imagine, shuts the whole thing down. So who recorded that, how did it get to one of those other areas, and why is it there? Finally when you break in, you see some computer machines and a mind-control device, and when you unplug everything your character just sort of falls over and wilts.

What does it mean? I haven't a damn clue.

 

[Will the Thrill]

What does it mean? I haven't a damn clue.

That makes it more exciting to me haha, nice write up! Will be fun to check back in on this as people finish over the course of the year and get there own takes and support other ones.

 

[Navy Bean]

I can't really wrap my head around this game but I was engaged the entire time. Great game. Question - why did the mermaid dude/girl try to kill you and then help you?

 

[More_Badass]

I can't really wrap my head around this game but I was engaged the entire time. Great game. Question - why did the mermaid dude/girl try to kill you and then help you?

I don't think it was ever trying to kill you.

 

[The Albatross]

ANother thing I noticed, when you drop through the roof into the model of the ending of the game, there'sa bunch of scientists just sitting around staring at it before you drop through and destroy it:

Why are they staring at it?

The moment you fall through they stumble back and run off in terror/awe obviously.

 

[More_Badass]

Started my second playthrough. Things I'm noticing

- Love that you can hear the kid breathing, and then his breathing grow sharper and panicked when he's being chased
- The little animation touch by the barriers before you drop down by the truck. You can either climb over or squeeze through
- Where are those cables/tubes going? They're extending up like there's a ceiling above the forest or something.
- Also some pods have cables, others don't

 

[aggienader]

Just came in here to say that this game really turned out to be one GIGANTIC blaaaahhhh

Spoiler

bbbbbb. In all seriousness amazing game.

 

[jacksepticeye]

ANother thing I noticed, when you drop through the roof into the model of the ending of the game, there'sa bunch of scientists just sitting around staring at it before you drop through and destroy it:

Why are they staring at it?

The moment you fall through they stumble back and run off in terror/awe obviously.

With the blob, it feels like they were setting up a staging area (the ending place you see the credits) and were going to do some tests on the blob like a Truman Show sort of deal. However when you enter the blob I think you act out randomly and beyond what they were expecting. The entire last sequence feels like controlled chaos where you trundle around looking for a way out and the scientists re-guide you to where THEY want you to go. They likely had plans of getting you there to begin with, hence whey hundreds of them gather at the end to see you captured and likely released into the test area. But when you start breaking through everything they need to improvise and therefore help guide you in a way by opening doors, pulling levers and attaching hooks etc.

I dunno, it feels as though they're not 100% scared of you as most stand around gawking to see what you'll do and where you'll go. You still end up where they wanted you to but in a more chaotic and random way. Seems like a lot of the facility wasn't there to see the birth of the blob so it was just business as usual (looking at the mini set to see if it was good) then you crash in and startle them.

In fact I'd go so far as to say the scientists are analogous to the developers. Trying and testing new shit to see what works and what doesn't. The you the player show up as the free will variable and start messing it all up. The set they make could be reference to a game world that they're overlooking and preparing before dropping you into it. Maybe the entire game takes place in a set/stage type area in a way because the devs made it and then watch the players go through it. The blob feels like ALL game plays rolled into one being with chaotic free will to mess up the game world and tinker with things until they break.

I dunno, I'm rambling but I feel like the whole game is incredibly meta with Control Vs. Free Will and Developers Vs. Players

 

[More_Badass]

- There are a ton of white worms in that farm area
Dead ones on the ground under the cart of pig carcasses

Live one wriggling in the carcasses themselves

And in the dirt

- Not only do the boy's clothes get soaked from the rain and water, his legs get caked in mud as he trudges through the mire around the fence

 

[messiaen]

I'm blown away having finished this today. Will definitely play through a few more times.

Not sure if this has been discussed yet, but do we think there's something to be said about this figure on the left? They're significantly taller and skinner than anyone else in the world. Looks like the boy only reaches around their waist.

Sorry for the jpeg, but I don't know any other hosting site.

 

[Trouble]

What the fuck did I just play?

That went from zero to Cronenberg so fast.

 

[More_Badass]

- There's an E at the bottom, so REC? Like a Recreational center?

- Security camera watching the procession

- Kids and a baby among them

- One creepy unsettling detail: those people are still alive. You seem them twitching from the taser voltage

- The same kinds of cages you see later in the game? And more of those pods as well

- Those are some weird looking dogs. Legs seem too long and thin, head and neck seem too thick for the body

 

[TheExhaustedWalrus]

Just finished the game... wow. That's all I can really say. What a ride and an incredibly unique experience. I loved every second. Not one moment was wasted nor was there any filler. I don't understand the ending at all but boy was it bizarre and unnerving.

 

[Bioshocker]

I didn't like the ending, would have preferred a more "traditional" one. Still liked the game a lot, though. Wished it was an hour longer.

 

[More_Badass]

A boy finds himself drawn into the center of a dark project

The blurb says it right there. The boy breaking in isn't a voluntary thing. He's being drawn to it. Notice the description is passive tense. Not that he enters, but that he finds himself being drawn towards it, like it's beyond his control

 

[Cuban Legend]

The blurb says it right there. The boy breaking in isn't a voluntary thing. He's being drawn to it. Notice the description is passive tense. Not that he enters, but that he finds himself being drawn towards it, like it's beyond his control

there you have it folks, the description of the game sums it up nicely, barn basement entity (which can be unplugged) is controlling the boy, and he's being drawn by it into the center (literally) of the blob/dark project entity.

why all of these things are happening, well figuring that out is the interesting part but I'm satisfied knowing what I know so far lol.

 

[newsguy]

The more I see that picture of the blob and exactly how it lands in that diorama, the more I feel like the scientists knew it would end that way. A couple of things that made me think that:

They are all gathered staring at the blob and completely ignore you. As you're running in the direction of that blob, scientists are running in the same direction. Some look at you. I actually stood at the glass as the boy to see what they were all looking at, and they just stared at me and continued looking at he blob. I feel like they know you are the brain of this blob, and while it has been in that tank for however long it has, you breaking into the facility is their cue. They now watch attentively to see you make your way into this blob.

Obviously the diorama and the exact way you fall into it is foreshadowing, but also, there are what seems like a bunch of scientists already in that room staring at it as if to wait for you to drop in.

My other observation is more based in the real world, and it's that I feel like everything leading up to them putting you in the tank is not them panicking and improvising. I feel like this was all set up elaborately for the scientists to confirm that they had in fact built a truly smart being that could think on it's own. They give you the tools, and dangle them in front of you, and they wait for you to execute. Think of the guy whose on the platform waiting for you to throw up the booster box, what about the guys dangling the hook with that little construction rig just within your reach. As you do the box and the fire and the sprinklers, there are scientists observing all of it.

And for the grand finale, and I want to confirm this on another playthrough because I couldn't grab a screen, then last part where they lure you over the hole with the box and chain, you're in the spotlight. If I'm not mistaken, there are hundreds of scientists in that room, waiting for this moment. They're not afraid or running, they're watching intently.

I don't feel like these are things they planned in the 10 minutes since you escaped from that water tank, I believe they had planned all of that far in advance, and were waiting for the boy to come back and bring that thing to life. All the way down to knowing exactly where that blob would end up if it escaped the final trap, hence the diorama.

 

[Squishy3]

I think when people ask me what the entirety of this game is like from start to finish as:

"It goes from somewhat serene, tense and ambient to TOO MUCH SOUND"

The fact that in the credits the voice work is rolled up into just "Voices and body sounds" is pretty hilarious too.

 

[More_Badass]

I think when people ask me what the entirety of this game is like from start to finish as:

"It goes from somewhat serene, tense and ambient to TOO MUCH SOUND"

The fact that in the credits the voice work is rolled up into just "Voices and body sounds" is pretty hilarious too.

I'd describe it like a wave. Subtle at the start, gradually building speed and scale, before cresting and crashing with a roaring fury

 

[Lo_Fi]

The blurb says it right there. The boy breaking in isn't a voluntary thing. He's being drawn to it. Notice the description is passive tense. Not that he enters, but that he finds himself being drawn towards it, like it's beyond his control

That's neat. Definitely some Upstream Color vibes.

It's insane to me how much polish went into this game. The amount of time that went into stuff each player will only see for a little bit. Like the amount of detail and tech that went into the blob monster. Or the amount of custom animations based on context. But instead of PlayDead thinking that they needed to stretch it out because they spent a lot of time on it, it's the perfect length it needs to be.

Oh, also, neat thing I noticed: while you're in that line with the mindless drones, waiting to perform the jump and turn, the main character takes quick glances at the robot watching you

 

[More_Badass]

That's neat. Definitely some Upstream Color vibes.

It's insane to me how much polish went into this game. The amount of time that went into stuff each player will only see for a little bit. Like the amount of detail and tech that went into the blob monster. Or the amount of custom animations based on context. But instead of PlayDead thinking that they needed to stretch it out because they spent a lot of time on it, it's the perfect length it needs to be.

Oh, also, neat thing I noticed: while you're in that line with the mindless drones, waiting to perform the jump and turn, the main character takes quick glances at the robot watching you

Yes! I'm doing my slow, study-and-observe-everything second playthrough and I wish I could capture that. It's so well done and a beautiful example of visual storytelling. The animations tell you everything: the cautious scared glances, the clenched hands, the hunched posture. The boy's fear is palpable

 

[Joey Ravn]

I hate to be a dissenting voice, but I didn't really like it. The hype for this game was absolutely beyond any measurement. Everyone I heard talking about it was making it sound as the best video game since the dawn of time.

I finished it yesterday after about 3 hours of gameplay and was thoroughly underwhelmed. The game just didn't click with me. I thought some sections were extremely drawn out and repetitive. The world and "characters" did nothing for me and I didn't find the premise of the game (or, at least, what it's implied of it) to be as interesting as I thought it would be. The plot twist at the end... I guess it was unexpected, but, again, it didn't do much for me.

Even if I could refund it, I wouldn't, because, you know, live and learn. But it's been a stark reminder not blindly follow the hype

 

[TheYanger]

I hate to be a dissenting voice, but I didn't really like it. The hype for this game was absolutely beyond any measurement. Everyone I heard talking about it was making it sound as the best video game since the dawn of time.

I finished it yesterday after about 3 hours of gameplay and was thoroughly underwhelmed. The game just didn't click with me. I thought some sections were extremely drawn out and repetitive. The world and "characters" did nothing for me and I didn't find the premise of the game (or, at least, what it's implied of it) to be as interesting as I thought it would be. The plot twist at the end... I guess it was unexpected, but, again, it didn't do much for me.

Even if I could refund it, I wouldn't, because, you know, live and learn. But it's been a stark reminder not blindly follow the hype

The 'repetitive' part is curious to me, like literally no puzzles are reused in this game. Most games do shit over and over maybe slightly changing it up, this game uses any given mechanic like, once or twice (with the second time being a massive divergence from the first, and I can only apply that to like "control a guy with the hat" and "Make the submarine jump a wall" which are VERY basic learning exercises the first time).

 

[SlickVic]

The 'repetitive' part is curious to me, like literally no puzzles are reused in this game. Most games do shit over and over maybe slightly changing it up, this game uses any given mechanic like, once or twice (with the second time being a massive divergence from the first, and I can only apply that to like "control a guy with the hat" and "Make the submarine jump a wall" which are VERY basic learning exercises the first time).

Yeah I heard RPS put up an article on their site on the game and one of their criticisms was the repetitiveness of the game. Personally I never really felt any of the puzzles overstayed their welcome. The only place where it may have gotten close for me was the water creature sections, as it almost got to the point of "oh guess I have to find a way to outrun him again". That's really the only thing that comes to mind.
I will admit as someone pretty bad at puzzle games, there were certain parts where it took me a fair bit of time to figure out the solution. But I felt that was something that was frustrating in the moment, and soon forgotten after the challenge was conquered.

 

[Dusk Golem]

Haven't read the thread yet, my immediate thoughts upon completing it (will respond again when caught up with everyone else's thoughts, this is just my fresh thoughts before I read):

I think it was obvious that some of the 'people' weren't really people, but flesh blobs, as I called them throughout the game (funny for what ultimately happens). They are limited in their intelligence but can do basic task, and I assume were supposed to be a part of society to be our 'drone' workers in place of people, who need no rights, pay, etc., for corporations. Notice how all the regular people we see do more fine-tune jobs, and most seem to be scientist/researchers? Basically, what we're gunning for in real life from robots to be, but more... Fleshy. It's obvious they aren't human as we see some limbs that move on their own, some of them that help you deeper in don't even have heads and still function, they're more like moving piles of flesh that resemble people.

I assume our boy in red was being controlled in some method, or drawn to the giant flesh blob a the heart of it all. I formed a theory early on when you're controlling someone and put them in a mind control thing, and then they can control another one through you, that maybe we were under something's control all along. Sort of like a Lovecraft story, but with a more literal connection (there also was a lot of water in the game, and fish people, who we seem to become part of eventually). We have a fate we are ultimately moved towards effected by the pull. I think our intentions are known and that's why we're hunted, our main character is not a human, but a rogue flesh blob with greater intelligence than the others, and might be the 'brain' of the fleshblob, thus why the things gains intelligence when we eventually rejoin with the mass. Maybe it reverse controlled one of us with the things it was hooked up with, they had the same design on them as the hooks to the blob, so we were given a greater life to come to it and free it, while also returning its consciousness to it. Sort of like how we control other blobs by inserting our consciousness into them, but in reverse, it inserted its consciousness into us to help free it, and then we rejoin with it at the very end.

There's more I don't understand (the water scene why we suddenly gain the ability to breathe I missed), some more condensed thoughts (were the shockwaves in that one scene nuclear?), and some thoughts may change as I read, but those were my basic thoughts from playing.

 

[Bits N Pieces]

I listened to the IGN Podcast Unlocked last night as they were going to have a spoilercast talking about Inside.

It really didnt dive as deep as I'd hoped and didnt go into as much detail as I would have liked.

Anyone know of any podcasts or shows where they really tear the game apart and try to put it back together?

Never played a game thats had me hunting for theories or viewpoints before.

 

[Maklershed]

I listened to the IGN Podcast Unlocked last night as they were going to have a spoilercast talking about Inside.

It really didnt dive as deep as I'd hoped and didnt go into as much detail as I would have liked.

Anyone know of any podcasts or shows where they really tear the game apart and try to put it back together?

Never played a game thats had me hunting for theories or viewpoints before.

I haven't listened to it yet but I see in my feed that The Patch just put up an episode about it. Episode 163 - mindf*cked by Inside

 

[Dusk Golem]

Also, misc thought since I was reviewing some footage I recorded, maybe has been mentioned, but when you're playing as the giant blob monster, after getting helped by by the flesh people you helped before and breaking through the elevator floor, you land in a diorama and everyone starts running and all that...

But... The diorama is literally the end of the game. It is a diorama of the mountain you slide down, and the beach is in the middle of it that you rest upon, and it even has the light shining into the diorama that shines on you in the end (and in the diorama version, you can see further into the ocean you can see some structure out in the ocean. And there's obvious symbolism here since you crash where you crash 10-20 minutes later on the beach with the light on you...

...But why do the researchers even have a diorama of that beach? I didn't notice or think much at the time, but that's a weird detail to have for no real reason.

 

[AJ_Wings]

I hate to be a dissenting voice, but I didn't really like it. The hype for this game was absolutely beyond any measurement. Everyone I heard talking about it was making it sound as the best video game since the dawn of time.

I finished it yesterday after about 3 hours of gameplay and was thoroughly underwhelmed. The game just didn't click with me. I thought some sections were extremely drawn out and repetitive. The world and "characters" did nothing for me and I didn't find the premise of the game (or, at least, what it's implied of it) to be as interesting as I thought it would be. The plot twist at the end... I guess it was unexpected, but, again, it didn't do much for me.

Even if I could refund it, I wouldn't, because, you know, live and learn. But it's been a stark reminder not blindly follow the hype

What sections did you find repetitive? I'm playing through it again for the second time and I just don't see it. Not a single mechanic or puzzle element is overused or overstays its welcome. Heck, I love the game as is but I wish we could've used at least one more mind control puzzle.

 

[Dusk Golem]

I hate to be a dissenting voice, but I didn't really like it. The hype for this game was absolutely beyond any measurement. Everyone I heard talking about it was making it sound as the best video game since the dawn of time.

I finished it yesterday after about 3 hours of gameplay and was thoroughly underwhelmed. The game just didn't click with me. I thought some sections were extremely drawn out and repetitive. The world and "characters" did nothing for me and I didn't find the premise of the game (or, at least, what it's implied of it) to be as interesting as I thought it would be. The plot twist at the end... I guess it was unexpected, but, again, it didn't do much for me.

Even if I could refund it, I wouldn't, because, you know, live and learn. But it's been a stark reminder not blindly follow the hype

What sections did you find repetitive? I'm playing through it again for the second time and I just don't see it. Not a single mechanic or puzzle element is overused or overstays its welcome. Heck, I love the game as is but I wish we could've used at least one more mind control puzzle.

I'm somewhere different than the popular opinion with this game too. I liked it, a lot even, but to be honest it didn't blow me away. I feel like this might be in part due to what I usually play... This was very similar to some other games I've played recently in tone and atmosphere, but it had incredible attention to detail and fluidity. However, the actual atmosphere and story, and the end game, didn't quite... Wow me. They were a lot of fun, and I really liked the game. But I guess I don't see it as GOTY masterpiece as some are.

But different strokes for different folks. I do think part of the reason I wasn't wow'd by it like some might simply be because these dark minimalist games with twisted and beautiful moments are something I adore and I play a niche of games that don't play exactly like this, but capture that sort of feeling from me. This may be the first big profile one in a while though, and the attention to detail and fluidity can't be understated.

But I did have some problems. I think the first hour was maybe the best part of the game, it was so well paced and varied with so many new kicks... and then it kind of settles to this more drawn out tedium in the middle section. It's like each area got less creative than the last, until arguably the last area. The game never throws the exact same thing at you twice, and this is more of a personal complaint I realize, but I think they really mixed it up the forest/farm location, and the moment you enter the city they start making you do the same sort of things with only the occasional big toss-up, and then this gets worse once you go underground and into the water segments. It's not even that any of this is bad, it just feels a bit paler compared to the game's opening, and it lasts a lot longer. They have good mix-up and I was invested all the way through, but thinking back I think the game loses some of the charm past the opening hour for a while.

To express this a bit better... Kind of take the opening. In a span of 20-30 minutes, you've been faced with a number of scenarios, ranging from going through a dark forest, then a cornfield, people stalking you, then a car, then a dog, then have chicks all with you, then a machine, then you have to tussle with a mind-controlled pig... A lot happens and it has a big charm to how it builds itself up with all of these unique scenarios. It doesn't overuse anything, but it loses that charm to more specific moments later in, which is fine, but you spend far longer segments doing an action that puts twists on things you've seen. Like how many air block puzzles are there in the game? 6-7? and they're all pretty close to each other. You deal wit the swimming enemy for a few rooms when you go swimming with it. These aren't bad things or bad design, but it feels like it slows down its pacing a lot for the middle, and not in such a bad way at all, but I think less masterfully than it could, and I think it sticks out more to me because of said opening moments, which obviously struck very well with me.

There's other minor complaints I have, but I think I only am more aware of them because of the massive positive reception the game has received, and there's a few more problems I had than most people I maybe realized more because I liked the game a lot, but it didn't wow me past the opening bits, I wasn't particularly blown away by the last blob monster section (though it was fun), and I didn't like the actual ending (when you escape and lay on the beach) that much. But maybe some of it missed its points to me simply since I play a lot of mind-bending, atmosphere, dark, symbolic, and detailed games.

Still, if I were to score it, I would give it a pretty great 8.5/10. Liked it a lot.

 

[IronRinn]

I played through this in one sitting last night. Sat down at 8 and turned it off, reluctantly, at 11:20. Reeeeeeeaaaaaally had to resist the urge to just play through it again. Fucking fantastic game.

Had no idea you could let the president go. Also need to find a way into the big spherical looking thing that seems to be connected to the glowing disco ball things you find and break throughout the game. I think I only found 3 or four and there were a bunch of unlit dots on the wall in that room.

 

[Roussow]

I really loved the scene in which while hiding you witness a forklift came in to load up a bunch of those slaves in a cage, there's a man and a small boy that comes in to watch the transportation, presumably a father & son, a father & son just out on a trip to purchase some slaves. There's something super monotonous about the display that I really like, it's not super overt about how evil this act is, it's just further establishing the norms of the world.

 

[Family Fry]

I really loved the scene in which while hiding you witness a forklift came in to load up a bunch of those slaves in a cage, there's a man and a small boy that comes in to watch the transportation, presumably a father & son, a father & son just out on a trip to purchase some slaves. There's something super monotonous about the display that I really like, it's not super overt about how evil this act is, it's just further establishing the norms of the world.

In that very same scene if you pop out from cover the father runs straight over to you, catches you and chokes you to death, in front of the kid. Shudder.

 

[aravuus]

What the fuck did I just finish. I'm kind of speechless and I can't really make anything out of it... Except that it was kind of amazing.

I love, uhh, let's say conventional games too much to make this my GOTY, but as an experience it's definitely up there. Throughout the game I kept thinking how I'm so not gonna replay this game with all these annoying swim-away-from-girl parts (which were the only parts that did start feeling a bit repetitive, possibly mostly because the approach to every other puzzle element has been a perfect "one and done") but goddamn do I want to start a replay right away.

Gonna at least sleep on it. Either way - loved it.

 

[Krabboss]

I hate to be a dissenting voice, but I didn't really like it. The hype for this game was absolutely beyond any measurement. Everyone I heard talking about it was making it sound as the best video game since the dawn of time.

I finished it yesterday after about 3 hours of gameplay and was thoroughly underwhelmed. The game just didn't click with me. I thought some sections were extremely drawn out and repetitive. The world and "characters" did nothing for me and I didn't find the premise of the game (or, at least, what it's implied of it) to be as interesting as I thought it would be. The plot twist at the end... I guess it was unexpected, but, again, it didn't do much for me.

Even if I could refund it, I wouldn't, because, you know, live and learn. But it's been a stark reminder not blindly follow the hype

Yeah I didn't think it was amazing. It wasn't garbage, but I was expecting something more after all the praise.

The twist at the end was more humorous than haunting for me. It was just goofy.

 

[Roussow]

I loved that as the blob, as a single entity, you really felt that same feeling of cooperation and comradery as you did with your groups of mind controlled slaves, it's a mechanical detail that really brought the thematic elements of the game together for me -- although i'll admit using the words cooperation and comradery feel really strange considering how dark the subject matter is, not to mention that it's most cases forced and the result of mind control.