Posted on: October 1, 2023

scharat
Verified ownerGames: Reviews: 1
A deeply humane masterpiece
Summary: The game is a deeply moving emotional experience like no other game that I have played before. Highly recommended for players that look for engaging story, character arcs and immersion. I’ve just finished the game in about 50 hours. I won’t go into mechanics, weapons, combat, leveling, driving, travel and so on as these are not the most interesting aspects of the game for me. There are tons of other reviews and guides online if you are interested in learning more about these aspects of the game. Let me just emphasize that all the systems work and do not get in the way when playing the game for atmosphere and story. Also, I had minimal technical problems (a few crashes), but no major malfunctions or even slowdowns on my mid-spec PC on “ultra” settings with medium RT. Architecture, design, fashion, advertisements, decorations, uniforms – all are amazing, consistent and well-thought through. This is also where the game has the most to say about today’s societal trends. I’d highly recommend reading the included art book for more history/lore and the designer’s thoughts. Sound, music and ambience are all amazing and do a lot for the overall feeling, especially the character tracks. The story is very good, a well done rehash of the “two different partners must learn to work together to solve the issue” trope. At times, the game overdoes it with shoving a certain character into your face, especially in some emotional scenes, but nothing to drastic. The gripping character stories and arcs are what really blew me away – and made me cry more than once! When the game was finished, it felt like I had to say goodbye to friends and loved ones, and I experienced severe home sickness for the gaming world. Interactions with minor human characters (and AIs) dive deep into aspects of human existence, and major characters will touch your very soul (Judy’s arch) like no other game – despite minor inconsistencies that can be easily overlooked.
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