Whispers of a Machine

A rather unorthodox post-apocalyptic world that takes a different direction in terms of what constitutes a story anchored in a realm of people who rebuild. Ivy Dupler voices the character of Vera and is joined by some familiar names which add to an exceptional cast leading you through a mystery as an agent who is equiped with cybernetic augmentation to aid her in her task of getting to the bottom of what happened in town. Traditional elements from point & click adventure titles are present but there are a few added enhancements, leading to unconventional solutions to various problems. For the price, it's a solid steal and I'm happy that I got to enjoy such a fine work.

The game is really extremely short in my opinion, I finished in less than 5 hours without looking anything up, so that includes backtracking, trying out a few things and even getting stuck for 20-30 minutes once. Apart from the fact that the game is rather expensive for its brevity, I think it is a refreshing and really excellent game. Not sure why people keep comparing it to Wadjet games as it certainly can hold its own. Story is intriguing and engaging, the protagonist is pretty cool, imho, and the basic mechanics are pretty awesome, without spoiling anything. I strongly recommend it! One star less because I personally think 15 bucks for 4,5 hours is rather amibitious. That being said, I'd love to see a sequel, but from what I read it's highly unlikely in the nearer future, given the fact that the two people who gave us this gem are currently engaged in solo projects. Thank you for a great game so far, I will certainly try other endings.

I am a seasoned adventure gamer, beginning my gaming experience with 90s greats (the Gabriel Knight series being my favourite). Whispers is a bit on the shorter side, though not disappointingly so (I finished in about 7 hours), but apart from that, it shines in everything that is important to me in this type of games: the story and the characters, and (for me the least important) the puzzles. The story drew me in, kept me interested and didn't make me roll my eyes. The main character is fleshed out and I cared about her, which is something that not many recent games manage to do. This might also be the result of the possibility to mould her to your liking by choosing her reactions. The puzzles weren't very hard, the game gives you hints if you pay attention, but they didn't seem too easy or an afterthought - they were well integrated in the story. In short, I loved this game and look forward to any future projects of this developer (I just realized they also did Kathy Rain, which I enjoyed as well).

I really enjoyed Whispers of a Machine. The story is interesting, the art is beautiful and the puzzles are just right in difficulty (no Monkey Island 2 where I really couldn't figure it out without a hint guide). The voice acting is excellent. The 'augmentations' are interesting but they're not really used enough. Especially the optional ones where you can choose from 3 different paths with different abilities: Each of these is really only used in one or two scenarios. Of course I understand this is difficult: Each puzzle must be able to be completed in 3 different ways, so the design is more complex. But it also makes the actual puzzle harder to understand. In one case I was lured towards the solution using an augmentation I didn't have whereas the solution for the one I had was less obvious. This was a bit distracting. All in all I think the augmentations overall were a nice mechanic but the 3 paths are not separate enough to really add replay value. I really wish there was going to be a sequel but I read on reddit that the two developers have gone their separate ways so there won't be one at least for now. Too bad, as the world is explored to such an extent that leaves many options for a sequel. The ending can be chosen though so it would be tough to make one that fits each player's choices. One thing in particular I like is that the game is zero-risk like the old Lucasfilm games. There's no option proceed while missing a clue and having to reload a save to do it all over again like in some Sierra games. In fact you can't reload older saves but there is no need. You can't die either. The game also locks you into situations sometimes which helps a lot because it reinforces that you have all the tools you need to complete a puzzle. If you like adventures then buy this one definitely!

After buying it took me some time to start "Whispers of a machine" because I had other games to finish first. Once I got started though I could not stop until I finished it. The game's premise is gripping, the story well told and the characters are finely written. The voice acting is really exceptional. I love that there are multiple ways to complete puzzles and that your decisions impact your future options in the game world directly. I have yet to replay the game to experience all the options there are and to finish with a different ending. If you like point-and-click adventures in a fully fleshed out sci-fi world with great characters and interesting questions regarding ethics, religion and humanity this game is well worth your while.