First of all, as another reviewer has noted, the game is closer to KotOR than Fallout in that it's modular-linear rather than truly open-world, and the sooner you come to terms with that design decision, the better you'll be able to appreciate the game for what it is. And what it is, is a relentless piece of caustic anti-capitalist satire. There is a character contractually obligated to wear a Jack-in-the-Box style moon mask and speak only in slogans and adverts. Yet you're able to gather in between the lame plugs for toothpaste and sausages that he is suffering immensely within the isolation imposed by his ridiculous headgear, and the suffering is made unbearable by the fact that he is *literally unable to articulate his misery to others and even to himself*. Interacting with him is by turns hilarious, disturbing, and heartbreaking. And this is essentially the problem with every person you meet. Everybody is struggling to recognize and express the monstrosity of the corporate frontier world they live in, but they only have empty bromides and specious self-help philosophies to work with, so they're left feeling empty and guilty, as if they're personally to blame for their alienation and exploitation. Your companions are even more compelling. It seems you can't romance any of them (thankfully!), but I found myself caring a lot more about Parvati and Vicar Max and Nyoka than I ever did about most of the cast of Mass Effect, to be honest. This is what good writing can do. The game is short, but it's well worth savoring like a novella over the weekend. I came in skeptical thanks to the astonishingly unfair and bad-faith reviews, but I was shocked to find something with this much laugh-out-loud humor (the low-intelligence dialog options are the best Obsidian/Black Isle has ever written, hands down) mixed with genuine pathos. If you consider yourself an Obsidian (or Bioware) fan, you owe it to yourself to give this game a shot.
