I had started playing this a couple of years ago but put it down and left it alone for a while. Got it again for free on Twitch via Prime lootcrate and decided to give it a go again, because the atmosphere and storyline were so unlike anything else any AAA title has ever really brought to mainstream gaming. At the time of originally playing, I had just gone through Twin Peaks and, I must say, this scratches the same kind of itch that David Lynch left. The game gives out enough story points bit by bit and maintains the eerieness as you play. The questionable nature about the entire situation Jesse finds herself in is reawlly the driving force in keeping you invested in whatever the hell is going on at the FBC. Incredible concept, fantastic, weird, wonderful story, and excellent combat mechanics. If you're interested in paranormal/paranatural/surrealist themes in any capacity, then 100% play this game when you get the opportunity.
The graphics are great, and the story is just as great - basically what you would expect from a mafia-based piece of media. Game is open-world but the story is very linear, and I'm pretty sure there's nothing to take you away from the story anyway - other than just exploring, and that's what the Free Ride is for anyway. Would recommend.
**Let me pregface this by saying I received this game for free via Prime/Twitch loot crate** Nonetheless, for such a small, indie team this game is solid. You can feel the Half Life 2 inspiration in just about every part of this game - hell, they even credited the HL2 team in the credits; The surrounding environments of Hakavic are extremely reminiscient of City 17. I love how they took a page right out of Valve's playbook as far as level design - the environments are open, but they guide the player through the levels; There's nowhere you can go that will take you too far from where you need to be, and there's always visual clues that point you in the right direction, and the game doesn't tell the player how to play and make your way around (like in Portal or HL - never any instructions, just kinda threw you into it). This game features combat, but not to where it's overwhelming - just enough to where you are always on your guard when you walk through a doorway, down a dark hall, enter a new area, etc. Weapons in this game don't carry too much ammo, but for the amount of actual combat you come across it really isn't much to worry about. Also the flashlight mechanic is odd - you can collect batteries to give it a charge, but if the battery dies out it just gets a little dimmer... I was stressing trying to find a battery only to be mildly inconvenienced. The story is nothing new - AI bad - but it's vague enough to keep you invested and immersed in the beautiful landscape designed by the devs; The bits of story they give out are collected through notes, occassional conversation with Brent, and through Lynchian cutscenes between chapters, which feature a black and white office-space and a theater stage. There are some tricky spots where the game not telling you much of anything is to its detriment, but honestly it's not much that would take away from the overall experience. Def get this game, especially if you're a fan of HL; I just wish it was longer in total.
