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9 people found this review helpful
Not Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 7.4 hrs on record
Posted: 15 Nov, 2022 @ 4:00am
Updated: 4 Jul, 2023 @ 2:27am

First-person puzzle games seem to be quite common now and this one didn't amaze me with its gameplay. Overall, the puzzles were alright. However, the story was ridiculous enough for me to want to write about it. Note that much of the following is not really a spoiler as it is evident in the first hour or so.

The main problem lies in the human characters. I expect a space crew to be bright enough to not expose themselves so easily to an alien life form (an issue I had with the film Prometheus as well), but writers just never seem to learn from past mistakes of other shoddy science fiction stories.

Not only that, but the humans are a terrible combination of naive and selfish. They are naive because they don't seem to be aware of the implications that come from introducing an alien life form to Earth that essentially grants immortality to all living things it infects. And they are selfish because when confronted with the choice of staying away from Earth (and thereby preventing the destruction of its ecosystems), or escaping quarantine, they fall prey to the 'but I just want to go home' mentality.

It should be a no-brainer to humanity's finest, but apparently this is something that warrants a tiresome back-and-forth between the human character (Ava) and the AI (TOM). The needs of the many (billions) really do outweigh the needs of the few (4 or 5 people?).

This was actually rather distracting while I was playing through the puzzle segments, as my mind was constantly churning with thoughts such as, 'Why did the writer not stop to consider how stupid the characters are?' There are billions of people on Earth and you've got these imbeciles not batting an eyelash about their endangerment to humanity? Get outta here...

It should come as no surprise to you that when I finally had the chance togun down the last remaining human characters stationed on Jupiter's moon to prevent them from destroying all of Earth's ecosystems, I had no qualms about pulling the trigger.

And that's about all there is to it. As it was not weaved into the story seamlessly, the rest I consider to be mere regurgitation of philosophy topics that are typically covered in the first year of university. Unfortunately, The Turing Test does not receive bonus marks for this.
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6 Comments
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Acount 12 Dec, 2022 @ 3:51pm 
Again, the time the game had and the format didn't really allow for it. But what amuse me the most, is that I read comments similar to your about the Talos Principle. It really seem to come down with expectation / standards. I took what the game had to offer and suspended my disbelief. Instead of thinking : « Wow, this character is so dumbly written. » I thought, « Well… that is a dumb decision. Why the hell did he made it? »
Acount 12 Dec, 2022 @ 3:51pm 
The exchange about being "friends, colleagues or close colleagues isn't much, but I liked it. It's earnest, the kind of conversation you can have with people you are somewhat intimate with, but also show that Ava prefer to be either distant or distrustful of Tom, while it desperately try to be a real boy, and thus, have a friend, like real boys do. For the time the game take to do this, it’s efficient. Not groundbreaking, but, what is ? (no seriously, what is ? With what metrics do we mesure “groundbreakingness” and “quality” of something… ah, sweet problems of relativism…).
Acount 12 Dec, 2022 @ 3:50pm 
I think I really see where you are coming from, really, in regards to world building. But, I guess I'm an easier audience than you are. ^^

It's very enjoyable and interesting to that, we seem to have perceived somewhat the same things, yet, our dispositions dramatically differentiate we ware able to enjoy the game. Yes, characterisation is "surface level", so is the "philosophy", or rather, discussions about what free will is, what intelligence is. (By the way, if you know of material, either games, books, papers, or otherwise on such topics, I am very curious about, especially the part about our inconsistent mind having made up it’s choice seconds before we are even aware of it.)

(the 1000 characters limit is annoying...)
El Syd 11 Dec, 2022 @ 11:47pm 
'The game might to short, or shortly designed, to build up the background that could have satisfied you.'

There was certainly not enough time dedicated to character development to satisfy me.

'relashionship between Ava and Tom'

This made me raise an eyebrow, because the dialogue left me thinking that there isn't much of a relationship going on there. They were used as vehicles for a surface-level philosophical discussion.

This brings me to Ava. Let's say the crew stationed on Jupiter's moon did indeed contract a bad case of stupidity owing to the isolation, paranoia, grief, trauma, whatever. Why does Ava hold these same dumb views that they can all just return to Earth with this life form and everything will be fine and dandy? She's just there to weakly say 'Nuh-uh' to TOM.


Thanks for your comment.
El Syd 11 Dec, 2022 @ 11:47pm 
Hello, Excuse the late reply. The finer details of the story have left me, but I'll see what I can dredge up.

'you do not seem to take into account the trauma that come with the death of an infant, or the fact that isolation and paranoia (against Tom) can really screw up someone.'

I briefly considered this, but ultimately decided that neither of these explanations prove believable enough. Yes, miscarriage is traumatic, no doubt about that. For it to lead someone to forget the risk they pose to Earth? I don't think that is plausible.

As for the isolation and paranoia angle, wasn't the crew already living in space with TOM for a long time anyway? What difference does being on Jupiter's moon make? I have an easier time believing that the life form, rather than their surroundings or TOM, is the cause of their behaviour.

'Spaceflight being more common, the skill floor also might be lower.'

I sincerely hope that standards don't become this low in the future.
Acount 5 Dec, 2022 @ 2:36am 
Interesting point of view. I see were you come from, but you do not seem to take into account the trauma that come with the death of an infant, or the fact that isolation and paranoia (against Tom) can really screw up someone. What the crew does might be stupid, and I felt the same way when I played, but it's understandable. Expiditions that goes awire might be rare, but they exist. Spaceflight being more common, the skill floor also might be lower.

Anyway, it's interesting to see that you did not manage to suspend your disbelief. The game might to short, or shortly designed, to build up the background that could have satisfied you. I think they prefered to expose the mains themes, as in, the relashionship between Ava and Tom, and the questions about what sentience actualy is. For the time that it has, the game does fairly well I think. But, again, you are right, bulletprofing it against the concerns you have would have been a plus.