Intel Core i3-8100 3.6 GHz / AMD Ryzen 5 2600X 3.6 GHz processor, 8 GB RAM, DirectX 11 graphics card and 2 GB memory, such as NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Super / AMD Radeon RX 570, 6 GB storage , Steam account
Interactive novels are a separate, specific genre. To draw in the uninitiated, the authors of such works have to resort to tricks. For example, imitate a different genre. Disco Elysium pretends to be a classic RPG, but Minds Beneath Us is a cinematic platformer. But, despite the usual control of the hero in two-dimensional space, the main activities in the game are reading and choosing lines in dialogues.
Intimate conversations on the roof give a warm feeling of comfort
⇡#Probation
The narrative of Minds Beneath Us takes off right off the bat. The hero comes to his senses in some hospital – of course, with amnesia. In my head there are only fragments of a recent chase that ended in an accident. On the next bed there is a young guy who talks to us as if he were a gang leader. Trying to get out only makes things more confusing. It turns out that we are not in a hospital ward at all and everything around us is rigged. We are being watched by either scientists or military men hiding behind a fake holographic window. And for some reason they give orders.
The introduction asks many questions but answers only one. In fact, we act as a kind of consciousness that is implanted in people. The so-called M.B.U. – a sort of Johnny Silverhand, only without the problems of controlling someone else’s body. After a fast-paced prologue, we get the skin of Jason Day, who at first glance is not the most remarkable guy. If you’re in the mood for a fast-paced thriller about secret organizations and experiments, you might want to reconsider your expectations. This will all happen, but much later.
Over the next few hours, the game systematically immerses you in its world. We find ourselves in Taipei in 2049. By the middle of the 21st century, humanity has advanced in many technologies, especially those related to artificial intelligence. It is so tightly integrated into society that the daily life of a modern city can no longer be imagined without AI. The host of smart algorithms that literally control the metropolis requires enormous computing power. One of the leaders in this area is the Vision Corporation, which owns many computing farms. This is where Jason gets a job.
First day of work, and you’re already faced with a moral dilemma.
First you need to complete an internship in two departments. The first concludes contracts with volunteers who rent out their brains, and the second connects such donors to a common computer network. Yes, AIs actually work on “living” power. The human brain is a compact and damn powerful computer, which in the future they will learn to use to perform operations, or “generate flops.”
The internship is downright boring at first. We carry out basic assignments, which amount to working as a messenger. Getting to know our colleagues. This is where Minds Beneath Us starts to reveal its strengths. Through the daily routine, very believable characters shine through – the farm employees with whom you personally intersect are memorable individuals. It seems that they can be characterized by simple phrases: a caring department head, a shy administrator, a good-natured goofball – but these are three-dimensional characters that are revealed throughout the game.
Fortunately, this is not an office worker simulator. Already on the second day of the internship, Jason begins to get sucked into political games – at first between departments, but the stakes grow from scene to scene. The story is not limited to corporate espionage and over time moves to more philosophical matters, reminiscent in spirit of the works of Philip K. Dick or Richard Morgan. Still, under our control is Jason’s body, and in his head two personalities are trying to get along.
We add Minds Beneath Us to the list of games where you can pet the dog
We have to spend five days in his shoes, and each next one becomes more and more intense. The authors, through an imaginary world and situations, ask questions to the player himself. What place does the individual have in the digital future? Is it ethical to use humans as a source of computing power? What if this is the last chance for a poor man to earn money for his family? Can a moral compass adapt to the situation? The scriptwriters do not ask directly, but offer to defend their position in conversations through arguments.
⇡#Difficult conversation
From the point of view of the actual process, little is required from the player: wander through modest locations, participate in rare QTEs and read a lot, a lot of dialogue. You must immediately understand that this is actually a visual novel that requires, first of all, emotional immersion. It’s based on a mostly linear story. You have no power to influence the sequence of events. But how to react to the world, build relationships and even determine the fate of the heroes!
In just a few hours, the scriptwriters will surround you with more than a dozen characters, including your significant other, a mysterious spy, an annoying neighbor and many others. Each with their own distinctive character and views, which is clearly visible in the dialogues. Of course, the possibilities for answers are limited to two or three options, but the conversations are written in such a way as to reflect a discussion of the topic with a person who has his own principles.
The game has plenty of references to famous media, from Final Fantasy to Spider-Man.
The key to better outcomes lies in understanding your interlocutor. The answer options do not slide into the banal lines of “good cop/bad cop”: somewhere you need to put pressure, some need to be pushed, some need to be besieged. And the choice of several lines is enough to give the player a feeling of maneuvering between a person’s emotions. More importantly, this modest set of dialogue options is enough for the player to get the message across according to their own worldview. And your oratorical abilities will determine what fate awaits many of the characters you meet.
There is a lot of text in the game, you need to be prepared for it. But there is little in it that is superfluous. There are no empty discussions here, even if they seem so at first glance. All the information either gives more insight into the world, or better reveals the characters, which gives even tertiary characters a bit of depth. All this is written so well that it keeps you engaged in interactive reading for about fifteen hours.
The reading process is interrupted occasionally – for leisurely walks around the beautiful city and isolated combat episodes. They are equipped with elementary mechanics: one key is responsible for dodging, the other for striking. But it’s hard to call this action a full-fledged combat system: the buttons must be pressed only when the corresponding prompt appears on the screen.
Fights are fluidly animated. It’s a pity that there is little variety in the movements – the hero defeats his adversaries with only two combos
It is clear that BearBoneStudio put all its efforts into storytelling, and tried to unobtrusively play around with limitations in other aspects. The visual style is pleasant, but deliberately simple in terms of character rendering. There is no voice acting, not even in the form of muttering. The soundtrack consists of light electronic jazz, lo-fi and chillout. And the story itself concentrates events in several key locations, which, of course, suffers from visual diversity.
* * *
The first project from BearBoneStudio reminded me of the debut of another studio from Taiwan – Detention from RedCandleGames. With little resources, the authors managed to tell a compelling story with some of the best gaming characters I’ve encountered. In terms of writing skills, BearBoneStudio is in no way inferior, if not superior, to some Quantic Dream. I’m looking forward to what the team will delight you with in the next project.
Advantages:
- A fascinating plot, where there was a place for personal experiences, corporate conspiracies and philosophical reasoning;
- You build relationships with colorful characters throughout your entire playthrough;
- Lively dialogues that allow you to discuss complex topics.
Disadvantages:
- Although the plot justifies the small number of locations, I would still like more variety;
- Not everyone can cope with the volume of dialogues here, and besides, there is no localization – without knowledge of English there is no point in meddling here.
Graphic arts
A simple but tasteful combination of hand-drawn characters and three-dimensional graphics in the game world.
Sound
The soundtrack accompanies you with electronic motifs as unobtrusively as possible throughout your entire playthrough, without trying to attract attention to itself.
Single player game
A visual novel that manages to engage you more with its dialogues and themes than any other blockbuster with a dozen mechanics.
Estimated time of completion
One and a half dozen hours for one playthrough.
Collective game
Not foreseen.
General impression
A gripping fantasy story with some of the most alive characters I’ve ever encountered in a game.
Rating: 8.0 / 10
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