Genre: Adventure, Thriller, Cyberpunk
Original Release: October 6, 2015
Developer: Midboss
Platform(s): Steam (Windows, OS X, Linux), Ouya, Razer Forge, Amazon Fire TV, PS4, PS Vita, Switch, Xbox One, Android, iOS
Played on: Steam
I don’t remember exactly when 2064 found its ways into my Steam library, but I’ve had it for at least a couple of years now and a few months before starting this blog, I wanted to start working through my library anyway to see what sort of obscure gems I’ve picked up among all of the other titles, good or bad. Funnily enough, this is also at the top of my library list, so it was a good way to begin this foray into what I can only call my personal jungle.
Set in late 2064, in the city of Neo-San Francisco (Neo-SF), you play as a journalist whose had a run of bad luck of late. Your apartment is shabby, you’re writing tech reviews, and your routine consists of hammering out pieces at the last minute and drinking stale coffee.
Of course, this all changes when you meet a robot named Turing. They ask for your help in a case that, for the sake of not spoiling the plot, leads to a six-chapter adventure that made me laugh, freak out a little, and also question my decisions up to that point.
The gameplay itself doesn’t evolve very much over the course of the game, similar to titles like Phoenix Wright or Danganronpa. Unlike the aforementioned visual novels though, there are no trial segments. Rather, the game chooses to focus on the mystery at hand and introduces you to a cast of individuals ranging from half-animal people known in-universe as hybrids, the anti-hybrid Human Revolution, and people who either have implants and augmentations or, like yourself, don’t seem to have any.
Your investigation into the case Turing brings you into consists of traveling from place to place, talking to the locals, and solving various puzzles. This can range from just choosing the right drink for a patron at the local club to helping a budding artist find the inspiration they need to finish their first work. I’m simplifying things a little bit, but I honestly cannot go into detail about any of it without possibly spoiling plot points.
So for all of the charm the game has, do I have any gripes? Well yes, but it’s only one, and it’s a minor one that I also took issue with in Phoenix Wright. As shown in the first image where Turing impersonates Kenshiro (to a T, I might add), some characters will have a more detailed profile when you talk to them. That’s not a problem by itself, in fact, I think that’s a nice touch and lets you see a little bit more of the characters and how they hold themselves. My problem comes in with the fact that some of them have animations that play at the end of their dialogue that prevents you from moving forward in the story until it plays. As I said, it’s minor, but depending on how much you talk to people, it can be a little grating and the time does add up throughout the game. But honestly? That’s the only gripe I can think of. The game is pretty lenient in letting you try things even if it’s not the solution, and the manual save system lets you reload should you want to go back to try another dialogue branch or an item on a person or object.
In short, I would recommend giving this game a shot if you have the chance. The story was intriguing, the characters were unique and made me think about some of the parallels to my own daily life, and there’s a pretty solid cast of voice actors, including folks like Jim Sterling. And I haven’t even touched on the soundtrack yet. Let me leave you with a piece from midgame that I find myself thinking about every now and again.
Flower of Decadence, performed and produced by 2Mello:
And with that I’m off! Have a lovely day folks! I’ll be back soon with the next title in the backlog project!
Jazzy's Backlog Project 