It has been many years since I hated a game as much as I hate this one.

[Paul]

I decided to play it because I read some very positive reviews, and I love storydriven games as well as scifi. I had it in my wishlist for months and now with humble bundle, finally started playing.

I feel like I live in some bizzaro universe given how much everyone seems to love this while I can't stand it.

After the first few hours, when I was extremely bored of the MUZAK-like repetitive sleep inducing soundtrack and revolting design of the main location (Orchard), nonexistent gameplay design other than running around ugly looking places and constantly clicking during dialogue after every stupid line (and most of the lines ARE stupid, Shakespeare this is not), I actually uninstalled it.

But, being the OCD afflicted individual that I am who hates leaving things unfinished, I reinstalled and resolved to finish this thing.

I just wrapped very long chapter 6, and every hour of the 9 hours played so far has been a constant struggle against falling asleep. The storyline just isn't engaging. Teenage drama mixed with some family drama about Hong Kong protests with some Covid19 sprinkled in and wrapped in a seemingly interesting, yet horribly executed scifi about cloning and interfactional conflicts. Everything is oh so mysterious, but more than anything, it just feels endlessly pretentious. Some people claimed Disco Elysium was pretentious but that game is a masterpiece; 1000XResist is nothing of the sort.

Now I have sunk all this time in it, so I will finish it - slave to the sunk cost fallacy that I am - but I just needed to vent.

Of course, hope dies last, so I am still open to having my mind changed by the remainder of the story. However unlikely that is.

[SilentCaay]

Aside from a couple Telltale games and walking simulators, you don't really have anything on your account remotely like this game. You don't play visual novels. When you say you like "story-driven games", you're talking about RPGs or action games with a lot of cutscenes and things like that. This game is not a story-driven RPG but more of a visual novel with a 3D game world. I'm thinking you started this game with some misconceptions.

[LexAnimex]

I don't think you will change your mind.

I personally loved it from the beginning and it's my GOTY 2024

[Paul]

Originally posted by SilentCaay:

Aside from a couple Telltale games and walking simulators, you don't really have anything on your account remotely like this game. You don't play visual novels. When you say you like "story-driven games", you're talking about RPGs or action games with a lot of cutscenes and things like that. This game is not a story-driven RPG but more of a visual novel with a 3D game world. I'm thinking you started this game with some misconceptions.

My Steam profile is incomplete since I play lot of games on gamepass which I have used since 2019.

I would have no problem enjoying this game, if:

- the locations were better designed and all gameplay wasn't about running around ugly, badly navigateable places
- the story was more engaging. characters more interesting
- the music was not sleep inducing

It is not about bad genre or bad expectations. I just don't think this is good.

Similar games, that are light on gameplay mechanics and are mostly about story, are e.g. Life is Strange games, or Tell Me Why, or as you mentioned, Telltale games - and I enjoyed all those. Or Forgotten City, which is a masterpiece. Or 12 Minutes was pretty cool.

[upthorn]

I agree with you on the Orchard being a pain to navigate,
But while story quality is obviously subjective, I found this game's story story to impact me in many of the same ways as Life is Strange's, but to a much greater degree... to the point that I have difficulty imagining what your story complaints are even about.

[deseven]

Originally posted by Paul:

e.g. Life is Strange games, or Tell Me Why, or as you mentioned, Telltale games - and I enjoyed all those

With all due respect, these have pretty simple and easily digestible stories, they're basically TV series in a game format. 1xR is very different in its plot complexity, style and pacing. In some ways it's much closer to a book.

The rest is all subjective, so no comments here, it's okay not to like it of course. But damn, dude, for your own good, I really hope you find a way to start dropping games that make you feel this way.

[Paul]

Originally posted by deseven:

With all due respect, these have pretty simple and easily digestible stories, they're basically TV series in a game format. 1xR is very different in its plot complexity, style and pacing. In some ways it's much closer to a book.

I agree with those games having more digestible stories, but I do not consider 1X to be particularly superior, nor its story to be some grand complex tale. It is fairly simple if you strip away the fragmented and "mysterious" way it is constructed.

Originally posted by deseven:

The rest is all subjective, so no comments here, it's okay not to like it of course. But damn, dude, for your own good, I really hope you find a way to start dropping games that make you feel this way.

Hah, I have a category in my Steam library called "retired" where I put games that do not grab me or I dislike, currently there are about 40 games there. But with this one I did not expect it to be so long, so I wanted to finish it and then sunk cost fallacy got me.

[anarka]

I haven't finished the game yet, and while I agree with you about the ugliness of the Orchard area (which may be intentional but feels like an unfinished work), the story and characters were immediately captivating to me. Not everyone likes every story, so if this isn't for you it isn't for you.

[Sitheral]

I just looked at the icon at humble choice and already my guts tell me something is wrong with this game. 1000 years into future and we wear normal glasses, its not that its impossible, it just fits like a square peg in a round hole.

Smells to me like some self inserts or diversity were more important than integrity of world building but hey, who knows, might get the choice for Tomb Raider anyway and if by chance the game is actually good I'll give it some credit.

[deseven]

I just looked at the icon of New Vegas and already my guts tell me something is wrong with this game. 250 years into future and we use a revolver from early 20th century, its not that its impossible, it just fits like a square peg in a round hole.

[Tay of the Lor]

It doesn't sound like this is the right game for you and that's fine but what is the point of this post? Personally, I've been completely enthralled by the game since I started it and I'm very intrigued by how it might end - on chapter 6 right now.

I find the plot of the only person with immunity and the last real human alive being a vindictive ♥♥♥♥♥ to be quite original.

It just seems very odd to make a post about forcing yourself to finish a game that you didn't like.

[Paul]

Originally posted by Tay of the Lor:

It doesn't sound like this is the right game for you and that's fine but what is the point of this post? Personally, I've been completely enthralled by the game since I started it and I'm very intrigued by how it might end - on chapter 6 right now.

I find the plot of the only person with immunity and the last real human alive being a vindictive ♥♥♥♥♥ to be quite original.

It just seems very odd to make a post about forcing yourself to finish a game that you didn't like.

I wrote why I posted it. I wanted to vent. Sometimes, you expect something great and get something so bad, you just want to talk about it. Did that never happen to you?

[Brma]

I gotta agree with you on a few points.

1. The orchard has the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ design of a main hub I've seen in a very long time.
2. I'm absolutely struggling to get through it because it's so dull. The last chapter had some interesting things, and I heard it picks up in chapter 5 so I'm pushing myself to get there. At that point I'll probably finish it because I'm the same as you lol

I'll add my own complaint too, not having auto dialog is incredibly irritating. wym I have to push A every second to get past the million "..." dialog boxes. C'mon man.

So far the game is pretty overrated.

[Brma]

Originally posted by Sitheral:

it just fits like a square peg in a round hole.
.

This is more fitting than you know lol

[Lilith Is Gone]

Ok

[Nothing and Nowhere Bear]

This is what I like to call a 'not-a-game' game. It's a visual novel in a fancy format, basically.

I would say that the common complaint of the Orchard being kinda awful is a pretty solid one that everyone can get behind.

One thing I want, but it probably won't be a thing, is a sequential version of the story after you beat the game [which I have yet to do] where memories can be viewed in chronological order.

Part of the reason this game is captivating to some is that it has "FNAF Storytelling" where it doesn't front-load with what is really going on.

Instead, it obfuscates a lot of key knowledge and deceives the player to some degree for various reason.

I mean, I started out hating Iris with a passion, and I still kinda do hate her, but she and her parents become more sympathetic once you realize what ends up happening.

Finally, to address the 'self insert' comments.

Self-inserts aren't a bad thing by definition, it's how people use them that matters.

Effectively what you're saying when you call Iris or whomever a self-insert, you're saying that the writer of this game decided to put themselves in the game and then made themselves come off as one of the most horrible people you can be without actually being straight evil.

If Iris is the self-insert, then the writer of this game has some serious self-esteem issues that they really need to work on.

Pretty much the only 'good' characters with out fault are mostly bit parts, sisters with no functions that provide flavour to the world and give us insights on the main characters.

Spoiler: Iris literally infected people in her school because she didn't want to be home.