I've always believed that games as a medium are the highest form of art that combined everything else we have at our fingertips into one, with the added aspect of interaction -> reaction. The simple addition of allowing YOU to be in control and perform actions creates an experience rather than an already completed story, introducing uncertainty. Compared to, let's say, reading a book or consuming carefully instructed framing work paired with a visionaries vision, actors ability portray that vision and spoken/unspoken dialogue amalgamating in a linear set of sequences where you don't have any say about the outcome and can only analyse on how things came to be, games allow you to be dropped into a placebo where, at the expense of runtime and lack of boundaries set by a clear frame, the story becomes personal and hardships are your own. The runtime itself adds another layer upon that, where the bunch that pass the typical "movie length" of a few hours typically get away with a poorer story, as the more mundane activities bring you into a sense of realism in an otherwise fictional world and create a time sunk that allows you to be more developed into the world. It's a powerful tool, giving your message more impact through wondering "could things have been different" were you to go through it in a different manner, even if the result is the same regardless.

The same story can be widely different simply through what medium it's presented. This particular one got me reading a book. Pacific Drive is much more derivative of Roadside Picnics title rather than a faithful adaptation, but in it's DNA it carries the overall setting and suspension that you'll be imagining flipping pages. It feels like a separate story in a different location, but still taking place under the same mysterious circumstances. One that can only be presented through this specific medium, as the bond you'll form with your vehicle of transportation - which I'd also consider to be it's greatest strength - is completely dependent on your personal travels and circumstances rather than what's being shown or told. It's an excellent companion that sets it apart from the much more established series the book is normally associated with and fits into the world like a glove. I'm glad they've kept the survival aspect, as an universe like this gets heavy support for it's thematic via the need to scrap and scavenge, being vulnerable. Anomalies are brought to life in an exquisite manner as their behavior and design are as alluring as you've come to expect and thrilling to encounter. To have the creative vision to turn the source material distinctly it's own, gameify it and follow through, is nothing short of commendable.

I've always believed that games as a medium are the highest form of art that combined everything else we have at our fingertips into one, with the added aspect of interaction -> reaction. The simple addition of allowing YOU to be in control and perform actions creates an experience rather than an already completed story, introducing uncertainty. Compared to, let's say, reading a book or consuming carefully instructed framing work paired with a visionaries vision, actors ability portray that vision and spoken/unspoken dialogue amalgamating in a linear set of sequences where you don't have any say about the outcome and can only analyse on how things came to be, games allow you to be dropped into a placebo where, at the expense of runtime and lack of boundaries set by a clear frame, the story becomes personal and hardships are your own. The runtime itself adds another layer upon that, where the bunch that pass the typical "movie length" of a few hours typically get away with a poorer story, as the more mundane activities bring you into a sense of realism in an otherwise fictional world and create a time sunk that allows you to be more developed into the world. It's a powerful tool, giving your message more impact through wondering "could things have been different" were you to go through it in a different manner, even if the result is the same regardless. The same story can be widely different simply through what medium it's presented. This particular one got me reading a book. Pacific Drive is much more derivative of Roadside Picnics title rather than a faithful adaptation, but in it's DNA it carries the overall setting and suspension that you'll be imagining flipping pages. It feels like a separate story in a different location, but still taking place under the same mysterious circumstances. One that can only be presented through this specific medium, as the bond you'll form with your vehicle of transportation - which I'd also consider to be it's greatest strength - is completely dependent on your personal travels and circumstances rather than what's being shown or told. It's an excellent companion that sets it apart from the much more established series the book is normally associated with and fits into the world like a glove. I'm glad they've kept the survival aspect, as an universe like this gets heavy support for it's thematic via the need to scrap and scavenge, being vulnerable. Anomalies are brought to life in an exquisite manner as their behavior and design are as alluring as you've come to expect and thrilling to encounter. To have the creative vision to turn the source material distinctly it's own, gameify it and follow through, is nothing short of commendable.