14 DAY TRIAL // I’m supposed to find someone named Jiao in three locations. And in a version of the past based on someone else’s memories. Although knowing exactly what is the past can be difficult when there’s no clear indication of what the present is and of exactly who my character is, other than the WATCHER, which is more a function than a name.
All the places where I need to get can’t be directly accessed in the past, so I need to shift between the two timestreams at key places to gain access. That, in turn, means I need to have a clear mental map of this high school and its three levels to match locations when I make the shift between moments or, maybe, memories.
I know I should be chasing my objective but I am more interested in context. I want to talk to all the guards, who keep suggesting that I’m abusing their trust and putting everyone in danger. I want to see all the little weird things the students are doing even as some momentous events are taking place around them. My character might seem content to act with little reflection but I need to understand more about this world to become invested in my actual goals.
1000xRESIST is developed by Sunset Visitor and published by Fellow Traveller. I played a preview of it on the PC via Steam. This is an adventure game with a science fiction theme and a unique mechanic related to time and memories.
The main character is WATCHER, a clone that, alongside her sisters, exists only to serve her function and obey the ALLMOTHER, another being whose nature is unclear. The preview sees her go on a mission to find out more about the nature of a devastating disease that seems to have created the future she exists in.
It takes place in a high school, apparently set during a version of our present, created out of the memories of the Allmother. Aliens are coming to Earth, which causes both elation and panic among the population. And a virus that causes excessive crying is gaining a foothold among the population.
There are a ton of mysteries and our clone hero will have to explore locations, talk to people, and figure out what’s real and what’s a lie. To do that she can shift between the past, the present, and the future. It’s a good gameplay idea that powers decent puzzles. It still involves a lot of running around, trying to find more characters to interact with to get more details about the situation.
1000xRESIST creates small but narratively complex spaces, which is a great approach for an adventure driven by interactions and mysteries. The development team promises plenty of player choices that will lead to a range of endings.
1000xRESIST’s look mixes science fiction with some classic Japanese-style high school vibes. It’s not a bad-looking game, although there are moments when the environments are relatively lacking in detail. I like the small touches, like the posters. All the characters speak and the actor playing the Watcher nails her bewilderment at how things worked in the past. The soundtrack is also good, although a little science fiction generic.
Conclusion
Watcher works well as a protagonist, dedicated to her mission while also completely unable to understand the past. It remains to be seen whether the full version of 1000xRESIST manages to deliver interesting twists and introduce other interesting characters and themes.
A preview key was provided by the publisher
