Image rights: Theta Division.VirtuaVerse is an homage to both the past and
future. Its point–and–click gameplay and
pixel–heavy graphics are rooted in the early
days of video games, but its cyberpunk
aesthetics and excellent soundtrack owe
much to the dystopian future imagined in
Blade Runner and modern synthwave music.
They combine to create a game that’s unique,
and rather good, too.
You start oļ in a squat apartment as
a hooded hardware hacker whose girlfriend,
Jay, has disappeared and whose AVR goggles
— used to see the augmented reality overlay
that the rest of the microchipped population
see by default — have broken. After getting
them Ľxed and locating Jay, you’re
catapulted into a world of warring graL·ti
gangs, despotic artiĽcial intelligences
hell-bent on further enslaving humanity,
and oppressive police forces hunting those
who trade in the dark arts of retro computers
and mind–bending drugs.
VirtuaVerse is hard. Like, really hard. We’re
no strangers to point–and–click games, but
even we found ourselves scratching our
heads and reaching for the online guides.
Even the Ľrst room in VirtuaVerse requiresVirtuaVerse
A cyberpunk neo–noir that will break your brain
$14.99 From Theta Division, thetadivision.com
Needs macOS 10.12 or laterVIRTUAVERSE
Beautiful, gritty, varied
visuals
Tremendous, evocative
soundtrack
Seriously tough puzzles
Slow initial storytelling
EXCELLENTa multi–step workľow with a big helping of
creative thinking. Most games ease you in
gently to acclimatize you to the controls and
methodology. Not VirtuaVerse.
This is not necessarily a criticism, though.
You quickly learn to listen closely to every
conversation, as hints are frequently
scattered within. You Ľnd yourself sifting
through your backpack and considering the
possible outcomes of combining two unlikely
objects together. And you take numerous
breaks to consider how you can overcome
the latest obstacle in your path. This is not
a game that can be rushed, no matter how
hard you try. You will struggle, and cuss, and
tie yourself in knots until eventually, with
a great sigh of relief, you complete the
very Ľrst puzzle in the game!
The characters could use more exposition
as to their motives and relationships, and
the story is a little slow to start. Once it gets
going, however, things greatly improve,
and the second half of the game is where
VirtuaVerse really shines. If you are a point–
and–click fanatic and want a game to
seriously challenge you, VirtuaVerse will
really hit the spot.
THE BOTTOM LINE. An excellent futuristic
adventure that will test your problem–
solving skills to the limit. ALEX BLAKEVirtuaVerse’s pixel art
style is rich, detailed, and
thoroughly gorgeous.Conversations are the key to success in VirtuaVerse.
Analyze them carefully to pick up the clues they contain.
Reviews
50 SEP 2020 maclife.com