You’re probably thinking that the gameplay is dull, that for a point and click game that’s all I’ll be doing. There’s more to this world than just tech-obsessed hackers. Honestly, the best follow up to this game would be to have its own novel. This was easily the thing that kept me hooked since every level leaves you with more questions, and the desire to learn more about the world. The story and the detailed world are probably the best parts of this title, and I couldn’t do them justice if I tried to hype them up. It’s hard to make a pixel-art point and click title feel like the world it’s set in is alive and kicking, but the developer, Theta Division, absolutely accomplished that. There’s plenty of opportunities to learn about the VirtuaVerse world, and it’s worth doing so. I can’t go much further than that without spoiling it, but that’s it in essence. After weaving through the city’s back alleys, digging up information about who Jay really is, and learning about the digital realm of the city and its tech-obsessed citizens, Nathan soon realizes that his once peaceful existence is not all as it seems. Struck with curiosity, Nathan knows he has to find out why she’s left all of a sudden. She says she’s had to leave quickly but doesn’t explain why. You play as Nathan, who wakes up to find his girlfriend, Jay, has left a note written in lipstick on the bathroom mirror. I’ll try to explain the story without spoiling it. Plus, it’s a dystopian cyberpunk, which is a fantastic genre in and of itself. And oh my god the music and art style, it’s fantastic. I’m really glad I didn’t skip it either because it has probably one of the best stories and worlds that I’ve experienced in a game. But, VirtuaVerse caught my eye, and I felt obliged to check this one out. For that reason, I stayed away from them. They always felt a bit cheap, a bit easy to make since those ones were just a bit of dialogue interlaid with a couple interactables. Play the generously long demo on Steam and see what you think! If you like the demo you'll probably like the game.I haven’t played a point and click game since my high school days playing flash games on. That doesn't mean it's not fun, however, and I enjoyed it overall. Or not being able to buy basic components you need online even though the internet is ubiquitous. Trying to get wares from merchants who just refuse to sell them to you, but somehow stay in business. Like trying to get inside a dumpster when a beggar doesn't want you to, or trying to repair your VR headset but there's only one place in the city that you can do so, which for some reason has a bouncer who won't let you in. The main issue is, however, that the problems aren't realistic. In one scene you have to obtain a touchscreen to connect to a computer monitor that for some reason is in an electrical box, but of course you can't use your phone as the requisite touchscreen even though you're an electronics wiz. Using a broom to knock a loud radio into the water to get someone's attention doesn't work, and of course you can't just yell at him. Having three types of screwdrivers still doesn't open everything they should. Occasionally, solutions that would seem to work don't. Overtime as new locations unlock, this can become laborious as you check for new interactions available, switching VR on and off to view scenes both ways for clues in augmented reality. Puzzles become more complex as you go, but part of this is because they require more backtracking to previous locations. Some of the puzzles rely more on observation than clear out inference or deduction, but pixel hunting is kept reasonable. Using your inventory, you combine and use items to solve them, usually with very few clues to go on. As you proceed, the puzzles are not on par with say Riven, or Monkey Island, but they function overall and are at the right difficulty level. Chapter I starts out with an escape room type scene, which works. Consequently, there's not much foreshadowing of what happens later. There's very little story or world building to speak of, which is odd for a game in this genre. He's the classic cyberpunk anti-hero, though unfortunately you can't stop him from ruining everyone's lives around him to fulfill his very pedantic purpose. You play as Nathan, who has little in the way of characterization, as he searches for his girlfriend who has vanished. While the game doesn't do anything to move the genre further, offering little in the way of player choice or non-linear exploration, those who like cyberpunk will be enveloped in its dark chiptune music performed by Master Boot Record, its pixelated graphics, which are at the right resolution to be both beautiful and retro, and most of all, its thick cyberpunk atmosphere. Virtua Verse is a classic point-and-click adventure game for PC that released in 2020.
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