I really, really wanted to like this game but unfortunately its glaring faults overshadow what otherwise would have been an enjoyable sci-fi thriller. I did appreciate the unique take on the "things go bad on a space station" genre in that you play the station's AI but the execution was deeply flawed to the point that it severely detracted from the overall experience.

The story, setting, sound design, and voice acting are all strong and help kept me engaged through to the end. However, the core gameplay is some of the most painful and unenjoyable that I have ever experienced. I wanted desperately to do anything other than actually play the game because controlling SAM, the AI protagonist, was so clunky, confusing, un-intuitive, and frustrating. I normally can't stand lengthy cutscenes but by the end I was practically begging for there to be more of them because the story had its hooks in me and I just wanted to immerse myself in the narrative rather than having anything more to do with the chore and slog that is the gameplay.

Fortunately the game is relatively short at around 6 hours so I don't feel like it was a massive waste of time. Unfortunately, I also thought that the ending, while not terrible, didn't really deliver on the interesting narrative buildup. The disappointing ending combined with excruciating gameplay simply make this incredibly difficult for me to recommend this game, even at only $25.

I do recommend this game if you wait for a sale. The storytelling in this game is effective and unique, but it is very light on gameplay and what is there is often tedious. Controlling the sphere is hell, and I can't believe it made it into the game apart from the fact that it's needed for some cutscenes. This game doesn't really overstay its welcome, but it does start to get a little repetitive towards the end.

Such a good game! The in game mechanics are honestly something novel I haven't run into before, but what else would you expect from a futuristic game like this? I highly enjoyed the story and game play overall!