A phenomenal delve into a world I've seen done before but with characters who I genuinely cared for. We've all seen the cyberpunk classics - a grizzled cigarette-smoking trenchcoat detective, the horrifically over-modified gangsters and muggers, and the recently-born android with the naivete and intelligence of a 10 year old.

Citizen Sleeper disregards all of that, and makes new a new high standard in its place. I was infinitely more intrigued by the story of an altruistic doctor whose clinic is funded by an underground mob, of a working man and his daughter trying to earn a better life through endless struggle, and of the artificial intelligence that (for reasons beyond its own understanding) attempts to savagely hunt you for the crime of daring to break free from technologically-induced slavery.

Additionally, I'm not someone who beats their chest demanding more representation in games (for reference, I'm a bisexual man saying this) as I often find that inclusivity for the sake of itself often hampers good and genuinely well-written characters with moments where a gay/trans/ace/so-on person feels the need to awkwardly reinforce to the viewer that they're part of the LGBT community, or where racism is suddenly shuffled into a story out of left field so that megacorporation developers can claim to be progressive. Jump Over The Age is not one of these clueless developers haphazardly tossing characters with minority traits into a story in the name of a quota, but instead writing genuinely fascinating and proper characters who happen to be any of these things. Almost everyone in the story is a minority yet it doesn't feel forced for a quota or a desperate plea for progressives to buy the game, instead JOTA has made characters who I feel are infinitely better representations of real people by actually feeling like sympathetic and complex human beings not defined by being gay or trans or black or asian or what-have-you. THIS is something that absolutely deserves reward.

The soundtrack composed by Amos Roddy is an absolute wonder that helps me whether at work or home instantly feel like I'm back in the harsh and complex station of the Eye, attempting to survive amidst threats of recapture into slavery and helping people not too dissimilar from people I know and care for in my real life. It shocks me to my core that the soundtrack of Citizen Sleeper isn't brought up as already one of the best of the 2020's, competing with Cyberpunk 2077 and other marvels of composition for truly breathtaking work. I'm absolutely looking forward to what Roddy composes next.

I cannot recommend this game enough, and I have great empathy for JOTA in their new challenge of having to make their next game surpass the high bar and legacy that they have created for themselves with Citizen Sleeper.