Initially, Eliza offers two main topics to ponder. 1. The “Eliza” software, an AI therapy programme that uses simple questions to choose therapy methods and medication for mental health. 2. The technology behind “Eliza” and the people who work to develop this advanced technology. The writers delve into the ethics of the technology and how it affects the moral standing and idealistic or realistic thoughts a company or individual working for said organisation may have. Through different characters, other themes are brought up like the science behind psychology and whether technology is capable of treating mental health issues. But one of the more intriguing notions in this visual novel is the simple understanding of the difficulties that professionals in the field of technology experience when creating anything that could vastly affect society on a social and moral scale.

One of the most surface level dilemmas of ethics produced as an example is “Eliza’s” Transparency Mode. It is an extended and personalised therapy option offered by delving into personal information to form a clearer picture of what’s going on in a client’s life. You go through Transparency Mode by looking through personal information (texts, emails), like if someone were to create a mini game for the Orwell games. It is especially focused on how ethical it is to use the data accumulated through “Eliza’s” service, or any similar software. Each major argument a) It’s too intrusive and b) It helps people, is thoroughly debated utilising several characters in Evelyn’s (protagonist) life. When given response choices in conversations with these people in their life to weigh the ethics behind each of the routes offered by “Eliza,” it leads players down an interesting and crucial part of a conversation which would otherwise have been static and constricted in a kinetic visual novel. It is also interesting to note that you have choices in dialogue when you speak outside of a therapy environment but when using the “Eliza” software, you have 0% choice but to progress like you would any kinetic visual novel.

Opening up Evelyn’s smartphone, you’ll notice Kabufuda Solitaire. It’s tucked in the corner, nice and snug with a few other vaguely interesting apps for self-reflection and social communication. Zachtronics (dev), is notoriously known for intricate and difficult puzzles. Therefore, I’m not surprised to state that this is probably the most fun and rewarding version of solitaire I’ve played. It's ironically more therapeutic than the counselling in "Eliza" and a fun way to stay chill whilst you go through the myriad of topics Eliza will stuff your mind with.

The next set of topics that Eliza presents requires a bit more rumination. Within this VN are introduced two subtly contrasting, futuristic software endeavours. Aponia and “Eliza” both represent applications with the intent of helping people and their mental health. But the direction and underlying goal for each shows a stark contrast. From a basic player standpoint, you will eventually decide which, if any, route you will take to fill a central role in the creation and realisation of either of these apps. Aponia is a project fuelled under the belief that people needn’t feel all pain and suffering to live a fulfilling life and given the ability to choose which ones to experience, we will earn more than we would in a natural pattern of happiness vs. grief. As Evelyn mentions about people who find themselves in this wormhole of pain,“A lot of the time it isn’t even their fault, the world failed them somehow.” On the other hand, “Eliza’s” core goal is to be able to form a larger database of comprehension into an individual client’s needs and woes. Thus, forming a universal grid of data for vast populations, leading to the development of the world’s most advanced smart assistant or artificial general intelligence (AGI). Aponia is socially daring and dynamic, dreaming of a world where people are simply more in control of negative emotions. “Eliza” is focused on mechanised advancement and corporal gain, social advancement is a perk, not a focal point. Yet both have scenes referring to the productivity increase in an individual user. “Eliza” is spearheaded over years by a seemingly soulless Rainer, fiercely business orientated and driven. Aponia is a new venture by a severely depressed Soren, with previous ties in the development of Eliza, but dissuaded to continue due to “Eliza’s” questionable direction and lack of ethics on the topic of privacy.

Eliza whittles the plot and story into non-existence, which was the only flaw I could really find and a necessary evil. The storyline at its core is so irrelevant, a shell making Eliza more approachable, that I was able to leave it out of this review completely. By sacrificing any sense of true narrative, it can focus on the ethical, philosophical and technological statements that Eliza is making as a visual novel. It is refreshingly apparent that Eliza isn’t your typical VN. Character relationships aren’t as important in this game as is commonly the case in this genre. You have an effect on people and your professional/personal ties branch out in varying manners. The conversations you partake in feel like listening to short snippets of interviews into the life and views of people you may or may not be familiar with in the tech development field. Surprisingly, Eliza uses the VN genre to talk more intensely about specific issues of increasing importance in this technologically advanced day and age. Something I’ve yet to have experienced before. A choice Eliza is truly blessed with is that the majority of the writing and all of the dialogue is voiced by actors. Simply having most of the words in any visual novel read to you by professional voice actors makes an enormous difference in keeping your interest, and in many sections you can simply let the dialogue run like a radio in the background as you sit back and relax (or even multitask).
It is one of those games, so little known but a definite gem, that several people asked me about it whilst I was playing and every single one of them found the description of Eliza engaging enough to be worth looking into. Ultimately, Eliza poses many intriguing questions and the views of different sides to an equation we will need an answer to sooner rather than later. It harbours a penetrative style of progression that will make you pause and ponder. We are left to reflect on the philosophy behind human creation and the future possibilities of technology capable of recreating or mimicking human sensibilities. Even in the basic sense, since it’s rare to find visual novels that tease one’s brain more than “other organs,” I feel my valuable few hours playing were very well spent well.

No Plot Spoilers.

It's a beautifully crafted premier of a three part horror series. Initially, I found it difficult to understand the entire plot since the fates of many characters are disguised, subtly intertwined with deceptive traps and certainly not straightforward. Primary playthroughs span 5-6 hours so it's a relatively short game that works well as an intense horror experience with a compelling narrative to leave players aghast. Though the in-game narrative execution can leave a player confused about the vaguer aspects of the story due to its many extended branches, it's worth subsequently reaching for thorough elucidation by replaying, re-watching and poring over the lore.

When first announced, people were mentioning the Clock Tower games and Rule of Rose. As they're both personal favourites, I was excited to play R:TF. Hilariously enough, the first Clock Tower game (obvious inspiration) lies proudly atop my attic ASMR stash. The melodic tapping of footsteps throughout is hypnotically soothing and the slow PnC progression induces a soporific effect. Contrarily, R:TF is forever tense with frequent chases in a mansion filled with similar looking corridors and many twists. Our elegantly clothed protagonist in classic high heels, donning a delicately accessorised style parades various film and video game references with her. As exciting as all the references are for a horror aficionado, I was most dazzled by how aesthetically fashionable the game is. True to form, this voguish Italian-made gem's every design aspect from the furniture to character outfits is purposive. It's hard to stop gushing about how gorgeous it is, especially within the drab and grey of Rosemary Reed's slightly nihilistic, anti-heroine persona and the sickening shade of secrets lying within Felton Villa.

Mega heart-eyes aside, how R:TF runs poorly on lower end systems is actually quite dreary. Severe nausea plagued me the first couple of times I played due to screen stutter but it improved over time. Additionally, there's a reason I didn't play R:TF back when it was released. It used to be a buggy/frustrating mess to play. "Current day", it seems as though everything is fixed because my playthrough was mostly smooth. Some areas can end up with bugs, forcing you to kill yourself to break a broken patrol route of 60cm or witness perpetually open doors, suddenly vanishing AIs and easily cheeseable segments that cut the suspense a bit too short. Yet these are few and far between. Save/heal points are rare but well placed. This is a first for me but the one true gripe I have is in the dialogue. Towards the later part of the game, differentiation between ground/first floor is suddenly terminated and it becomes synonymous. A character will tell you to meet them on the first floor. They must be the only secret non-European because they actually mean the ground floor.

R:TF's game mechanics are about stealth, navigating different floors and areas, working around patrol routes or using distractions to change them, remembering locations and figuring out which item goes where and where to find those items (in PnC tradition), with a few easy QTEs and plethora of tense chase-involved segments. Technically, the areas you can traverse aren't vast. If you pick through every floor and every room/area, you'll eventually find your objective. There is a clear set of tasks to follow but other than that you're on your own. As someone who has a mild case of directional dyslexia that hinders day to day tasks, the gradual learning curve for the locations in this game, especially for the first segment/tutorial to when you're introduced to enemy AI, is incredibly well done. Chases will recap locations and give you a better idea of the layout.

Tips: I'd suggest finding areas you can hide behind successfully and always knowing the closest/safest hiding spot. Upon release, R:TF's AI was too sensitive, but the current state is more than manageable. You can hide behind furniture in close proximity, yet detection is never forgiving when in line-of-sight/chases. You're heard when walking/running as well as AI gravitating towards your direction if you are crawling near. So remember to stock up on distractions and a weapon, and make use of items/options given to you. R:TF relies heavily on sound, with a magnetically composed soundtrack, and proficiently implemented directional sound. Your heartbeat monitor is basically the music's intensity and is the evil conductor to all your jump scares, of which there are many.

All the while, the whole plot has your mind boggled and mass producing the most outlandish theories... until you get to the actual one that is. Forming equally coherent and original storylines in a saturated market could be the hardest feat in modern storytelling. As inspired as R:TF is, it has built a dreadfully unique, cruel and morbid universe fit for old and new horror game fans alike. I was sad to finish the game but am all the more eager for the rest of the series.