205 people found this review helpful
3 people found this review funny
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Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 184.0 hrs on record (67.4 hrs at review time)
Posted: 23 Jun, 2021 @ 2:08pm
Updated: 1 May, 2022 @ 6:38am

Just buy it bratan!

The game is about drunken suicidal cop who can't remember anything, even who he is. It's a unique game. I would say it's an rpg-point&click adventure game with some Kentucky Route Zero vibe.

The gameplay is quite simple yet amazingly good and satisfying. You inspect objects and pick up items, talk to people and talk to your...mind. This is where it gets more interesting. You have all those different brain parts responsible for something. There are four main skill trees and each is divided into subcategories.
Intellect – logic, encyclopedia, rhetoric, drama, conceptualization, visual calculus.
Psyche – volition, inland empire, empathy, authority, esprit de corps, suggestion.
Physique - endurance, pain threshold, physical instrument, electro-chemistry, shivers, half light.
Motorics – hand/eye coordination, perception, reaction speed, savoir faire, interfacing, composure.
Some of these are self explanatory but others sound weird heh? Well, they are weird (in a good way) and that's what makes this game so amazing. These skills lead to various actions, dialogue options and consequences you can't even imagine. You can play it like a normal (almost) human being. But due to these skills and your mind talking to you, like empathy suggests one thing, logic another, drama throws something else, you get some crazy choices which could lead to hilarious moments.
Oh you must solve the murder case btw.

Skills matter a lot and you must choose wisely but in the end you won't be able to do everything. Like I kicked the object and my health dropped to critical. But who cares – I am the law! Apocalypse is near and I need to get my hands on some drugs and fight the entities.
It's like a dark comedy. You'll laugh and if you pick certain dialogue options, you'll laugh like an idiot sitting in front of the screen and your wife will think you're going crazy.

Oh and there are thoughts which can be developed over time. You first need to unlock the thought, then start internalizing it and once its done it could give some bonuses. Like hobocop, superstar cop, cop of the apocalypse and more.

This is an exceptional game. It's hilarious but serious at the same time. It fascinates me how it plays with your mind and how it makes you doubt everything. You may start roleplaying as a certain kind of officer and at the end of the day become a better or worse human being. But sometimes you just stop and think “maybe I shouldn't do that anymore, it's dumb”.

The game is very political but it doesn't promote any political ideology or it just shows that all of them suck. It plays with your mind. But when you pick one the game mocks your choice. And it doesn't matter what you pick, you always will feel like maybe you should've chosen differently. Or not? Is it a dream? Where am I? What are we doing? The end is nigh!
You'll meet communists, capitalists, racists, etc.
Most people probably have political views and other things but imagine you don't know anything, you don't know who you are, what politics are or anything. So even the views you agree now might look differently if you learn about them when your head is completely blank.

The game is set in a fictional location and a lot of the events and things are fictional but each of those represent something from our world, each person represents a certain world view. You'll agree with some, you'll disagree with some, you'll cry for some, you'll mock some, you'll laugh your ass off with some and you'll make some of them suffer or maybe you'll find love. And probably you'll even find someone who represents yourself in real life and since the game likes to mock you it could lead to you feeling stupid and think about your views, are they really good? Is that what I want? I see the idea of the game as “doubt everything and think for yourself”.

The area you can explore is tiny when you compare it to other games, in some way it's similar to Yakuza, tiny map filled with content. There's so much quality content in this game. This is a proof that you don't need a vast ubicrappy open areas, what matters is quality content.

I love how it transforms in mood. One minute it could be a hilarious game, next minute it turns into a gloomy, depressive piece of art. It's an emotional rollercoaster, it will make laugh, cry, think, you'll sometimes be lost in your thoughts. You think who are you, are you really what you want to be, you might rethink your values. And there are some thoughts i've already been thinking about like what is nothing? How can you measure nothing and if nothing is really nothing, how nothing can exist if it's nothing, it must be something then?

You try to rebuild your reputation and take your life into your hands or you embrace whatever mindset you want, alcoholic, corrupt cop, hobo, crazy cop spreading the message that apocalypse is coming. There's also no way to get along with everybody so you make a choice whit whom you want to be nice. Skillchecks play a huge role in dialogues and sometimes you could end up in a situation when a young kid tells you're his ♥♥♥♥♥ now and you feel completely humiliated so you start taking drugs and find hobo friends, crazy people, you feel at home.

Items like clothing and tools play a role too. Clothes give you bonuses to some stats.
Consumable items are used to restore your hp & morale or for buffs. But while they increase one stat, they lower other one. I strongly advise saving your drugs for tough situations. Unless you have electrochemistry leveled up like me, my pockets were full of drugs. Smoke a cig, some beer, sniff speed, you're a super cop.

All the characters in the game are more or less important and every single one of them is fun to talk to. You'll also hear some phrases or words you rarely hear in games and most people probably won't get it, but eastern europeans will understand and start to laugh instantly. On top of that there's more stuff for eastern europeans.

Graphically the game looks amazing. Although the graphics are mainly 2D backrounds with 3D character models but those backgrounds and overall artstyle is amazing. You can see there has been so much work dedicated to the art. Every area, every corner is something special and tells a story. The game looks like a painting sometimes, especially in those more surreal points of the game.
Performance is great, no hiccups, no fps drops, game runs very smoothly. But loading times are way too long. Saving system is very frustrating. Because when you overwrite that doesn't change the name of the save.

Sound. I waited until developers added full voice overs. And voice acting is mostly amazing. The narrator voice is absolutely wonderful. Including all the characters and horrific necktie, it's hilarious. I only disliked lymbic system.
The dialogues are the main thing in this game and every single dialogue means something and you want to hear it.
There are only couple of jazzy tracks but they're great. It feels kind of sad but calming at the same time and combined with atmosphere it creates that surreal vibe.

Amazing, unique game, a masterpiece. I recommend this to everyone, you can play it however you like and there are multiple ways to achieve your goal. There's no skill required or anything so it's suitable for everyone. It's a blend of rpg and point&click which will leave a footprint in your brain forever.

Pros
  • Great engaging story
  • Interesting characters
  • Freedom to do and be what you want
  • Small map filled with content
  • Beautiful art
  • Great soundtrack
  • Great voice acting
  • Hilarious
  • Depressive
  • Unique skill system
  • Failing is an option
  • Game plays with your mind
Cons
  • No summary after ending

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16 Comments
Kosmozuikis 31 Oct, 2021 @ 3:53pm 
Yep, well deserved.
Billy_Brightside 31 Oct, 2021 @ 3:52pm 
Not surprised this now reigns as PC Gamer magazine's top spot on their annual 100 Top PC Games.
Rominvictus 16 Aug, 2021 @ 5:25am 
Great review! Added to wishlist :greensmile::ThumbupAL:
craig 12 Jul, 2021 @ 8:35am 
except, the developers are marxists. and edge.

which is good!
🌙 polarbearb 🍉 24 Jun, 2021 @ 1:00pm 
Awesome review!
♡大好き♡ 24 Jun, 2021 @ 12:19pm 
ok
Kosmozuikis 24 Jun, 2021 @ 9:54am 
Yeah i really missed that, just a simple summary, good deeds, bad deeds, bottles of alcohol and drugs consumed, times humiliated or something, you can think plenty of these things.
erastisa 24 Jun, 2021 @ 9:49am 
Cool review.

Agree that if the game also need conclusion for Revachol apart from the protagonist himself.
mafalda_157 24 Jun, 2021 @ 7:32am 
it truly is a masterpiece! great review :steamthumbsup:
Kosmozuikis 24 Jun, 2021 @ 2:01am 
Thanks everyone :dsheart: