The internet has changed a lot since its inception, but those who are around the age of 30 will know this better than most. Long gone are the days of haunting forums or updating your MSN Messenger status with whatever edgy lyrics took your fancy on the day. There’s no denying that things have gotten more convenient, but there’s also no denying that that’s not necessarily a good thing.
Videoverse is a brand-new game that throws us all back to that era of the internet via a decision-based narrative adventure game. You take control of a dude called Emmett, who loves video games and art, and you basically get to live his life a little bit, mostly surrounded by his friends.
It’s hard to talk about the game in much detail without going into what makes it so wonderful, but at the core of the story is Emmett’s interactions with his friends, which are primarily via Videoverse, but all of that is at risk because Videoverse will be shutting down soon. What follows is a game about how connections evolve as technology does, and how friendships can change in different circumstances.
You get to explore the way relationships can be influenced by not just the digital places they’re made, but also how interacting with people in a product that’s dying can feel, and the way that urgency can influence things. It’s just a stunning story from start to finish, and it won’t eat up too much of your time to see it all the way through, which frankly is something we all need in the midst of one of the busiest years for seemingly unending games we’ve had yet.
If you’re not sold yet, keep in mind this comes from the developer who made One Night Stand, which was just as fantastic. If you’ve not played that yet, make sure you do yourself a favour and check it out as well, but probably after you’ve finished helping Emmett though his story first.
