First, I'm going to explain what it's not.

It's an RPG, but you're not the Chosen One out to save the world.

It's a detective story, but it deliberately breaks every rule of the "fair play" murder mystery.

It's an adventure game, but you never have to click every item in your inventory on the environment.

It's a neo-noir modern fantasy allegory, about an irreparably broken world and a seemingly irreparably broken protagonist. First and foremost, it's a story about repairing yourself, before possibly getting a start on fixing the world around you.


The writing. It's good. It's good writing by modern novel standards, which makes it great writing by genre standards and outright unbelievably great by videogame standards. It touches on politics, psychological malfunction, abuse, colonialism, police procedurals, slapstick comedy, and transcendental spiritual experiences. And it nails just about everything it goes for.


Some of the mechanics are a bit obtuse. Also, a fast-travel option couldn't hurt. I get it - an NPC that I feel compelled to work with is very hard and annoying to reach. It's a metaphor. But I'd still pay for a "portal between the container and the bar" DLC.

Final Cut edit - there's fast travel, but it's kinda terrible, and still doesn't take you to Evrart's container and back. Shame.


I mean... I wrote four separate guides to this game, which I'd advise you to check out. These[www.beforeiplay.com] are probably the main tips I'd recommend before you start playing.


Oh yes. Absolutely. 100%. Play this, replay this, it's my GOTY 2019.