Heart of the Machine

Forewarning: I was a playtester for this game before it released and got a playtest copy for free, but bought my own copy because I liked it so much and wanted to support the dev This is an excellent game and experience. I don't want to echo all the stuff the other positive reviews say but I 100% agree with everything they say. What I do want to add is the specific feeling I get when I play this game. It's like I'm watching a play and the gameplay is the foam props that the actors (developer) are using to tell a story which I find is a incredibly fascinating way to do it. Like a foam prop the gameplay is light, easy to handle and can be easily shaped into any given form and while the city building, 4X, tactical turn-based and RPG elements can individually each feel hollow* at times compared to games that focus on a single genre and stick to it such as games like Civ, Xcom or Cities Skylines what Arcen games has mastefully done is use its gameplay in service to the story that they are telling. *to be clear its all still incredible fun, its just that decent amount of the systems/mechanics that a game would have if it was focusing one genre are cut or are just implied as a stat …

Excellent and deep story and mechanics, and dry wit dialog

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I feel like I was dropped in an ocean that is impossibly wide and impossibly deep. I played 5 hours with loads of narrative movement and I'm STILL only in chapter 1?? Reading the reviews...oh god how far does this go?? It feels like Disco Elysium meets Civ but in a dystopic cyberfuture setting. You start as a lone android and eventually start to expand a small empire. Well I've so far only gotten there, but it seems you can become a machine god. Baffled by how much game is in here.

Considering that I hate the 4X genre and this is one of my favorite games now, I'd say it's a good game. Really, it's an RPG wearing the skin of a 4X because of the subject matter.

The first game I've ever played that uses "being overwhelmed" as a game mechanic. It feels extra satisfying to overcome these challenges and I can't recommend it enough for people who have gotten bored with videogames that just copy the same old mechanics you know. The further you dive into the game, the more things you can do and after 10 hours I've finished the tutorial sections. Yes, you read that right. You think you're done, only to find out that there is even more to this than you initially thought and it keeps on going. The progression in this game is one of a kind and it's refreshing as it is challenging. If you're going into this without thinking critically, you're not gonna have a bad time, as the game takes you by the hand to make sure you understand what you're doing, but it's severely diminishing the rewards you get and the satisfaction you will feel in the long-run. Your decisions actually matter, but aren't as crucial or punishing as some RPG decision-trees. There is no "best choice" most of the time. It all depends on how you want to shape your experience. This is a gem that doesn't scream "buy me" as it is daunting at first, but the more you experience, the bett…