1000xRESIST Review – Tragic Fates of Generations

I only came across 1000xRESIST after it was released, and that was completely by accident. I really didn’t know what to expect from the game. I was intrigued by the theme and style. Sci-fi that raises interesting themes, develops futuristic concepts but isn’t afraid of realistic settings, is properly convoluted but unravels and explains the plot lines early on? That’s 1000xRESIST.

• Platform: PC (review version), Nintendo Switch
• Publication date: 09.05.2024
• Developer: Sunset Visitor
• Publisher: Companion
• Genre: story adventure
• Czech localization: No
• Multiplayer: No
• Data for download: 10 GB
• Play time: 15 hours
• Price: 19.5 EUR (Steam)

Iris, Observer, Junior, Blue

The story is definitely the game’s biggest draw, and it also takes up most of the game’s playtime, which can reach up to fifteen hours. I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered such a complex story, and I probably don’t even need to attach a last name. games.

The narrative moves across several time planes, but this is a very superficial description, since each of these aircraft can stretch over several years. We’ll be jumping back and forth throughout the millennium, and if it weren’t for the smart assistant in the lower left corner of the screen, it would be very difficult to navigate more accurately in time. Sometimes you can directly influence the time jumps, which is good fun even if it’s not tied to any more complex game mechanics.

The game character is the Observer, one of many clones living in the closed city of Orchard. The prototype of all clones is the so-called All-Mother, who is also worshiped almost as a goddess.

A web is being developed that is not precisely described, and the developers do not skimp on symbols and metaphors.

Within the framework of a special connection of the mind, which is one of the key moments of the Observer. sisters speaks, we learn about the origin of the All-Mother and will de facto play for her, together with the Observer we will put ourselves in her place. We learn that this is a girl named Iris, who in 2046 was the only person immune to a destructive virus. It was brought by an alien race called the Occupiers.

Does this seem complicated enough? Please know that this is only a superficial representation of many, many stories and characters, their personalities and their relationships. A web is being developed, which, moreover, is not exactly told precisely and the developers do not skimp on symbolism and metaphors. Despite this, it manages to touch on more complex themes such as sacrifice, friendship, betrayal, but also suicide, bullying or terrorism.

Ultimately, I see 1000xRESIST as a tragedy of generations first and foremost. We’ll be looking at at least five of them, though even that is a difficult proposition to make because some characters simply don’t age, and the mother-daughter relationship during cloning is also a bit on the fritz. Every generation makes mistakes, and every generation witnesses some extremely sad fates. If you’re prone to tears during emotional games, there’s significant potential here.

Want a new perspective?

I’ve dedicated six paragraphs to the story and narrative. This is no coincidence, the dialogue takes up most of the time, and the gameplay lacks much. You spend most of the time in the Garden, which serves as a kind of hub from which you begin to complete linear missions. (This is also a fairly simplified description, and this principle will change over time.)

You can explore the city, but most of the exploration is limited to dozens and dozens of other dialogues, which are thankfully well-written, fully voiced, and not boring. I also recommend checking out the side stories of seemingly insignificant characters. Most of them are retold, and thanks to the time jumps, you can meet the same clone ten years later.

Otherwise, walking around the Orchard is the more tedious part of the game, in part because navigation is quite complex. I ended up using the weird and not very functional compass very little and relied on signs in the environment itself. Even with their help, I sometimes got lost.

The game focuses on journeys through Iris’ memories, and then other standalone missions in a linear environment. However, aside from a few hints of logic puzzles, don’t expect any intense gameplay elements. There are also some “invisible anchor” platforming passages worth mentioning, but they are few and far between.

One thing 1000xRESIST does brilliantly is alternating viewpoints. Most often we will be looking over the character’s shoulder, but fixed cameras are no exception. Classic survival horrorbut also from top to bottom or from the side in some places. We experience most of Iris’s memories from the perspective of our own eyes, which in turn turns the game into a standard walking simulator, as we probably most imagine it today. Even after ten or more hours, the authors manage to surprise.

From excellent to below average

The stumbling block may be the graphic page. I emphasize: she could be. The purely technical level of graphics – the number of polygons, the quality of textures, animation and the like – is very poor. There is no point in hiding it in any way. Especially in the Orchard, you often find yourself in boring, from an architectural point of view, gray corridors that are truly ugly, like ugly stones in a cave.

But the authors from a small independent team tried to fill the technical deficit in all available ways. Scene lighting, cinematic cutscenes, switching angles, working with depth of field, originality of scenes and architecture. All this really helps a lot, and when you add, for example, reflection from the water surface, you get really beautiful pictures, not spoiled by glitches and other errors.

Under the visuals I will add a mention of the music, but it will be brief and relatively neutral. The music is pleasant, emotional, varied enough and suitable everywhere. It supports the action on the screen well. I would not call it the best of the best, but it certainly does not disappoint.

A thousandfold resistance

Describing 1000xRESIST and picking the most important things to write about in a review is really hard. It’s a special experience based on a story that can be told so captivatingly that it’s not a shame to limit the gameplay to a minimum. Although, yes, towards the end the player can get a little tired. Not because of the plot, of course, but because of the long running around. But then again, there are important decisions waiting for you at the end, which is a nice change after the rather cosmetic dialogue options throughout the game.

I have a strong recommendation for fans of great sci-fi stories. I believe that even a weaker presentation will not ruin the experience. But at the same time, I raise my finger. 1000xRESIST is not for everyone, and certainly not for those who need a more challenging gameplay to be entertained.