A Brilliant, Basic Narrative Journey
1000xRESIST is a video game unlike any other I have played, in fact, I’m not sure calling it a video game is accurate. It is a narrative journey filled with pain, beauty, and despair. It is a fascinating story that will keep you guessing throughout its 10 or so hours of gameplay. It is about as basic a game as you could imagine without even a hint of a challenge throughout. It is all these things and more.
Ostensibly a third-person adventure game, 1000xRESIST follows the journey of Watcher, one of many clones of a young woman named Iris. Watcher and her clone sisters live in a post-apocalyptic world, one ravaged by a disaster none of them truly understand. Throughout the story Watcher explores the memories of Iris and slowly unravels the truth behind the origins of her world and the lives of her sisters and their ‘mother’ Iris.
Our cast of characters are mostly made up of clones, each of whom has a personality that is influenced by their function. Watcher is a protagonist who observes, and it is through this function that we experience all the game has to offer. Other clone characters include Healer, Knower, Fixer and the brilliantly named Bang Bang Fire. But it is Iris herself that is the game’s central figure; a complicated relationship with her parents and her friend Jiao, grounds the science fiction narrative with human drama.
Although Watcher is the point of view character, it is Iris’ life that we witness, her trauma that we endure, her flaws that make us suffer. That is perhaps the game’s greatest strength; Iris is flawed, she is an imperfect being and by extension – so are her clones.
Flawed Characters, Human Drama
There are no perfect characters in 1000xRESIST, instead we have a collection of flawed individuals. Jiao is the sweetest character in the game, a shy girl who just wants to be friends with Iris. In turn, Iris is cruel to Jiao, often treating her like a nuisance that she is unable to dismiss. Although it never attempts to justify the nastiness, the game shows us why Iris reacts this way. Jiao is annoying, and anyone could see why Iris would view her friend with some degree of contempt.
It is an incredible feat that a relatively short game about a bunch of clones can brilliantly craft a roster of distinct characters. You won’t love all of them, in fact, you may hate more characters than you like, but you will understand them.
Minimalist Mechanics
This is not a game for all; some people may not even consider it a game at all. There are no battles to fight and beyond navigating through Iris’ memories; there are no mechanics to be learnt. Besides some minor puzzle solving, there is very little gaming to be done. Even the interactive adventure games of Telltale demanded more of its players than 1000xRESIST does.
Given how little gameplay is involved, most potential issues with controls are null and void. However, there is one area of gameplay that can prove to be a minor annoyance. The Orchard is the main hub of the game; it is an area in which Watcher can converse with her sisters and their leader – Principal. Despite not being particularly large, it can be problematic to traverse due to a clutter of paths and staircases. A lot of information can be gleamed from the various npc clones that are scattered around the Orchard, I would advise anybody to seek them out, if you can be bothered to work your way around the place.
Small Budget, Big Beauty
Being the debut title of the four-person developer Sunset Visitor, the game was produced with a small budget, and it shows. This is no AAA title, and it does not look like one; at best the graphics are passable. To be clear, I think it is beautiful, but its beauty is in its simplicity. Nobody is going to be drawn to 1000xRESIST by its looks, but nobody will be pushed away by them either. The game’s look is to my mind a triumph and a testament to making the most of a limited budget.
Certainly, some will be bored by the gameplay and unimpressed by the visuals, and I can see why. This is not a game one plays; it is a game that must be experienced. The story is full of twists and turns, perhaps too many for its own good. 1000xRESIST crafts a world with its own rules, idioms, and history. That can be a lot to take in, especially in the early chapters.
A voice cast of relative unknowns do good work, especially given the heavy material they had to contend with. It would be easy for a game with such daunting themes to fall into the realm of melodrama, but the subdued performances of the cast go a long way to avoiding that pitfall.
A Marvel That Demands to Be Experienced
Despite the relatively short run time, the game spans an impressive ten chapters, and there is not a weak link in the bunch. Each chapter adds a new layer to the story and like with all great science fiction mysteries, every answer raises yet another question. It is a story that demands your attention and investment. I felt taxed by the end – I was ready for it to be over. That is not a slight, quite the opposite; it just managed to avoid overstaying its welcome.
1000xRESIST will be hard sell for some, a narrative driven adventure game will not appeal to the masses. Truthfully, had it not appeared on Game Pass, I would likely never have played it. But now that I have, I know I will never forget it.
The game is a marvel and one that should be experienced by all.
Important Links
1000xRESIST is a new Day One Game Pass Sci-Fi Epic – https://www.thexboxhub.com/1000xresist-is-a-new-day-one-game-pass-sci-fi-epic/
Grab from the Xbox Store (via Game Pass if you wish) – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/1000xresist/9npdn9r45jx4
