1000xRESIST

A truly extraordinary walking sim with one of the best and most touching stories I’ve ever experienced. While it drags a bit at times for my taste, its twists and turns and the fascinating world-building always kept me hooked. The gameplay is very basic, but the stylistically appealing presentation, the wonderful voice actors, and the atmospheric soundtrack more than make up for it. Two members of the small indie team come from a performance art background and had no prior experience in game development—in this case, that was exactly the right foundation for an extraordinary game.

had very mixed feelings on this game. ultimately recommending because i think the first act is a strong enough experience (owing to how it can be compartmentalised as self-contained if you really wish to) to discount how distasteful i thought the second act was (generally. there are parts of it ([spoiler] the mass communion, secretary's interfacing with source, learning about what happened on the pacific 50 [/spoiler] ) that i think are quite nice... but the overall whole is haunted by a mess of self-contradictory moralising preachiness which leaves the narrative feeling confused for how directly it acts against the more nuanced and less didactic presentation of the first act). this can lead into a litany of smaller complaints (not really knowing what to say also leaves the game devoid of interesting ways to say anything; dialogue becomes more stilted and unnatural, certain scenes become so ridiculous you have to roll your eyes, the cast of characters overall suffers from the problem of becoming too broad and consequently shallow). it's not all and i could go on but there's not really much point i would honestly recommend stopping the game at the end of the first act but if you're really determined or are really enjoying it then give the second act a shot. you're only wasting about 80% of that time

what a great game, deep and layered. i loved every character and hated them at the same time. the storytelling is really good and the dialogue feels genuine. discovering the past put me in so many pairs of shoes. ill admit that the second half was a little confusing, and at times the girls talk really slow, but those first three chapters were so emotionally powerful. love you jiao

Mil veces resistí

After finishing 1000xRESIST, I have a lot of mixed feelings about it. There are many things this game does incredibly well, and I understand why so many people love it, but I also think it has quite a few flaws that hold it back. It is a game with amazing ideas, strong emotional moments, and a lot of ambition, but sometimes it feels like it has too many things it wants to say without fully connecting them together. The first half is easily where the game is at its strongest. Experiencing Iris' memories through Watcher is a fascinating way to explore her character, with Watcher acting as a vessel carrying history that an isolated society has been separated from. The mystery surrounding Iris, the sisters kept me invested, and the world-building was somewhat interesting. One of the strongest aspects of the game is how it explores generational trauma and cycles of violence. Iris' parents and their connection to Hong Kong represent how history, trauma, and unresolved conflicts get passed down. Even after leaving their homeland behind, they still carry it with them through their memories, stories, and traditions. That influence eventually reaches Iris, and then reaches her children, the clones. The past continues shaping the present, even when people try to escape it. The new society repeats many of the same problems as the old one, with propaganda, manipulation, and control being used in different forms. The fake Watcher and the theatre show how information can be weaponized, while characters like Mauve demonstrate how even those who suffer from violence can eventually become part of the same cycle. However, this is also where I think the game starts losing focus. After the ALLMOTHER is killed and the reveal about Principal being the Ancient Sister happens, the story becomes much more inconsistent. The political elements become very direct, and the Reds vs Whites conflict felt less like a natural continuation and more like a separate storyline being added on top of the existing one. A bigger issue for me was that a lot of story threads are simply left unresolved. I understand that the developers may have intentionally left some things open to interpretation, but there were still questions I wanted answers to. Principal created the religions and laws of the place and sent clones to be judged by Iris, but what happened to the previous ones? How did Fixer survive? Even if Principal did not know what happened to her, the story never really explains it. I also found it strange that after everything Watcher and Knower went through, they never had another real conversation. Considering Knower's actions caused so much suffering for Watcher, even if they were ultimately done for a reason, I expected some kind of confrontation or resolution. Principal lied about so much to the original five sisters, yet they never truly get to face her again. Watcher also nearly kills Secretary, but that entire situation is barely addressed afterward, and somehow Secretary survives without much explanation. The ending also did not fully work for me. The ideas behind it are interesting, especially the theme of letting go, but the execution felt underdeveloped. The game asks the player to think about how much of the past they should carry with them, represented by the line "Can't fit everything in the backpack." The city could not fit in the backpack. Iris' whale plush could not fit in the backpack. Neither could the pain, resentment, and trauma carried by previous generations. But at the same time, abandoning the past completely risks repeating the same mistakes. I think this is a genuinely powerful idea, even if I don't think the ending delivered it as strongly as it could have. The characters are another highlight. Knower was probably my favorite because of how intelligently she reads situations and makes decisions. Healer was also memorable because of how blunt and ruthless she was. BBF didn't work well in the story, and Fixer felt underdeveloped compared to the strong relationship she built with Watcher early on. The presentation is easily one of the game's biggest strengths. The voice acting is excellent, the music fits every scene perfectly, and the atmosphere is incredible. The visuals are rough in some areas, and the lack of lip-sync can be distracting, but the overall presentation carries the experience. The gameplay, however, has some problems. The movement can feel pretty janky, especially during longer walking sections where sprinting can sometimes cause a bug that makes you lose control of your character. The central hub is also overly complicated and unintuitive, with many areas that feel unnecessary and make navigation frustrating. The game really could have used fast travel. The pacing also takes a noticeable hit near the climax, leaving me feeling more drained than excited to continue. Despite all of these criticisms, I still think 1000xRESIST is worth experiencing. It is a flawed game, but it is also one with a lot of heart. You can feel the personal experiences and ideas behind it, and the way it explores memory, trauma, family, and moving forward is genuinely memorable. The first half, the atmosphere, the voice acting, and the themes make it worth playing. It may not have reached the masterpiece I hoped it would become, but I would still recommend it. Even with its flaws, it is a game that gives you a lot to think about long after finishing it. 7/10

que

Amazing narrative-driven story. There's not much 'game' in this game - even so, I would highly recommend a playthrough.