Agence

When I close the game, do they realize I am closing their existance?

[h1]Experienced on Windows Mixed Reality[/h1] You can view my review & gameplay here: https://youtu.be/9QuLYMyxLgM The Steam store page description really got me hyped for this game. I was expecting that game, unfortunately, what I got was rather disappointing. It's not a bad game, it just wasn't really interesting for me either. I did 4-5 playthroughs and I want to say the average was 5 minutes long. Each time I did get different results, but none of them were all that captivating. You can move around the AI creatures, you can rotate the sky around to get a better view, or you can plant plants that will change the rotation of the planet. You'll get different results. You can put special AI into each creature or none of them. You can see how they interact with each other or with the plants. On my first playthrough, they all fell to their deaths and I simply got a message that thousands of them had died at the end. That was an inauspicious start to say the least. While I did manage to get most of them to survive on my next playthrough, there wasn't enough variety to hold my interest. Rather than being curious about all the different possibilities, I was numbed by all the sameness. I kept trying, but eventually had enough after about 45 minutes, mostly filled with lackluster & forgettable moments. This is running on the Unity Engine. On my 1060 GTX, I was getting mostly 90 frames per second, although I would get dips to 45 frames per second at times. The interactions are all simple, mostly point and click, and then grab type interactions. I did experience an issue where the game kept taking me in and out of the view of the planet for no apparent reason. I normally like experimental VR type games, but this one just didn't do it for me personally. I think others may enjoy it more, but the AI was more like AD (artificially dumb). Just too simple overall. Didn't make me ask bigger questions like are we ourselves in a simulation or care at all about the story (was there a story?). [b]Rate 5/10. [/b] [quote]If you enjoyed my review, please consider subscribing to my YouTube Channel or joining my Steam Curator group. You can join my Steam Curator Group here: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/Oculus_WMR [/quote]

I wasted 45 minutes looking for intelligence. Didn't find any, artificial or otherwise. 5 actors that do nothing but bully each other. Constantly. Trained or not. In the real world, you can watch mono-cellular organisms with more sophisticated behaviours under a microscope. Storytelling is miserably ineffectual. In this movie with minimal external input, the camera regularly takes control to focus on... well, nothing but stupid cartoonish punches, really. And the actors have less evocative power than wooden door knobs. The vapid narrative can go on forever. Until you decide to plant a flower. Which makes the story end after a short while, with no rhyme nor reason. The payoff is nonexistent. Then the pointless cycle will start anew. The one thing the makers insist on, arts-wise, is to force you to watch their 74 company logos, then the poorly voiced intro to their non-story. Every time you launch. Unskippable. And now for something completely different, the interface: The thing starts by asking you to tap onto your PC monitor. Never a good sign. If you'd rather click, you will still have a hard time finding a point of view you'd like, what with the 1 single degree of rotation freedom and no zooming capability. Trying to move an actor/agent will, more often than not, result in it being kicked off the planet and to its death. Better luck next time. I couldn't even find a quit button, and I'm not sure everyone knows about Alt-F4. I think more work was put into tamagotchi. That was in 1996.

I didnt find it fun at all. Too little content to even call it a game. This should be free, becouse it is a 5 min tech demo.

Es un experimento de inteligencia artificial. Hay 5 criaturas en un planeta, y puedes asignar un tipo de IA al número que tu quieras. Después ves cómo se comportan, y cómo reaccionan a distintos tipos de flores que plantas tu. Cada experiencia dura 4 o 5 minutos, y no hay dos iguales. No hay mucho más pero en RV es bastante espectacular e inmersivo. Por los 2€ que cuesta es recomendable si os gusta probar cosas nuevas en RV.

I gave this a try knowing exactly that it was an experimental program and media and not a video game per se. That being said I just can't recommend it, even at this price. It's an incomplete product that doesn't deliver on its very modest promises, which is too bad because I think the world needs more efforts like this and less Call of Duty.

I read an article about Agence before I bought it, and I thought the concept sounded interesting. I knew this was an interactive movie with AI elements and not a video game, but I was hoping for more of an experience. What it provides is extremely limited and not really worth much. Unless the developers make major enhancements, which their comments indicate are unlikely, don't bother. It's just not very interesting.

I like the idea, but while I can interact with them, a lot of their behaviour seems erratic and doesn't seem to be impacted by my interactions except at the most superficial level. The mechanics are very opaque. I'm not even sure what half of the achievements mean. It seems more like an intellectual exercise in ML/AI and so I'd probably find a paper outlining the behind the scenes more interesting. As it is I just use it like a chill game when I don't want to deal with adrenaline, commitment or thinking to hard. In hindsight I probably wouldn't pay for it again.

[h1][b] Reseña de Agence[/b][/h1] [h2]Resumen del Juego[/h2] Agence es ese experimento Indie que se disfraza de “simulador” para que no le preguntes dónde está el gameplay tradicional. La propuesta: una ficción interactiva futurista donde la [b]inteligencia artificial[/b] y tus decisiones (sí, “decisiones”) empujan una experiencia corta, minimalista y con varios finales. Suena profundo, y a ratos lo es… hasta que te das cuenta de que también es el tipo de cosa que tu amigo llamaría “arte” para justificar que no entiende qué está pasando. En esencia, es un simulador inmersivo/cinematográfico con vibra filosófica: entras, observas, interactúas y dejas que el sistema te responda. Si vienes buscando acción, combos o un loop de progreso, aquí lo único que progresa es tu tolerancia a lo experimental. Eso sí: como Casual, cumple; como “juego”, se pone controversial. [h2]Lo Orgánico y lo Artificial (como el juego)[/h2] Lo Bueno: Experiencia [b]experimental[/b] y cinematográfica que se atreve a ser rara (y lo logra) [b]Finales múltiples[/b] que invitan a rejugar, aunque sea por curiosidad morbosa Enfoque [b]minimalista y estilizado[/b] que no depende de saturarte la pantalla Buena sensación de “simulador futurista” con toques filosóficos, sin sermonearte… tanto Lo No Tan Bueno: Comunidad en modo fantasma: [b]0 jugadores actuales[/b]. Literalmente estás a solas con la IA Es [b]corto[/b], y se nota: cuando empieza a ponerse interesante, ya te está diciendo adiós Si no conectas con lo experimental, puede sentirse como “estoy haciendo algo” sin estar haciendo mucho Detección de movimiento en mando/RV: si no es tu onda, parte del encanto se siente… accesorio [h2]Tabla de Evaluación[/h2] [table] [tr][th]Aspecto[/th][th]Puntuación (0-10)[/th][th]Comentario[/th][/tr] [tr][td]Jugabilidad[/td][td]6[/td][td]Interactiva y curiosa, pero más “experiencia” que juego clásico.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Dificultad / IA[/td][td]7[/td][td]La IA y el diseño sistémico sorprenden más que retan.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Contenido[/td][td]5[/td][td]Se apoya en finales múltiples, pero sigue siendo limitado.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Gráficos / Video[/td][td]7[/td][td]Estilizado/minimalista con buen ojo cinematográfico.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Historia[/td][td]6[/td][td]Filosófica e insinuada; funciona si te gusta interpretar.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Ambientación[/td][td]7[/td][td]Futurista y espacial con vibra de experimento controlado.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Efectos (VFX)[/td][td]6[/td][td]Cumplidores: más atmósfera que espectáculo.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Música[/td][td]6[/td][td]Acompaña sin estorbar; no esperes himnos memorables.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Voces[/td][td]5[/td][td]No es el gancho principal; se siente secundario.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Diversidad[/td][td]5[/td][td]Variedad más conceptual que de contenido “tradicional”.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Rendimiento[/td][td]7[/td][td]Ligero y estable en general por su enfoque minimalista.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Rejugabilidad[/td][td]6[/td][td]Finales múltiples ayudan, pero no todos querrán repetir.[/td][/tr] [tr][td][b]Total Puntuaciones (Bueno)[/b][/td][td][b]6.1[/b][/td][td]Una rareza competente: interesante, pero no imprescindible.[/td][/tr] [/table] [h2]Conclusión (Bueno)[/h2] Agence es como hablar con una IA a las 3 a.m.: a veces te vuela la cabeza, a veces te preguntas por qué sigues ahí. Es un Indie experimental que mezcla simulación, ficción interactiva y un enfoque cinematográfico minimalista para darte una experiencia que se siente más como “instalación jugable” que como videojuego tradicional. Ahora, lo controversial: con [b]0 jugadores actuales[/b] y recomendaciones en [b]N/A[/b], esto se siente como entrar a un museo vacío donde el guía eres tú. Si te encanta lo filosófico, lo futurista y los sistemas raros con finales múltiples, vale la pena. Si no, lo vas a ver y vas a decir: “¿y el juego cuándo llega?” Spoiler: ya llegó, solo que venía en forma de experimento. [h3]Recomendación de Compra (Recomendado con reservas)[/h3] Puntuación Total: 6.1/10 Número de jugadores activos al momento de hacer esta review: 0 Descuento máximo registrado: -83% Veredicto: [i]Cómpralo si te gustan las experiencias experimentales; evítalo si buscas un simulador “de verdad”.[/i] Si tu idea de diversión incluye cuestionarte la realidad, tomar decisiones ambiguas y rejugar para ver finales distintos, Agence cumple y hasta te deja pensando. Si necesitas acción, progreso constante o una comunidad viva, aquí solo vas a encontrar silencio… y una IA esperando que tú le des sentido a todo.

I found this to be an interesting experience and well worth the small asking price. Definitely put me in that contemplating the notion of an infinite universe and the meaning of our existence within it. That said I am coming from a machine learning and AI programming background. Not to mention I'm a fan of short artsy VR experiments. That doesn't necessarily mean you need that background to appreciate Agence, my 6 year old daughter found this fun as well. I do think the game would've been better off if after a each generation a small explanation of what an agent's role was. That would've given incentive to observe multiple generations and note the results. I think that is the point of the game. After a few achievements popped up and I realized what their roles were it was subsequent generations and interactions were more meaningful. All said and done worth $3 though.