A game that feels alive. Brimming with visible effort, passion, and [b]fun[/b].
In a world where the relentless flood of noise only compounds upon itself, quality and self-respect become both lost and overlooked; discovering something that has beyond a modicum of incontrovertible fervor, vision, ingenuity is a delightfully rare occurrence.
"Indie" games have been besmirched, the genre consists of games neither independent nor creative. Without rambling about the state of the gaming industry too much, beyond the mass produced corporate-compliant "video game product" designed and projected to create billions of dollars in shareholder value, appealing to everyone, and as a result— no one. Your choices, previously, narrowed to the small indie game sector, where you find people willing to challenge the status quo, albeit mostly unsuccessfully at times. Though, at least they tried to materialize some far-fetched or even unhinged idea, into something that could be enjoyed from beyond their own minds. They weren't constrained by the obligation of what will be maximally profitable, bereft of opinion, and be approachable by the hoi polloi. Nowadays, these people still exist, but there are increasingly drowned by the [i]noise[/i]; an expected outcome of the growth of the industry. You have boundless facsimiles of the same few concepts, games that are funded by billion dollar corporations, and a breadth of sludge that ensued due to the increasing "accessibility" of game development. All masquerading and inappropriately attempting to wear the "indie" title. Yet, amidst all of that, like a scintillating gem, you have a few games like [i]Esoteric Ebb[/i].
I have not had any experience with Disco Elysium or Planescape: Torment prior to playing Esoteric Ebb, and from what I can gather, this is a good thing. Most people that have had played those games previously, I believe, are more inclined to compare Esoteric Ebb to them (it is only human nature). I would say, that is an apples and oranges comparison. While they may share the same general format, they aren't [i]too[/i] conceptually similar. They have entirely different messages and subtexts, while there is thematic overlap, I would say the intentions are vastly different. And I can see how on the surface level, it would be easy to ensnare yourself into viewing Esoteric Ebb as a shallower imitation or derivation of Disco Elysium, especially with the political elements being so blatant and strewn about. However, there is a distinction to be made between the philosophical, ideological, and political commentary in DE and EE. DE approaches them in a gritty manner, EE uses them as another narrative element in its world-building. This would only be a weakness, if EE was trying to mimic DE's identity, to which you would be correct in saying it grossly falls short, but it never attempted to.
EE is grounded in its identity. It is a lighthearted, whimsical, fantastical, mundane fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously. It approaches political and philosophical topics with the same air of sarcasm and satire present throughout the entire game. There are some moments that seem as if they are meant to rile up more of an internal dialectic, until you yet again realize the inherent levity and silliness embedded into the game and narrative. These antics extend to both a few inter-character conflicts, and the literal conflicting voices inside your head that appear as disjointed semi-sentient semi-embodied archetypes of your traits. Our dear cleric might just have schizophrenia.
I have never truly immersed myself in a CRPG, isometric game, or TTRPG. Esoteric Ebb served as my first notable foray into the encompassing genres, and I am glad it was. The mechanics, while mostly alien to me, clicked nearly instantly. There is something uniquely frustrating and euphoric surrendering yourself, mostly, to chance. In combat, it leans more-so on frustration, you will have to retry any potentially deadly encounters several times. Though in dialogue, it can be very whimsical, either succeeding in a skill check or failing and watching your cleric stumble, attempting to catch himself. Though, the skill checks aren't always pure chance, depending on what you said, actions you've made, items you have equipped, or by some other variables, you can shift the odds more in your favor.
Which leads me to the chief factor of why Esoteric Ebb has stuck with me. Its reactivity, and what personally resonates more, its [i]micro-reactivity[/i]. The "liveliness" the game possesses is due to the fact that your actions feel [i]noticed[/i]— big and small. Seldom do you have a game where the NPCs and writing properly reflects your actions instead of purely following a rigid script. Even many "non-linear" games only allot you the affordance of finding your own path to the [i]same destination[/i]. Not only does Esoteric Ebb provide you multiple destinations, but within each path you take there lies a level of choice recognition. For example, something as seemingly unremarkable as looting a trashcan makes it into future dialogue if your companion witnessed it. Now this might not be something novel to frequenters of the genres, but it was refreshingly new to me. This degree of interactive writing and dynamicity will definitely serve as a personal precedent or yardstick for future non-linear story-driven games.
Each decision and interaction (talking, examining, etc) you make advances time. You have a time-limit of 5 days. That may seem daunting at first, but you will find plenty can be done in that period. The game, or rather the sheer amount of content, is also impressively large, with each day and even time, changing and allowing for new encounters. Likable and memorable characters throughout. As a result, the game also has a respectable amount of replayability. There are plenty of [b]QUESTS[/b] you can embark on, deviating from your main quest, albeit at the dismay of your companion.
And what would this review be without mentioning the world-building, which this game does exceptionally well. The setting itself is quite ironic, a typical medieval fantasy setting, but with modern day elements and troubles. It almost catches you off-guard due to its absurdity given the situation. The humor also follows this line, and lends to a delightful experience. The lore surrounding the game is also quite thoroughly fleshed out. Esoteric Ebb has its own proper "universe" that you can immerse yourself in. I also believe there are plans for more games in this universe, there are just too many details for it not to be considered, also factoring in the success of the game.
I also enjoyed the ending, it led me to think about the meta-story/metatext and had some realizations that carried further depth into the game.
This game becomes even more commendable when you remember this game and story was developed and written by one (1) person. When people usually mention a game was solo-developed, there is often a temperance in their criticisms, a lenient or forgiving lens, lowered expectations. As if the solo-endeavor warrants a shield of grace, and a "you did your best" mentality regarding any flaws. That is not that case here, it's a quality experience, through and through. I applaud you, Christoffer Bodegård, and I look forward to your future games.
All in all, I believe with the right expectations (or none at all), the decision to play Esoteric Ebb is a thoroughly worthwhile way to spend your time.
