Inhuman Resources: A Literary Machination

[table][th] Review by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34633003-Gaming-Masterpieces/lists/] Gaming Masterpieces [/url] - The greatest games of all time on Steam. [/th][/table] Is this game a masterpiece? No, but it is quite good nevertheless. You're new to a company where rather strange things happen. Where on earth have you ended up this time? I've asked myself that question about some of the companies I've started working for in recent years. But in reality, it's never been as bad as it is in Inhuman Resources: A Literary Machination. At least, not quite as bad. The rent is already two months overdue, and I still don't have a job. The apartment looks like a pigsty. I have clinical depression. Things can't go on like this. So I accept my aunt's offer – a job at SMYRNACORP. And that's where things really take off – sadistic bosses, completely crazy colleagues, and real “trade secrets.” Even the necessary signature on the employment contract – with my blood – should have made me suspicious. The whole setting reminds me of the series Severance. Maybe I should have looked for another job after all... This is a game in which you continuously decide how the story progresses. It is a narrative adventure that combines exciting storylines with tricky puzzles. As with similar choose-your-own-adventure games, the gameplay consists of choosing an answer from several options – and then having to live with that decision. So you can't just try out all the answers until you eventually move on. You also have to continue playing with decisions that have proven to be not very wise. In addition, there are also built-in puzzles where you have to solve various mini-games in order to progress. The game also includes small RPG mechanics, as you can improve your skills, which can lead to interesting optional plot possibilities. Do whatever it takes to get through your workday. Steal confidential data, falsify video footage, hack into a colleague's computer, and crack safes to uncover the darkest secrets of your workplace. If you don't succeed, you'll end up like your coworkers. You might as well have become a depressed, unemployed, homeless drunk. There is no voice output for long stretches, only incomprehensible sounds during conversations. It works fine with an ultrawide resolution; I played it at 3440×1440. [u][b] Conclusion:[/b][/u] A non-linear story about the secrets of a suspicious company. The game offers a graphical interface with a multitude of decision options – and hundreds of resulting branches. The possible endings are also very different – which ensures a certain replay value. The texts are quite well written, full of cynical humor, unexpected twists and a little bit of horror. Anyone who has ever had to take a job because they desperately needed the money can relate to the story. Those who are looking for a challenging puzzle game – with lots of text – will enjoy Inhuman Resources. A game for decisive bookworms at the price of a paperback!

Enjoyed the game. However, I have some gropes to pick with it. The idea itself was really good. I love the format and the characters, but many of the characters feel too one dimentional. Every character acted exactly how you expected them to be from the moment you meet them. Without jumping into spoilers, no character surprised me except the LAST character we offically meet. The mid sections of the game feel more like filler than anything else. I got 3 playthroughs done, but overall it feels very straight branched. Theres a few different ways to go, but overall I feel like until the end of the game, you aren't given many choices that truly matter. Word usage. God one of the worst things is rereading the EXACT same description of a character every few sentences. And I mean EVERY few sentences. If the creators made another game similar to this style, I would love for them to either pick up a dictionary and learn more ways to describe someone (As well as go into more detail, because I do like some of the characters) but also learn to stop calling specific characters by that one descriptor. BEHEMOTH. I would love characters to be less flat. I already mentioned this before, many characters being one dimentional, but add some room for fun character designs and really make someone feel alive. All the characters felt very boring, because again, I like the idea of the characters but none of them felt "real". Please make another game. I liked some of the puzzles and I like this style of gameplay. But please make the choices actually feel like they matter. Go into more backgrounds of characters and settings so you can really make a world feel real and not just in the background. Make characters likeable and don't force just one or two characters that are around us. Giving us the option to talk to different people and not be forced to talk to them to proceed the story would be great. Maybe try a romance, really allow you to make fun characters you'd truly want to be interested in learning more about. Personal Score: 7/10. I love cyoa games. I have read almost every Choice of games, hosted games, heart's choice. And I love these styles of games. So while I enjoyed this and gave it a higher score. This is not what the game deserves. As it is, the games deserves this score>>>>>>>>> 4/10

I wasn't sure exactly what to expect before playing, but the premise seemed right up my alley. I enjoy narrative games that pose questions related to (bio)ethics, corruption, capitalism, and such. When I found this game, I immediately was drawn in and excited to play. As of this review, I have streamed this game up to "Tuesday" after receiving 1/4 certifications needed to progress the story. I chose to head to the Futureproofing Department first and was unable to calibrate the visualizer to resolve the issue without picking a side. I even looked up a video and did exactly what they did to no avail. Not sure if this is a bug because I tried everything to get it right. Unfortunately, although the themes are interesting, the delivery is not. It's overly wordy and long. I like narrative games because I enjoy reading VNs but it's gotten excessive. Yes, I understand it's "literary" but it plays kind of like I'm reading off of a Canva slideshow. If you're looking for at least for some light gameplay, this isn't it. The story is certainly compelling, but I would have liked for there to be more character interaction as opposed to long descriptions of other characters or settings. On the topic of descriptors...It drove me nuts the amount of times I saw the word "behemoth". Like, okay...you already established that Obuya is a big guy, can you just use his name? Why continue describing all the ways he's big? Not to mention he's Black, so that makes it a bit sus as of their choice of characterization. Then there's Felicity and Bea. The way they juxtaposed their appearances felt icky. I feel like they overdo it with making characters either "giant" or "sickly thin". Not a fan. I think this game has potential, but as it is now, it's not it for me. I really wanted to like it but now I'm feeling bored. These may all be my personal gripes, but I share them in hopes of providing insight from someone who is a target audience for the subject matter they focused on.

If [i] Severance [/i] and [i] Black Mirror [/i] had a text-based baby, it would be Inhuman Resources.

Wooow. Ok, first off, I LOVE games like this. There are so many fun ways to tell a story and this method is all too great imo. The music is nice, the writing was well and descriptive and the overall plot was fascinating. I knew I would love it based off of the preview and was hooked up until the very end. The plot twists may be a bit predictable once you catch on to the twists in this company, but it doesn’t lessen the impact imo. The puzzles were fun (I really loved the encryptology section!) and the cast of characters were interesting given what we are told of them. The game was also initially released in French and so I found the English translation well done with minimal flaws. I don’t have many complaints about the game, but it would be nice if some things were added. While we were able to make some choices and they make slight deviations to the story we are given, I wouldn’t say they’re all too impactful in the long run and that there’s only ever a few choices that truly impact which ending we get. I don’t mind this. In fact, it made things much more easier for me as I didn’t have to worry about the final outcome all too much. However, it would be cool for us to look back and see the different choices we could make in an achievement board if that makes sense? For example, during the future proofing section, there is a puzzle that I believe is only beatable if you have a high technological literacy score. In one play through I beat it and in another, I didn’t. It didn’t really change much in the long run except what was said at the end of the chapter. It would’ve been nice for there to be an achievement granted saying you were able to meditate the conflict between the two supervisors as a way to keep track of the different ways your choices can impact the story if that makes sense. Another thing that would’ve been nice is the ability to replay chapters instead of starting over entirely, although this one doesn’t bother me too much as it’s nice to replay the game and try again with the different options. I definitely recommend this to those who love games that are heavily story-based and have a knack for horror.

I enjoyed this game a ton. Having played through two times, I feel that there's so much to see in the options you explore and how they color the narritive you experience. Even knowing the twist after my first playthrough, things happened that I didn't have before, options opened up, character portraits changed and I got to feel like I was finding new ways to be a part of the story. The art style is what initally sold me, I am a sucker for art deco and the designs of corporate pieces, and this game nails the cleanliness and appeal with that beautiful layer of horror through the Human aspects of it. I might replay this a few more times to just explore how having different starting abilities colors all the options, and how to find certain items I couldn't on my last playthroughs. If you want something you can play through a couple times with consequences for the way you approach it in your final confrontation, I definitely reccomend this game. The sound design is also really solid, the affects at times were genuinely unsettling in a way that made me shiver, visceral noise accents the story incredibly well. The topic is handled in a very interesting way, exploring the Corporate mindset and the people that perpetuate it, and how much empathizing with those figures can mean when the consequences of their actions are so severe. I love love LOVE how conversations aren't stagnant just because you have the same choices across runs too, how asking certain things in a different order can cut you off from options or open more doors. It gives a real sense of personality to the characters you converse with. TLDR : This game is really good. I enjoyed feeling like my choices did indeed matter, even across another playthrough, and gives options on how to interact with each situation well, with aesthetic and design to match. Give it a try!

I love a game with a good story, and the story in this game is so well thought out it amazes me. IMO, it really ups the replay-ability. Discovering details later in the game shines a new light on even the first couple scenes. This game is the perfect example of horror with a purpose, not just horror for the sake of horror. It's dark, gruesome, and (in my opinion) terrifying. There isn't a ton of visuals, but I think that adds to the appeal and shows just how well done the story is. The most unsettling part of the game is how well it reflects on the real world. I could fawn about this game for hours.

Wow. Just, wow. I had no idea what to expect when I started this, and I am blown away. The topicality, the fantastic writing, the menace and the elegance of the UI: this is an independent work of art and has my respect. Interactive fiction has struggled in recent years: despite annual competitions and the dedication of devs like Emily Short, I have not played/read such a good, well coded game....ever. I am very impressed. This is a game for readers, make no mistake, and there are no shortcuts. I will replay for sure. My one suggestion would be saves, at judicious intervals, given the length and irrevocability of some choices. I love it. Can't wait to see if this dev does more. Having finished it now, I can safely say this is a complete masterpiece. This is Far and Away the best game I've played this year, and it's hard to compare games when you have recent releases like esoteric ebb or genres that I don't play but respect, like Arc Raiders. This is a gorgeous evolution in Interactive fiction. I genuinely wish I could see the Finnegan engine because the potential for this development team is limitless. I would gladly play anything they ever make again. Even without achievements, the replay value is extremely high, I can't wait to play again and try a different tactic to get myself through, and perhaps perform better in certain areas when I am building my credentials in the organization. This is my top recommendation of the year. If you like to read, you like horror, and you have patience to really dive deep into William Gibson-esque futures, this is it.

AI so blatant it hurts. Barely curated chatGPT story - don't waste your money.

Have a 4th wall break from the game. -...That's reassuring to hear. But *fine* arts might be a bit of a hyperbole. After all, you're reading *this* story. Our writer's prose isn't exactly giving Shakespeare a run for his (no doubt considerable) money.- They knew what they were writing. :P A game engine. I believe this was explicitly made to showcase Finnegan, a game engine wrapping Unity. I personally think it's a great demo product to showcase. I'd be interested to see something else utilizing this thingy with a bit more polish and intentional thought handling the story versus player interaction. But yeah, for the most part it does seem pretty solid. :)