Unknown Number: A First Person Talker

[code]Curator page here-->[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/37670120/] DaPRevieweD #11 [/url]<-- [i]New review every Weekend[/i][/code] [h1]ADVENTURE IS… BUT ONE PHONE CALL AWAY~[/h1] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2865812574 [u]GIST:[/u] You are [i]Not Casey[/i], an innocent bystander turned unwilling accomplice to Amanda and Ethan; two desperate ecowarriors in the midst of infiltrating a defunct oil rig. Their objective? To secure 7 billion worth of cryptocurrencies from one slimy oil baron “Sligoil”! Look, an unknown number is coming through, do you pick up or hang up~ [h1][u][+] PROS;[/u][/h1] [h1]:D AN EXQUISITE DIAL TO BE MADE | (GAMEPLAY):[/h1] Though far from the most technologically-advanced title to utilize voice-recognition, the manner in which it was incorporated wowed and left me speechless! It was smart about things by testing your patience in that you don’t have free rein of whatever it is that you can respond at any given time. But dresses it up and compensating for it in such a way that you don’t question it when orders are barked at you! Sometimes it feels as if you’re dealing with automated tech support, and other times your roles are reversed; you finally understand how tough customer service peeps have it with pushy, demeaning callers… Your voice is your priceless instrument, and who knew there’d be so much that one could do with it? Granted I haven’t made all that much progress yet, but so far, I have obediently nodded and played along, played tic-tac-toe with just my tongue, sworn a lengthy allegiance to said underground association, and had to whisper stuff to fool an AI! You know it only gets better from then on out!! But it’s not just the voice alone, your other senses are engaged as well and kept attuned with the on-the-go action. Memorizing phone numbers and the like, decoding messages that get more cryptic as time passes, listening attentively to instructions (that you then scramble to make heads or tails of) and loads more; they just keep coming in…! You will be dogged by the same few numbers until you finally make the tough calls. I predict hours upon hours of voicemails and conversations left to go~ [h1]:D IT’S ETHAN YOU INSIDE; JUST HOW THRILLING IT IS | (PLOT):[/h1] This title itself is much like a phone- no matter how neat the features are, you have to applaud the creators and manufacturers. The script drains the oxygen in the room, not just because it deals with the subject matter of pollution, oil conglomerates, corruption and many more uglies. But rather, it’s very apt considering the times we live in, and able to adapt as needed. Being serious when the situation demands it, breathing-down-your-neck intense for when shi* flies off the handle, funny just as things cool off and well, you get where I’m going with this! I personally enjoyed the “sticking it to the big man/woman” plotline, keyboard warrior-esque heroics and serving justice to Mother Nature thematic. That said, I can also see already that matters won’t be as cut-and-dry especially with the inclusion of the police zeroing in for someone to arrest and just so you’ll second guess everything. Just all-round well written and this point extends for the next pro~ [h1]:D HEY I JUST MET YOU… THIS IS CRAZY | (AUDIO):[/h1] Forgetting the crisp-sounding and ear-grabbing noises that litter your phone for a second... Each time you answer, it’s like you’re whisked somewhere hundreds of miles away and you are there in person next to the crime-fighting quippy pair. Every call is just so rich in ambiance, capturing seamlessly whatever scene that unfolds and that if not for the fact that you are pressed for time, you would have made them your new ringtone or playlist for the sound machine. But the biggest of praises must be sung to the naturally-acted cast, particularly the duo from the get-go! Whether they were trading whispers all ASMR-like, shouting at the top of their lungs during life & death sitches or just couple-squabbling away, they gave it their absolute all. Which is more than I can say for their in-game prepping and scheming! It’s like staying up the whole night and having a one-way chat with your crush. You’re just never bored when they open their mouths~ [h1]:D NOT JUST PHONING IT IN | (VISUALS)[/h1] Whereas the audio is akin to listening to an immersive podcast, the visuals and effects are ripped straight out of a nature documentary, which is fitting given the eco focus and awareness raising. Together they team up to create this perfect storm guaranteed to awaken your senses! The watchful balance of a quirky animated look and tortured real-life imagery of pollutants splashed against even more lingering and unpredictable shots… The former manifesting in the form of an artificial intelligence reminiscent of Microsoft’s “Clippy” but way cooler and cuter. And it playfully reacts to and bounce off of whatever it’s exposed to in the most endearing of ways, like I couldn’t even…! The latter consisting of an interactive presentation or a distorted art gallery, where you are the sole audience either way~ https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2865813345 [h1][u][-] "CONS";[/u][/h1] [h1]:O UHH, C-COME AGAIN? WHAT’S OVER!!? | (ACCESSIBILITY):[/h1] The one and only con I have, is a two-parter. First, it boils over to the topic of equipment, specifically a mic, which is a prerequisite in order to play this game! I’ve tried with both the just-ok Apple earphones plus the normal built-in PC mic and they work but some tasks require no background noise to be picked up, and so a wired one of above average quality is preferable! So, the $12 price tag and potentially the cost of a mic is something to ponder on… And second, it is not streamlined for players whom may have difficulty speaking. What I mean to say by that- there are currently no other means (like typing in responses or selecting options) when it comes to progressing in the game without having to utter at the very least one word. So, already it overlooks segments of the demography, for instance, people with vocal disabilities and speech impairments. I have voiced out my concerns about this with the devs and they are well aware, but we can only wait to see if this will be addressed~ [h1]BUGS:[/h1] x None, though it’s possible I may have misheard a few times or a few slipped past me! [h1]NITPICKS:[/h1] ~ I know titles like Heavy Rain or Beyond Two Souls and etc., don’t have skip features but there should be an exception for a predominantly call-based game! ~ Otherwise, it really does feel like you’re conversing with an automated call center when you hit a number by mistake or uttered the wrong word… ~ The phone interface populates a large chunk of the screen. It should be movable! [h1]“I CAN’T HEAR YOU! SPEAK UP- REPEAT AFTER ME, THIS IS GREAT!”[/h1] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2865812199 If you like to eavesdrop and get involved in an eco warrior-espionage of witty banter. If you love to be a chatty Cathy or sing like a canary, then stay on the line with the one & only Unknown Number~ [code]A surprise butt dial to [b]godolphin Games[/b] plus massive congratulations! Both for the launch and supplying me with a key![/code] [h1]VERDICT: 4.6 / 5[/h1] [code]Don't forget to follow my curator [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/37670120/] DaRevieweD[/url] for more games!![/code]

Totally different from any other games I've played, in a good way. I liked the idea of using the microphone to play the game, and it got used in a variety of different way, so it didn't get boring. The voice acting was amazing too.

A fun and unique game with interesting ideas, and lots of surprises! The game's core concept of using the microphone is cool. I was worried that it could be a gimmick, but it's actually very well done. The gameplay is simple to start; over time it explores a range of mechanics using your voice and the phone pad. All of them are amusing at the very least, and some of them are quite clever and rewarding. The story also builds on the phone and voice mechanics in a very cool and organic way. Role playing as the "outside man" for a heist on the other end of a phone call is brilliant. The voice acting is class as well, head and shoulders above what I've heard in other indie games. The writing is sharp and funny, with great characters and a fair few turns and twists. Honestly I was shocked by the quality of the narrative overall... it doesn't last for 30 hours, but I enjoyed the writing more than a fair few AAA games. I'd buy this game for the story alone. The audio is also really good... like, WEIRDLY good. You can see in the credits that it was done by Easyfun; I guess that makes sense as he produces hyperpop music for Charli XCX and some other famous people. It's got a real vibe to it, kind of dark but playful. The art is cool as well. The whole screen changes at key moments and really sets a mood. I love the phone assistant character as well, he's a bit of a piss take on "clippy" from MS word with very funny animations. I did notice a few small misses. The game shows closed captions on screen when you're listening to audio (brilliant), but unfortunately the text disappears if you pause a voice message. You also need to take notes as part of the gameplay, and I would have liked a virtual notepad in the GUI so that I had the option of typing instead of writing on a physical page. But the game just launched today, so maybe the developers will improve these things in a patch later on. All in all, I'm really glad I discovered this game. I bought it for the interesting mechanic on the box and was blown away by the writing, voice acting, music, and art. I will be happily recommending this to all of my friends.

A super innovative game, where the audio-based gameplay sucks you into a sprawling world of evil oil executives and crafty eco-activists. Using your voice and the cryptic clues, you race to solve puzzles and decode voicemails as if you were right there alongside them. A fresh and fun style of gameplay with a storyline that immerses you and excellently sketched out characters and just-difficult-enough challenges.

Been wanting to try this game for a while and I finally got to do so! As a gamer who has a soft spot for indie games, I really had a good time playing this. I thought the concept of incorporating your voice into the gameplay was cool and the storyline was unique and engaging as well. Never played a puzzle game like this before, defo recommending it

very interesting concept for a game - to start with i found it hard to navigate and get my head around the way it works, but I think i may have just been a bit slow. After a while I had my methods DOWN. quite and unusual game - I haven't played one like it yet. The involvement of speech/audio was exciting, and I look forward to what can be done within this genre. The visuals felt very immersive, and the little helper guy was cute too. the audio design was also great - speakers up! I'm only an hour or so in, but looking forward to the rest of the heist. For all those who are interested in indie gaming and exploring new genres, this definitely worth a try!

It's a cool concept, with a bunch of fun puzzles - but the highlight for me was the voice acting. The characters on the end of the phone make this a really immersive experience that's definitely worth your time, especially if you like narrative-led games.

Very immersive experience from the sound design to the fantastic voice acting. Lot's of funny moments as well as a couple emotional ones. All of the puzzles are clever while not being too difficult. You can expect to finish the game in about four hours. The voice controls are surprisingly robust. I've only had few times where a Yes/No was confused or I had to repeat myself, but nothing frustrating. I was also surprised by the amount of dialog. It never feels like you're speaking to a generic NPC cycling through the same five lines of text. There are quite a few different paths to take, though they all eventually lead to one ending. I played through multiple times and I still don't think I heard everything the characters had to say. Can't wait to see where the developers take this kind of game next!

When I first looked at Steam for this title, Unknown Number: A First Person Talker, I was a bit apprehensive as I have rarely encountered voice driven games. I had a bunch of questions. What would the game look like? How would the developers at Godolphin Games pull this off? What would the experience be like for the players? Could responses be diversified but still register as an acceptable answer for the story to progress? I appreciate Godolphin’s ambitiousness in this game as I quite enjoyed the story and testing out the new mechanics. As for this review, I’ll be splitting it into a few comprehensive parts.  Story  Climate change has been a super controversial topic. The conversation is almost unavoidable during elections, science classes, or after any large natural disaster. Books and movies will often hint at it, suggesting we take appropriate steps to stop it before there’s irreversible damage. However, I’ve never truly encountered the topic in a game - at least not the ones I seek out. Not until I played Unknown Number: A First Person Talker. While it doesn’t necessarily go in depth on climate change and its implications, I think the plot of the game is super cool.   You will play as someone named Casey who is assisting Ethan and Amanda on a heist over the phone. If you ever watched Money Heist (or its Korean spinoff), it’s sort of like that, except they’re stealing money for a good cause. The goal of the heist is to steal billions of dollars in crypto off an old oil rig owned by Sligoil (one of the biggest oil companies in this world). During the heist, you are tasked with completing several different puzzles so they can slowly acquire the money. Personally, I’m not that great at puzzles, and most of them were timed, so to say I was stressed would be a bit of an understatement. After the first few, I decided I needed my phone and the notes app, along with some pen and paper as assistance. Since the game takes place on a phone, it was funny but also embarrassing seeing how many times I had to call certain numbers because I kept failing the puzzle. Even worse, some of the puzzles I had to do while on the phone with Ethan and Amanda, and they were yelling at me for messing it up the whole time. I’d say if you’re super into that kind of thing, by that I mean the stressful puzzles, this game could be right up your alley. Though, I will have to admit that some of them are a bit tedious.  The story had lots of twists and turns toward the end of the game, which I definitely wasn’t expecting. I also wasn’t expecting different potential endings. During the end, I got the hint that there might have been different endings had I played with a little more common sense or I wasn’t so slow at completing the puzzles. However, I do appreciate the addition of multiple endings as I love replayability in games.   During my time playing, I actually felt like I was part of a heist. Kudos to Godolphin for the immersive experience.   Voice Acting  I knew the game was very much audio driven when I first downloaded it, but for some reason having good voice acting completely slipped my mind. The arguing between Ethan and Amanda, voice messages over the phone, demonic/slowed undertones with each puzzle call all really impressed me. I have nothing but praise for the voice actors in this game; I’m just super happy with it.   Game Mechanics  As I said before and as you probably read on Steam, this game is very audio/voice driven - meaning ALL the important parts of the game must be completed by using your voice. While this mechanic is really cool in theory and opens doors for what game developers can do, some parts of this feature can be buggy and a little disappointing. You’ll be saying “Yes” and “No” quite a few times in the game - which is to be expected - however I found that sometimes it has a hard time deciphering whether I said “Yes” or “No”. I’d say one or the other, and it would simply not pick it up or decide that I said “No” instead of “Yes”, forcing me to use a hint because they moved on and I didn’t pick up what they told me. My other issue with this is that you cannot diversify your answers. There’s no “Yep”, “Yeah”, “Mhm” or anything of that nature that you can say and the game will pick up. A lot of these answers come to me a lot easier, so I’d have to repeat myself for the game to understand me. Either that or Ethan and Amanda would get annoyed at me after having to repeat themselves (which they did a lot anyway because I could not, for the life of me, figure out some of those puzzles). Sometimes the voice detection also had trouble with pitches or loudness in my voice. I’m sure some of my issues could’ve been fixed with a better microphone, but the game didn’t allow for my headphone mic to be used.   With that being said, I did like the added use of the internet during the game. Although using the search engine in some cases was confusing, it really adds to the “I’m partaking in a heist from afar” vibe.   Overall  I really liked the story in the game; the effort Godolphin put into this title really showed. Although some of the mechanics in the game made it a bit frustrating and added to the game’s difficulty, I still found that it was fun for me to play - even if I did get a sadder ending.

Unknown Number is a rare thing: a genuinely innovative game. It's got great puzzles, excellent voice acting and a gripping, witty story. And the whole thing sounds beautiful - it's an engaging and satisfying world to exist in while you play. Highly recommended for anyone looking for something different.