"A Commentary On Art, Design, And Social Structure"
Mike Bithell has done it again! With Subsurface Circular , Bithell and Co. have managed to create a neat new title, despite only being around two hours long. Without spoilers, since this game relies heavily on plot, you are a detective Tek, an android designed to complete tasks for a human overseeing group known as "Management". When introduced to the case of a missing Tek, the roots of a complex narrative and the potential for a fleshed out world begin to take shape.
The gameplay of Subsurface Circular is pretty straightforward - it is a text-based graphical adventure that primarily takes place within a subway train. On this journey, you will meet many interesting (and not so interesting) Tek's, all of whom have different roles and places within this game's society. Dialogue has no voice-over, which lends itself as "both a creative and practical choice" by Bithell himself, and throughout this game it becomes obvious that the game benefits from its absence. This gives enough room for the player to "fill in the blanks", crafting their own details in a world that otherwise is limited to one environment. For a game that is a short, only having been developed for "a few months", it contains much more to say than games that take a few years to develop. This showcase of the talent within Bithell Studios is great to see, and their potential for providing unique, almost "auteur-like" gaming experiences is refreshing in an industry so focused on creating massively marketable and consumable products.
Subsurface Circular has its role in the "games as art" movement. The fact that this movement has to exist in order to prove this point is rather sad, but that is the state of entertainment and its perception of interactive media today. While the gameplay doesn't do anything new, it is the story, design, and purpose of the game that truly stands out. I would Recommend anybody with the time to try out Subsurface Circular , and while it is the same length as most feature films, it delivers an artistic message and commentates on both indirect social constructs as well as the position of video games within the entertainment industry.
Final Verdict: 6/10 (Above Average)
Mike Bithell has done it again! With Subsurface Circular , Bithell and Co. have managed to create a neat new title, despite only being around two hours long. Without spoilers, since this game relies heavily on plot, you are a detective Tek, an android designed to complete tasks for a human overseeing group known as "Management". When introduced to the case of a missing Tek, the roots of a complex narrative and the potential for a fleshed out world begin to take shape.
The gameplay of Subsurface Circular is pretty straightforward - it is a text-based graphical adventure that primarily takes place within a subway train. On this journey, you will meet many interesting (and not so interesting) Tek's, all of whom have different roles and places within this game's society. Dialogue has no voice-over, which lends itself as "both a creative and practical choice" by Bithell himself, and throughout this game it becomes obvious that the game benefits from its absence. This gives enough room for the player to "fill in the blanks", crafting their own details in a world that otherwise is limited to one environment. For a game that is a short, only having been developed for "a few months", it contains much more to say than games that take a few years to develop. This showcase of the talent within Bithell Studios is great to see, and their potential for providing unique, almost "auteur-like" gaming experiences is refreshing in an industry so focused on creating massively marketable and consumable products.
Subsurface Circular has its role in the "games as art" movement. The fact that this movement has to exist in order to prove this point is rather sad, but that is the state of entertainment and its perception of interactive media today. While the gameplay doesn't do anything new, it is the story, design, and purpose of the game that truly stands out. I would Recommend anybody with the time to try out Subsurface Circular , and while it is the same length as most feature films, it delivers an artistic message and commentates on both indirect social constructs as well as the position of video games within the entertainment industry.
Final Verdict: 6/10 (Above Average)