one of the most wild, profound, interesting, terrifying, depressing and miles ahead of its time works of fiction i have ever experienced, one which is far more relevant today than it was at the time. just about every single topic you could think of is covered by its story, from technology to romance to philosophy to mental illness to purpose to existentialism to breasts. compared to the anime, this game is not only much more linear and obvious in its story progression, but this lain winds up far more psychopathic (which the less said about the better) despite seeming very normal at first. she has no one to lean on here, never figuring out what the knights are and how deep their rabbit holes go, with few mentions of crucial components of the anime like protocol 7. it all culminates in a brutal and deeply unfortunate ending.

it's a very disturbing game, a bleak look at a lonely girl's utter mental decline of her and those surrounding her, and certain cutscenes from its ending will never leave me.

you navigate this unbeliveably well told story with a menu designed, created and coded by gibbons.