Part 3: Cosmic Catharsis
It’s time to space out in this section, as the following titles take us through the far reaches of the known (and unknown) cosmic horizons, exploring the nature of reality and oneself, often at once. A quick caveat: both the below are quite short, roughly 3-4 hours each, as well as containing very little in the way of mechanics. Indeed, main criticisms against them were for being less videogames and more ‘interactive movies.’ While that isn’t without validity, my argument and reasons for choosing them are exactly due to that aspect. These two toe the line between ‘game’ by strict definition and reach across to something akin to a digital art show to which interactivity has been integrated. Nevertheless, they fit right into the sphere and spirit of this series. So let’s blast off into the outer regions of far-flung nebulas.
Our first trip through interstellar introspection is Genesis Noir, from developer Feral Cat Den, published by Fellow Traveler. Originally designed throughout 2016 and Kickstarted in 2018, it was picked up somewhat quietly by Microsoft in 2019 in their indie grab, and finally released on GamePass in the spring of 2021. Though it received minimal attention, it also gathered praise from those few who did check it out, and to which I will be adding my own approval.
Genesis innocuously begins with a seemingly down to earth setup. A struggling watchmaker, appropriately named No Man, searches for the murderer of his former lover Miss Mass by a popular local saxophonist, Golden Boy. It’s a no nonsense classic noir set up. But very quickly it turns into something else, something much more. These characters also act as representations/personifications of fundamental forces i.e. energy, time/entropy and mass. Genesis is both a pulp drenched mystery and a crash course in the history of physics theories, from the creation through the possible ends of the universe as a whole. And it is skillful in the way it is able to combine them into a single thread, having one be an almost literal microcosm of the other.
No Man’s quest sends him backwards and forwards through the formation of the known universe on a mission to synthesize a black hole, which would prevent (by destruction) said murder (and universe from forming.) To do so, he ends up participating in events like seeing the first stars alight to the evolution of life on Earth. The whole ordeal is marked by a minimalist hand-drawn chalk-y sketchbook style (think Spy vs. Spy) with a wonderfully done nightclub jazz score by Skillbard. This mix is infectious, as the soulful tones follow the epic journey No Man embarks on for its duration. From witnessing the creation of protons, planets and plants to eventually seeing the rise of humankind, No Man is confronted with and contemplates the primal powers leading up to his current predicament before deciding what to do about it.
It’s a bit difficult to describe and convey in either words or static images just how much of the magic of Genesis Noir is in its incredibly fluid animation and transition scenes. It has some of the most well directed use of visual perspective and orientation I had ever encountered. It comes across more akin to a grad school indie film that happens to be in game form, certainly more experimental than most titles covered here already. And while I do understand the complaint of “not really a game,” Genesis is so cleverly conveyed via the medium that the spectacle alone is worth the price to behold.
In terms of actual gameplay it admittedly thin. What is there consists of a smattering of light point-and-click adventure segments. You’ll pretty much be manipulating objects in a scene, rotating viewpoints or matching notes to progress the unfolding of the noir story via way of the Big Bang. Some of these puzzles can be a little obscure and unintuitive even given their simplistic nature overall, but these are minor hurdles in an otherwise nonstop fascinating unfolding of animation and environmental storytelling interspersed with dreamy poem-like text interludes.
The whole shebang plays out like a dream in fact, with leaps in logic and the introduction of sudden side characters who help and hinder along the way. No Man tumbles through a tumultuous roller coaster tour of space-time that culminates in a show stopping finale of graphical/animated wizardry. Yet despite its focus on the sweeping grandiose of the cosmos, Genesis Noir is a short and sweet ride. It does however come close to capturing the awe and splendor of the vastness of space with its exceptionally unique animation and aesthetic. It is a playful but thoughtful celebration of ideas and philosophies regarding the nature of reality and how we relate to it in our everyday lives. Take my word, buy the ticket and take the incredible visual ride Genesis Noir has on offer. After enjoying the aesthetic treat, you just might find yourself reflecting on what it means to be part of this strange existence too.
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If Genesis Noir is the opening act here, then Artful Escape is the triumphant headliner. Envisioned and partly developed by a former musician who left the industry to focus on creating games, I mention this fact because it clearly shines through in Escape’s aural landscape. The music/soundtrack is integral to the experience, equal to and just as important a part of the story as the characters themselves. Escape is published by Annapurna Interactive, segueing me into another side rant: AP’s game publishing side is on the way to becoming something like the A24 of the scene. They’ve picked up many great underground/up-and-coming titles in recent years. Definitely keep an eye on anything they’re attached to, as chances are it’ll be interesting and/or cool as hell.
In Escape you step into the shoes of Francis Vendetti, a young aspiring musician living in the shadow of his more famous and long-deceased older relative, who is a clear Bob Dylan reference. Francis returns to his humble hometown of Calypso to ostensibly be the main attraction in the annual festival celebrating his idolized uncle. The problem for Francis is that he isn’t quite comfortable being put in this position, and would much rather concentrate on becoming his own man and artist instead of being inextricably linked and expected to be to something he knows deep down that he’s not.
Grappling with this burden on the eve of the concert, he’s awoken in the middle of the night by otherworldly visitors and promptly whisked away on a Bill & Ted-esque space rock opera. The connection is even more prevalent in the character of ‘Lightman.’ This dude is basically Rufus and George Clinton rolled into one. He serves as a mentor to Francis, elucidating him on the ins and outs of the galactic music circuit, helping Francis hone his own inner rock prowess one shredding solo at a time.
While he tours the dark side of the moon and other colorfully fanciful alien worlds alongside Lightman, Francis continues to struggle with his self-doubt, identity, and the creative process. He works through coming to terms with his own ideas and image of what one can be versus external pressures and pre-existing expectations. Whilst doing so, he molds and reshapes himself bit by bit, shedding the stigma previously attached to him and veering from the road he was ‘supposed’ to take. Each time he entertains an increasingly growing extra-terrestrial crowd, rocking various interstellar venues harder and harder, Francis also makes gains in building up the confidence to truly come alive on and off stage.
Mechanically Escape is a stripped down platformer with QTE rhythm ‘bosses’ at the end of each planet/section. Again it’s very loose, established and uncomplicated gameplay, but the simple act of ‘holding x to rock out,’ jumping and windmill strumming your way through each level is its own entertaining reward. Like I mentioned in the opening, the music is so strongly connected to Escape’s (and Francis’) identity that they become one and the same, and you as the player by extension come to feel like a guitar god with them, if only fleetingly.
Escape does feature some pretty big names for this tier title in the voice work department. Lena Headley, Jason Schwartzman, and Carl Weathers(!) are among the most notable adding their talents to the cast. There are also lots of nice background details/gags/puns scattered throughout, while the design of many of the alien worlds pays tribute to psychedelic album covers/art. More than any other title in this series, Escape embraces the pure magic of music, effortlessly evoking the afterglow of a killer concert that sticks strongly in memory. When the final chord has reverbed away, Escape neatly wraps up Francis’ tale. He returns to Earth a new person, fully embracing who he has chosen to become and prepared to forge his destiny going forward. In this way Escape contains shades of Sable as well as something like Night in the Woods in its exploration of introspection and self-discovery. And similar to those, it caps off the encore by imparting a positive message about finding your own way and voice in the world, even if it means taking a risk and going off the path others have laid down for you without considering if it’s what’s best for you or is what you truly want. If Buddy Holly and David Bowie (Buddy Bowie perhaps) dropped in for a (game) jam session with Pink Floyd, the result would be Artful Escape. And that is a performance that should not be missed.
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