In Depth: 1000xRESIST Is A GOTY Contender

[@GamingInTheWild]

Error acknowledgement: sorry for the audio glitch at 07:55, I messed up and forgot to mute the clip!

[@Beeritk]

One lovely side effect of the existence of a game like this, is that by looking for more content about it, it introduces me to wonderful low-subscriber yet top-tier channels like this one. Thank you for this video.

[@GamingInTheWild]

And a lovely side effect of making videos is meeting the nice folks who stumble across them. Thank you for this comment :)

[@ergohash2517]

This game was really much more than i expected. It kept on giving. At first i was expecting a moderately predictable short story, so based on the introduction i built up the expectations in head for whats going to happen - and then each chapter i got humbled because the game kept surprising me, each communion was so unique and different. And by the point where i thought it would be the ending of the game, the story said "hold up, we arent even remotely done" and kept going. So for me the game overdelivered way more than i expected in every metric, there is so much in it, its so personal and human, so many themes, so many memorable moments, (so many phenomenal tracks in the OST, my god its 4.5 hours of OST). Also the way it blends interactivity and storytelling in some sequences is simply magical and unique. Good stuff.

[@GamingInTheWild]

Yeah I agree, it really did go further than I ever expected.

[@Spamua13]

Holy shit finally someone talking about this game. I picked it up on a whim with low expectations and it turned into one of the most memorable gaming experiences ever. The way it weaves the story of Iris alongside a future society of clones vying for political dominance is done really really well. I also think it does a fantastic job of being just vague enough with its themes that it can cover a vast array of feelings and emotions and not feel cheesy. I truly have not discovered a more interesting piece of media in a long long long time. It just perfectly scratches that sci-fi itch while genuinely being a beautiful peace of art. As a straight male I initially thought I would have issues connecting with the story of watcher/iris especially at the start when we are experiencing Iris' early highschool memories. Thankfully this was not the case at all. 1000xRESIST turned out to be more a story about the human experience rather than a girls love romance. I found myself deeply connecting with the themes and seeing aspects of myself across multiple characters. I don't think another piece of media has depicted how people can be so beautiful and good, yet absurdly flawed as well as 1000xRESIST did. I am sure the choice for everyone to be a clone was intentional as despite them each having VASTLY different personalities, they each are fundamentally connected even more-so than siblings or family being LITERAL genetic copies. There is probably a metaphor hidden within that despite each of them being the "same" conflict still arises. Kinda similar to our own society that we live in. Loved this game and it will definitely be my GOTY even though Astrobot won... Like the game awards even matter.

[@GamingInTheWild]

@@Spamua13 yeah the game awards don't own game of the year, theirs is one among many from other creators and publications and award ceremonies :) this is jostling at the top of my list too, I'll make a video before the year is out. Glad you found the video!

[@nusoul]

Absolutely wonderul overview of the game. Just picked it up to play on the Deck. You've got an incredibly relaxing narration voice. I loved the pacing and calmness of this video, can tell you were very immersed in this game's offerings.

[@GamingInTheWild]

@@nusoul thanks a lot, really appreciate that :) there's a weekly podcast that's a bit more regular than the videos if you're that kinda thing

[@Racallio]

As someone who really identified with the game's theme of experiencing racism and have experienced having to fight for your rights and freedom against a brutal oppressive force, I really think describing the game as "not for the white gaze" is not only a terrible way to describe the game but a reductive way to look at art as a whole, art is meant to bridge gabs between cultures not increase them, art is a way to help bring light to societal and cultural struggles other people are going through in a way you never gave thought to before, no matter what the intention behind this line is it comes of as pandering and patronising especially when echoed by someone who themselves are white, I mean where do we even draw the line? should this game only be played by people of asian descent? or only by people who were present in the Hong Kong protest? seeking out art outside of your own culture is one of the best things anyone can do and I encourage everyone to do it regularly

[@GamingInTheWild]

That's a misinterpretation of the comment. "Not *made* for the white gaze" means not formed specifically towards a white western audience being able to easily understand it - and allowing another perspective to unfold fully - which I'd say is something of a rarity in games. It's not a comment about exclusion or exclusionism, it's about careful intention, and about speaking to concerns other than those of the white western hegemony, on a base level. And I too think that is beautiful.

[@Racallio]

@@GamingInTheWild I seeked out the original review out of curiosity and to be honest if the intention really is how you describe it then it's not delivered well, While I agree that the game isn't pandering to western audiences or boiling its narrative into easily digestible soup, I also don't think it entirely explains the quote, art is an inherently personal creation, any work of art will carry an aspect of the creator's personality, background, struggles, ...etc, I simply think if your explanation of the comment is true then it's not reflected in the wording, and if it isn't true then it does a massive injustice to the game.

[@TonyTheFloridian]

For anyone reading this, if you loved this game you should check out Space For The Unbound (if you haven't already).

[@kisaragi-hiu]

The "even if it's for nothing at least we resisted" sentiment was (is?) common among Hong Kongers at the time, as far as I understand (as a Taiwanese watching from an ocean away). See, for example, the video "China is erasing its border with Hong Kong" from 2018, made by Johnny Harris for Vox. At 11:20 it has a clip of an interview with Claudia Mo, a LegCo member (MP) at the time: "You would say, 'Oh, what's the point of fighting when you're bound to lose? They're so big, you're so small.' [cut] For the record, we need to fight. We're not taking things lying down." Edit: I left this comment on the wrong video 🤦‍♀️ sorry about that, the original 12:34 timestamp was meant for Philosophy of an Introvert's review. This happened after flicking back and forth through interviews and going back to the wrong video. Love this review as well.

[@GamingInTheWild]

Haha thanks for the clarification. I found your comment interesting and insightful, but I did wonder what it was in response to - perhaps my omission of this contextual detail... now it makes sense :)

[@the_elder_gamer]

It's nice when developers strive for art | Sometimes art is enough.

[@aaronatkinson177]

Amen 🙏

[@novaaaa4540]

i genuinely do not have the words to describe the impact this game has had on me. everything about it is beautiful and meaningful in some way or another. i stayed up till 4am because after i picked this game back up i couldn't put it down until i was completely done and that is a massive deal for me. i didn't cry, but oh my stars am i feeling things. i cant be normal after experiencing something so utterly beautiful like i have with this game. experiences like this are the reason i live, and everyday i live after this one i spend thinking about this game i will be thanking the developers from the bottom of my heart for creating something so genuinely amazing, and i can guarantee this wont leave my mind for years to come. hekki grace. Edit: I was so caught up in the emotions I forgot to thank you for the video Thanks so much for the video and the interview! I've been dying for more content for this game

[@nothingisawesome]

my main criticism of the game is like you said the Orchard as well but also the "translation" to video game. its almost like the video game equivalent of "outsider art" mainly because their strengths are just so clearly in performance art, visuals, writing, etc. so basically everywhere but making a video game with a satisfying gameplay loop. a lot of these visual novel/walking sim games are already like this even from studios that do know how to create games with a gameplay loop so im certainly not saying it should be more like a typical game but experience making games would have made things like the Orchard stand out more as needed development attention. A game that very much succeeded in this is Firewatch if you want an example of what i mean. So, my point being that the game is a masterpiece of storytelling and their next project should be even better now that they have these experience. I hope they continue on with game development because they have something very special.

[@GamingInTheWild]

@@nothingisawesome yeah. I don't think every game needs a loop, Kentucky Route Zero is one of my favourite games ever and it's very much an A-B journey :)

[@Jason-andTheArgonauts]

@@GamingInTheWild krz is an A to Z. I'm on chapter 2 of 1000x and loving it.

[@feduckil9238]

I find it quite fitting that the Orchard was labyrinthian. It parallels well with the inner confusion and the feeling of being lost that Watcher, Blue and the player all experience. A world that is hard to navigate that tells a story about a world that is hard to navigate.

[@mrcool9090]

I think what sold me 100% on this game was the family communion. just in how it flips through time to give you just enough information to know 100% of whats going on through snippits

[@Meisuko]

This looks very promising. Thank you for the review

[@aaronatkinson177]

Kinda looks like a 3d render of signalis that alone has me interested in checking out this game because signalis is great 👍 👌

[@nifftbatuff676]

The interesting thing is that technically there is only one flashback (at the beginning) and that, after that, everything happens linearly in time. I have a personal interpretation of the story that even this is a fake flashback.

[@GamingInTheWild]

Technically true! But I would consider all of the communions "flashback" in nature, even if we are experiencing them as Watcher is. That's what I was referring to in mentioning multiple flashbacks. ✨

[@ytubeanon]

visually impressive for a Unity game, I'm tempted to see if it can be played in VR with VorpX

[@GamingInTheWild]

Oooh this would be great in VR. Terrifying, but great. I think art style ultimately matters more than engine (to me) when it comes to being visually interesting.

[@ngachacha7688]

Any spoilers in the review?

[@GamingInTheWild]

I would say no. I try to be very sensitive to spoilers on the channel generally. In this one I only talk about first chapter, plot-wise. I talk about themes, in a broad sense. I think you're pretty safe.

[@ngachacha7688]

@@GamingInTheWild great! Can't wait to watch the review!

[@nhrrsn]

​@GamingInTheWild I'm enjoying watching this review after playing the game. But there are definitely spoilers in this video. I think anyone interested in playing this game would be much better off playing the game first and coming back to watch this video when they're finished.

[@drifter2185]

You sound very genuine. Thanks for your thoughts, very appreciated 👌🏻

[@skyknight0408]

I found this game on gog just a day after it came out. I had never heard about it while it was in development nor had I heard of the game studio or publisher before. I still bought it, because the setting seemed interesting and I liked the artstyle it was done in. I'm glad I gave it a chance, because it's a real piece of art and well worth the price it is sold for. And that's something I can't say for a single tripple A game that came out within the last decade!

[@GamingInTheWild]

The publisher has some really good stuff to try out if you liked this game. Citizen Sleeper is a big recommendation, and there's lots more odd story-driven stuff like Paradise Killer. Great stuff!

[@skyknight0408]

@@GamingInTheWild I don't know. I'm usually very picky about the things I play. With this one, something spoke to me, just a feeling that I'd like it. I don't really feel this with the games you mentioned. Normally I fall more into the JRPG niche(but not the modern FF games). But I'll keep an eye on the developer just in case they make another one.

[@lylianx4209]

Just finished this game today, expecting to love it considering I'm a huge fan of games like Silent Hill, Signalis, everything by Yoko Taro, the Zero Escape series and a shitton of VNs, but... Just what the hekki is this game about?? I mean, what is the point it's trying to make, at all? I'm just confused and confused and confused (The entire final Chapter I read through at least 3 times, still got literally NOTHING out of it except word salad, am I just dumb)????

[@GamingInTheWild]

It's a complex game for sure. The narrative is nontraditional in terms of having a clear thrust, and is intentionally fractured for us to put the pieces back together. It's about many things - the straight sci-fi story of the end of society as we know it, Iris and her clones, why Iris is how he she is, the creepy new society that arose from the society of sisters, and what those characters experienced. I don't think there's a sole point it's trying to make - it's more of a tapestry of interconnected stuff? I will say, none of the words seemed like salad to me - everything was loaded with intention of one type or another.

[@lylianx4209]

@@GamingInTheWild Okay, an easy example would be the Occupant "explaining" things during chapter 10. I get that this part is *supposed* to finally reveal what they are, how they brought the disease, how they connect with Iris, their motivations, etc... And yet I've literally copied down their entire dialogue on paper and read through it a dozen times, and literally not a single sentence makes any sense whatsoever. It's like the script is trying to be Evangelion, except the latter at least conveys feelings and vibes, if not logical sense...

[@GamingInTheWild]

@@lylianx4209 interesting to hone in on that text! For me, they were unknowable, speaking in coded fragments of human experience to try and create "resonance". I'm not sure they're knowable-like trying to commune with an octopus. It was enough for me-I was able to accept that-but I respect the effort to parse it.

[@lylianx4209]

@@GamingInTheWild So you're saying... a huge chunk of the final chapter that's intended to finally give justification and context for the entire plot of the game is just octopus speak... yet it's still somehow a GOTY contender?

[@GamingInTheWild]

@@lylianx4209 I would remove the "just" from the question, and answer yes. Note: I'm not privy to the creative intentions, so nothing I'm saying is any truer than anyone else's take. I don't know that the Occupant encounter is meant to resolve anything. Not everything needs to be cleanly resolved for a story to be good, IMO. Also: octopuses are very cool.

[@chloen4337]

"not a game for the white gays" im one and really enjoyed it :(

[@GamingInTheWild]

@@chloen4337 *gaze

[@111Malefic]

I really tried, but unfortunately I didn't care about this game, I like bigger than life stories, interwoven narratives and such, but it was too convoluted for me to care or even understand half of what happened in this game. I think some of the dialogues are really well written, poetic and as you say, you sometimes don't even have to understand them to relate to them in some way, in that regard it was kinda cool. But the story was just sooo drawn out, so confusing when it really didn't need to be, I feel like. Some of the bigger scenes were beautifully presented, and music was great too. In the end, this game raised too many questions without answering them, and when it did, it was anti-climactic or irrelevant, and the pacing made me sleepy too many times lol

[@GamingInTheWild]

@@111Malefic yeah that's okay, individual taste is a thing :) it does ask a lot of the player to roll with this story

[@Spamua13]

Curious how far you got into the game? I think everything was explained pretty well, but I do think it could have been done better and with less jumping around so that the viewer could hold important ideas in their head longer. Specifically everything with the occupants felt ramrodded into the story especially the Knower communion where a lot of important details get revealed through convoluted and grandiose sentence matching. I also think the game being somewhat confusing is intentional. Part of the premise is that you are jumping through memories meanwhile a lot of the knowledge of the old world has been lost. I think they intentionally don't want you to know the whole picture so that you sort of feel sympathetic to the clones and watcher/blue. You don't know exactly everything that's going on, but you know enough to realize that you're a pawn in someone else's game and that doesn't sit right with you. That was kind of the vibe I got.

[@jhonm6347]

it looks great to fall asleep to

[@GamingInTheWild]

Sure you could try

[@LeftyTheHefty]

This is not a game made for the white gaze? There's no way I heard that right lmfao

[@GamingInTheWild]

@@LeftyTheHefty you heard right. For record, the game was written by people of Asian descent, as was that line.