Have you ever wondered what would happen if 1984 (George Orwell) was written nowadays? The graphic novel/narrative game 2064: Read Only Memories is the answer to this modern equivalent of Orwell’s classic novel. It transports you into a world of powerful organizations, bent on controlling every simple aspect of life. So if you are into stuff like philosophy, text-based games and lots of tech-references, you’ll feel right at home!
Studio History
Through their work, several members of MidBoss felt inspired to answer the challenge and make a game on their own. 2064: Read Only Memories is the result of our eagerness to highlight that it is possible and easy to celebrate diversity in a realistic way that is also a fun, deep game. There are many unheard voices in video games that are seeking diverse stories that are relatable, so instead of waiting for AAA companies to crusade for progressive themes in their games, we decided to form a team and make the kind of game that we want to see. We believe it is important for games to feature queer and diverse characters and themes in a positive way.
Through 2064: Read Only Memories, we explore how these topics can be handled in a way that doesn’t override the core goal of making a game fun, interesting, and engaging. They describe it as: “These elements were a perfect fit to include in an adventure game, and we believe we have been successful in revitalizing the classic point-and-click genre through a progressive modern viewpoint.”
Gameplay:
The game starts off in Neo-San Francisco (Neo SF) in the year 2064. Your life as a struggling journalist is interrupted by the world’s first sapient machine, a ROM (Relationship and Organizational Manager) named Turing (I see what you did there). Together, you and the quirky robot will encounter a colorful cast of locals and overcome challenges as you uncover the city’s secrets behind the overlapping futures of technology and humanity. 2064: Read Only Memories is a new cyberpunk adventure that will take you on a journey of puzzle-solving and exploring as you investigate the mysterious world and characters of Neo-San Francisco.
While playing through the game I had the feeling I was playing a Phoenix Wright game. Interrogations, looking for clues, solving puzzles to gain leads.. And I mean that as a compliment. I think the PW-franchise set a new standard for graphic novel/narrative games, but they tend to do not as well as they do in Japan and other Asian countries. Which is a shame, since 2064: Read Only Memories is one hell of a ride. A smooth one for that matter, the game worked really well in handheld and TV-mode (although I mostly played it handheld).
The deeper you delve into the life of your missing friend, the further you get entangled into this tale about the dark side of technology. Can you survive in Neo-SF? Or will the mystery go unsolved…? The game starts off easy enough, with some simple tasks and not much of an option to continue playing without thinking about any consequences. This changes after the first two chapters, with loads of ethical and philosophical dilemmas about the role we humans play in the advancement of technology. Can we act like God? Can we control the human public and only endorse products we want to? Not give the consumer what they actually want, but give them the things WE want?
Sometimes these ethical and moral questions are underlying, but the closer you’re getting to discovering the real ‘edge’ of the game the more pressing it becomes to follow your own set of ideas. The game discusses topics like AI, hybrid genetics and controlling the life of thousands of people. A little more complex then the topics Orwell addressed in 1984, but the underlying message is the same – can we let a huge company control our everyday lives? Can we be God, or replace God? I myself do not believe in God, but am really interested in other believes and cultures as well as philosophy and ethics.
Underlying messages..
I once wrote an essay on the Interbellum and its dystopic views on life (referring to Aldous Huxley and George Orwell), and 2064: Read Only Memories address some of the same arguments I got from reading those books. Where do we draw the line in the advancement of human tech? Is it really ethical to crack open a skull, change 90% into wires and bolts and upload him/her into a computer to ‘live’ forever? Sounds scary, doesn’t it.
Each chapter gave me more stuff to think about how *** the world we live in is, actually. We all want to create a better world, but still try to destroy one another for the sake of progress. One day someone gets a Nobel prize for science, the next day he’s killed because of it. The game takes this idea, enlarges it and projects it onto modern society. If you are looking for a narrative, philosophical game about technological advancement of humankind, 2064: Read Only Memories is the game for you. I personally hope that people don’t get scared by the text-driven side of this game – pick it up, give it a try and you’ll see why not all games have to be flashy heroes with shiny golden capes.
