Eliza (2019)

Complex and mature, but it ultimately failed to come together for me. The game's portrayal of a woman trying to find herself while being caught between multiple competing ideologies is extremely compelling, and I appreciated some of the more subtle insights into artificial intelligence and human-computer interactions. I was waiting for the conclusion that would tie the story together thematically, and unfortunately it never came.

Sure, there are multiple endings, but all of them have the same problem: The tonal shift from constant soul-searching to absolute certainty is so sudden that none of the endings quite stick the landing. I would have liked a more nuanced portrayal, where it was made clearer what the main character was giving up in the process of committing to one future. It feels like a bunt, honestly. One taken for the sake of giving the main character a traditionally happy ending.

But it is well-made and otherwise well-written. Each ideology is presented in a complex and holistic manner, such that no one comes across as explicitly more correct than anyone else. They all have their shortcomings and their upsides, but right when the game needed to highlight the complexity of the situation it just shrugged.

I can't say I've played masses of visual novels to say so definitively, but I think this is likely one of the most mature and meaty VNs out there. Trust Zachtronics to shift from crafting some of the best puzzle games out there (and some twine games) to putting out one truly exemplary VN.

I think the depiction of mental illness is outstanding. The dialogue is so well-acted and delivered in small enough chunks that I never skipped a single line (most games could learn from this).

I adore the game's clever riffing on the lack of VN interactivity. You assume the role of Evelyn, a human presence proxy for an AI counsellor who's only permitted to read its lines to her clients. This is seen through to its logical conclusion in brilliant fashion. The lengthy state of linearity allows for eventual branching to actually carry significance. Decisions are the product of almost 4-5 hours of rumination!

I like that the game presents its ideological factions subtly and without pushing you anywhere in particular. Considering the open questions of the effectiveness of counselling and other mental health treatments, what the limits of technological disruption should be in society, and what the hell any of us should even be doing with out lives, all sides had their convincing moments. The narrative simply facilitates you coming to a conclusion of your own.

Ace.