First, do no harm. From the award-winning team behind Thomas Was Alone and Subsurface Circular comes another experimental short, the next mutation in text-based adventure. In the middle of a world-ending pandemic, a group of scientists discover the galaxy has been watching.
The game places players at the center of a tense dialogue-driven narrative, allowing them to take on the roles of different characters aboard a research vessel. Each character has their own unique perspectives, motivations, and ways of interacting with the central alien figure, Gabriel. Players' choices during these conversations directly influence the direction of the story and its ultimate outcome, empowering them to shape the narrative through their decisions.
Rather than confining players to a single protagonist, the game enables them to experience the story from the viewpoints of various scientists and officials, including a security agent, a professor, and even Gabriel himself. This shift in perspective grants players a more nuanced understanding of the characters and their conflicting agendas, enhancing the sense of agency as they navigate the complex social dynamics on board the vessel.
Reviewers praise the game's multiple branching paths and endings, which are determined by the player's choices during the dialogue sequences. Exploring these varied outcomes and witnessing how the story unfolds based on different decisions can lead to a significantly diverse experience across multiple playthroughs, encouraging players to revisit the game and experiment with alternative approaches.
While the gameplay primarily revolves around text-based interactions, the game's visual style and soundtrack work in tandem to create an immersive and polished experience. The 3D environments and character models, though relatively simple, effectively set the tone and atmosphere of the narrative. The soundtrack, composed by Dan Le Sac, is noted for its ability to heighten the emotional impact of the story and complement the overall tone of the experience.