Whispers of a Machine Brings Up Intriguing Dystopian Future Full Of Questions
Whispers of a Machine is a slow paced, point-and-click adventure. Set in a Nordic themed sci-fi world players will control Vera, who’s investigating a string of murders. This game’s major question is about artificial intelligence. The world is a mix of new and pre-Collapse technology. This event leads to A.I. being banned. This sets up the ideological conflict of The Conduit and the existence of Vera’s augmentations.
These augmentations assist players in solving puzzles as they explore. Vera can unlock three new ones as players progress. Which ones are determined by how she’s played; becoming more empathetic, aggressive, or analytical. These enhancements will rarely be used however. Unless something is necessary to the plot and players have trudged around to find the right NPC, most rooms will be empty. Whispers of a Machine does allow players to see every interactable item.
Most of these items will be flavor text. It’s important to click everything. Things that appear random may hinder your progress later. For example, if you don’t think clay is a relevant item this potentially leaves the option of mutilating a corpse to solve a puzzle. There are multiple ways to solve problems so each playthrough can have something unique. But the constant back and forth through such a small area for a tiny hint to progress kills a lot of the excitement. There’s also no way to check your objectives. The closest thing are the reports to Vera’s superior at the end of each day. The main plot also remains mostly unchanged though there’s multiple endings.
Whispers of a Machine is ideal for those looking for a fairly simple game. The complicated parts are mostly subtle. Players can check their alignment throughout, but which answers align with what personality isn’t outright stated. The game changes without drawing players’ attention. This allows the narrative to have the spotlight. At the same time it makes the underdeveloped parts stand out more. As a complete experience, it’s a mixed bag.
