Recordkeeping: Broken Reality COMPLETE

[xyzzysqrl]

So rarely have I played a game that wears exactly what it is on its sleeve, yet plays its cards close to its chest.

Broken Reality is a "vaporwave" game about exploring the retrofuturistic internet of the future. It's dilapidated, packed with glitches. No one much cares about you except as a vehicle to get more 'likes' on their own content, if that. Mostly, they're glued to their tablets. Your only means of interacting with the world at first is your thumbs-up Liker. Memes are everywhere.

Soon enough you learn to slash through malware, follow hyperlinks and spend like an influencer, and that's all important and ends up making the game feel a bit 3D Metroid, but with more bullshitting and net culture.

More than once I found myself asking myself/the game, "Does this actually mean anything? Does this have a purpose? Are we shitposting here or is something more profound at the heart of it?" and like the culture it came from the game just sorta shrug-lol'd at me. I could never tell what actually mattered, and it often bothered me. (It turns out I wasn't the only person asking such questions.)

In the end I came away with a vaguely satisfied sense. This is not a healthy system, this is not the way people are supposed to interact, and I think the game knows that on some level. I'm glad I played it, but it was ... very strange.

A little broken, you could say.

Comments

[chalcedony_starlings]

That was something.

Edited to add: Also, it's also on the Humble Store, as one of the developers points out on the Steam forum.

And also: some speculation on the meaning of the ending.

[xyzzysqrl]

ROT13-ry for spoilers.

Jung jvgu gur "plpyr bs erovegu" gurzr n ahzore bs punenpgre zragvba naq vf pbqrq ba gur jnyyf arne Ndhnarg, V srry gung gur raqvat jnf cerggl... frys-rkcynvavat. Gur flfgrz unq tbar gbb ybat jvgubhg n fuhgqbja, naq arrqrq bar gb or pyrnarq bhg, fb fbzrguvat arj pbhyq or obea. Vg jnf, nsgre nyy, Anghz, n puvyq jvgu cneragf gung nonaqbarq vg, envfrq nf orfg vg pbhyq or va n jbeyq bs zrzrf naq fuvgcbfgf.

V srry yvxr gur dhbgr nebhaq avar zvahgrf vagb gur "Oebxra Ernyvgl, Incbejnir naq Vebal" ivqrb ernyyl fnlf vg nyy. Gur qvffbyhgvba bs guvf fvzhyngvba pbhyq abg or prnfrq. Gur ACPf jnagrq bhg. Gur cynlref ynetryl ab ybatre pnerq. Qrfgehpgvba jnf gur bayl ernfbanoyr nafjre.

V nz creuncf fyvtugyl avuvyvfgvp ohg V unir n oryvrs gung nsgre Anghz fuhg qbja, fbzrbar tbg gb jbex ba n arj irefvba. Yrff cbvfbabhf gb fgneg. Serfure. Jurer crbcyr jrer ratntrq ntnva, naq pnerq ntnva. Jurer guvatf pbhyq guevir. Znlor vg'f abg gehr, ohg V pna ubcr.

[chalcedony_starlings]

(Ner lbh fher lbh'er abg zvkvat hc n ibjry va “ANGRZ”?)

V jbaqre vs fbzrbar'f cvrprq gbtrgure gur Ndhnarg yvoenel favccrgf va beqre. V pbhyqa'g svaq vg ba n phefbel frnepu.

Nyfb, hz, nccneragyl or tynq lbh qvqa'g tb bss gur cngu ng gur raq jvgu gur beo.

[xyzzysqrl]

Trarenyyl fcrnxvat vs gur dhrfgvba vf "Ner lbh fher...?" gur nafjre vf nyjnlf "Ab bs pbhefr abg." V nz eneryl fher nobhg nalguvat.

V qvq frr ubjrire n ivqrb jurer fbzrbar fubjrq bss gur bgure cnguf va gur raqvat. V'z tynq V qvqa'g gnxr gurz.

[bhagpuss]

I didn't know there were vaporwave games. Does it have a vaporwave soundtrack, too?

[xyzzysqrl]

Indeed it does.

[swordianmaster]

There are plenty of games that use the vaporwave aesthetic/soundtrack nowdays, but very few games that actually embrace the weirdly counterculture feel of vaporwave. Broken Reality is one. Hypnospace Outlaw is another, in a similar but more impersonal vein.

[chalcedony_starlings]

Followup: apparently asking why the Save button looks like a vending machine (with a drink can in the bottom) is a real thing sometimes? Can't tell whether deliberate in various directions.