1000xRESIST

In this review, I’m going to discuss different forms and aspects of governmental oppression as they are depicted by the game. There are no specific spoilers here but be aware that I’m going to talk about certain developments in the plot in an abstract way. If that is unacceptable to you, you should stop reading here and simply get this game; it is absolutely worth it. I have to admit straight away that, even though I would recommend getting this game to anyone interested in narrative games with a deep and meaningful political commentary, I’m still kind-of torn. On the one hand, 1000xRESIST is profound, deals with interesting and timely themes and acts as a manifesto to what it means to be human. On the other hand, it is a mechanically dull game, has a bunch of fluff and a much too drawn-out finale that kinda muddles the overall message for me. There’s a lot of dreadfully slow walking in this game, navigating the main hub area can be a huge pain and there are platforming sections that range from being simply boring to downright aggravating. Overall though, I think I can see past its weaknesses in the light of such a strong core message. How do you act in the face of oppression? How do you survive in a system that controls every aspect of your life? How do you breathe when the very air is poisoned with lies and propaganda? In 1000xRESIST, the remnants of humanity, a group of clones simply called [i]sisters[/i] deal with these questions on a daily basis. In the society these sisters live in, they follow a simple dogma: “each shapen sister her domain”, each one of them performing a [i]function[/i] rather than living a true life. Individuality is reduced to nothingness, you are a [i]Healer[/i], a [i]Knower[/i], a [i]Bang Bang Fire[/i], a [i]Fixer[/i], a [i]Principal[/i] or a [i]Watcher[/i]. You’re not a person, you don’t even have a name, just a function and a corresponding color. You serve the [b]ALLMOTHER[/b], a godlike figure as old as time itself, your creator and protector from a violent alien invader called the [i]Occupants[/i]. In the course of 1000xRESIST, different forms of oppression are scrutinized. Certain events lead to societal reform and thus, we are presented with a shift from a tyrannic theocracy to a provisional government that enforces its laws through terror and fear. Even though this new form of governance differs quite significantly from what came before, it is nonetheless a totalitarian regime. Details change but the oppression persists. The people are no longer reduced to a function. Now, they have names, individual appearances through clothing and accessories. Now they can move more freely and pursue their own ideas… unless… those ideas aren’t in line with the government’s regulations. There’s an idea that this game discusses at this point and it does so in a pretty profound way. If you have [i]some[/i] freedom, if you’re free to act as you please within certain parameters, can oppression become “convenient”? After all, you know that everything is taken care of by someone else. You don’t have to deal with the complexity of the world. All the heavy decisions are made for you. Isn’t that just pleasant to a degree? It's a dangerous idea but an appealing one to many people, especially these days in an increasingly complex world where people are struggling to distinguish between the most basic truths and falsehoods. Is it worth it to overthrow a totalitarian regime if you don’t know what comes after? Even if you [b]know[/b] you are in the right? Even if you [b]know[/b] that the repercussions for actions will be fatal? “Is there a feeling worth being incinerated over?” These words are spoken by one of the game’s most intriguing and complex characters. This character embodies another kind of behavior that is all too common among people living in authoritarian societies. It’s a kind of resistance that aims to become a part of the regime oneself to break it down or reform it “from the inside”. During one of the most chilling sequences in the game, you experience first-hand how futile such an attempt is. You see how the state propaganda slowly starts seeping into their minds, how they genuinely start believing what they only pretended to believe before. This is one of the most vile and insidious ways in which dictatorships work – the all-encompassing indoctrination will get to you in one way or another and if you flinch for just a second, you may unwillingly become part of the machine you so vigorously despised. Before you know it, you are the oppressor now. You're still a victim of the system yourself, but you're a bit better off than the others. How convenient. I’m glad the game doesn’t just ask these questions without taking a stance. This is a testament to [b]resist[/b] oppression in any form. Throughout the game, the Hong Kong riots that took place in 2019/2020 are referenced directly multiple times. During those protests, more than a million people took it to the streets to fight for their rights. In the face of one of the most powerful and highly militarized nations, those people didn’t flinch. They stood up, they fought, they died, they [b]resisted[/b]. This is a call for action. To fight for freedom, democracy, individuality, justice, to question the status quo, to not give in to fear, to not let history be rewritten by the victors. Because even if you lose, your battle was not in vain. You have to fight because if you don’t… “They would say...this is how it always was. They would say...this is what the people wanted. But no. They can't say that. Because it has gone down in history... That we resisted fiercely. That we fought for a different future...until we couldn't. That legacy lives in us.”

A game that can't be explained with words, it needs to be experienced so all its story, with its thousand layers and their unforgettable moments can get inside your head and never came out. Just go play it fool! You've never seen anything like this.

1000xResist is by far one of the best games I have ever played. Maybe the best one. I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about it. It's traumatic and healing and painful and comforting and brutal and kind and exhausting and hopeful. It's intimate and beautiful. It's about humanity in all it's mess. It's about the the things we pass on, both the good and the bad. I have never seen a game tackle so many different subjects, handle them all so well, and tie them together so beautifully. The sci-fi elements are genuinely cool too. If I could only recommend a single game it would be this one. Please play it. Please. This game made me cry so many times.

It's not perfect, but it's memorable and the vibes and themes do a lot of the heavy lifting. Gameplay is getting lost in a mall. It's a walking simulator, but one of the best examples that no gameplay can be better, and more than enough, than bad gameplay. Also we need more games about cults!

The story is so interesting and keeps you hooked for the whole duration, if some game-play mechanics were there rather than it being a walking sim, would have put the game on whole another level. Graphics were mid, but overall great game.

From a gameplay perspective, it is quite rudimentary, so I think it's best to treat it more as a visual novel experience were you're in it for the narrative mainly. Good thing that 1000xRESIST has one of the best narratives I've ever experienced then. I was locked in from beginning to end, and it did not waver even once. The script, voice acting, story and visuals all culminates to create an unforgettable experience. This is one of the greats.

As a political immigrant, this game made me cry, and I totally did not expect that to happen. It's a story with more layers than I can count, wrapped in a non-linear experience that, instead of spoon-feeding you the lore, forces you to figure everything out on your own. The way you go from barely understanding this game's intricate wording to discovering all the meanings behind it is beyond satisfying. And all that just scratches your brain in all the right places. Bonus points for toxic yuri. 1000/10

I was really hyped to play it (a lot of people whose recommendations I trust swore by this game), but in the end most of it felt boring, sluggish and didn't make me feel anything aside from being slightly annoyed. I liked the visuals, some set pieces were simply stunning and I'd say it was overall an aesthetically pleasing experience. There are many thought provoking themes being explored here, but I feel like writing didn't really do them justice (or maybe I just didn't gel with the style, idk). Occasional artsy vagueness, and dialogues of sometimes almost fanfic-y quality didn't really help either. The whole thing felt somwhat lackluster in this department. Game definitely has its moments (some very good), but it's all there is really. I very rarely say stuff like this, but I totally don't get it how so many people think it's THAT good, come on (or maybe I do, people like to gaslight themselves into liking certain games after all). Go and read some quality book that touches upon similar issues, or if you're really curious, watch a playthrough of the game cause there's simply nothing to gain by playing it yourself (it may even enhance the experience dare I say).

"Why couldn't this have been a visual novel?" Was a thought that popped into my head after after wandering around the school for 10 minutes, randomly walking into rooms and listening to the snippets of conversations. I was intrigued by the dialogue, especially with how mysterious the initial premise is, even if the writing felt like a melodramatic fanfic. Unfortunately, the walking simulator part of this game is exceptionally tedious. No quest markers, no compass, no real idea of where you're meant to go. It absolutely butchers the pacing of a story I am genuinely interested in exploring. Again, why couldn't this have been a visual novel? I have a sneaking suspicion that the same enjoyment could be had by watching a playthrough of the game on youtube which I think I shall do.

This game is a bit messy and filled with such an intense beauty, probably the best combination art can be.

One of the most incredible stories ever told. Brilliant, haunting, beautiful, heart-wrenching... truly an unparalleled masterpiece that is rarely seen in media, and dare I say one of the most important stories of the era. It has easily catapulted to my top 3 favorite games of all time, and honestly might be #1. You owe it to yourself to play 1000xRESIST.

First, I leave negative review only if the game is broken or unplayable. That being said, I have issues with this game. The music is good, everything else is flawed. Gameplay is similar to a visual novel, and when it tries to be something else it fails. You'll be going around a city that seem to be designed in a way to be annoying to navigate. Graphics are mediocre at best, to the point of it being in a way of emersion. Lastly, a part of the story is political and ties into a real-world conflict, and I personally don't like mixing real-life politics with video games. Depending on your ideology, you may not like what you see. The rest of the story is interesting, but a bit messy. Honestly, the game feels undercooked.

10/10 Hair to hair, let the threads be recommended. Just buy the OSTs along with this. Oh, but don't play this in China. It will definitely get you arrested and ethically disposed. This is an absolute masterpiece of video game storytelling. Quite a difficult, uncomfortable, and intense story. A very human story still. You will utter a lot of "what the hell". That's normal. Don't worry. This is a game that should be archived. Archived for the future civilizations to see what happened with humanity. No matter what you're fighting against. You may get beaten down. Your children's children may fail to enact change and be slain a century later. Still, do resist. Even if you see no hope. Even if you bear the trauma from your ancestors' failure. Even if the world is ending. Do not go gentle into that good night. Side note, this is how a video game should do representation, instead of the DEI approach.

Amazing. Truly, a masterpiece. Magnificent. I have no other words to describe this

Given the incredibly positive reviews and the many "You NEED to check this one out" discussions, I tried my darndest to like this one. Ultimately the abstract sci-fi narrative just did not connect with me. It feels like the game leads into extremely weird / bordering nonsensical. I love narrative / interactive story games. This one was just not fun for me. After 3 hours I had 0 desire to keep playing.

Absolutely incredible game. It's about diaspora. It's about the self in a sea of identical selves. It's about nature vs nurture. It's about internalised self-hate. It's about understanding that the child is separate from the mother. It's about understanding that the child is never separate from the mother. It's about cycles of pain and abuse. It's about resenting your children for never experiencing your suffering. It's about resenting your parents for being obsessed with theirs. It's about how repeating the past cannot fix it. It's about memory versus living. But most of all, it's about how the worst post-apocalyptic world imaginable is a sea of clones of One Horrible Teenager.

I've been trying to write something that could neatly describe the experience that is 1000xRESIST. But I can't. And maybe that's okay—because it's not neat. It's messy. It's strange. It's unlike anything I've played before. And that's probably why I loved it so much. The story paints a fascinating picture of life and explores it in ways I haven't really seen media do before. Having gone through the game, I feel like I've lived through an entire lifetime. The soundtrack has a few standout songs, but is mostly atmospheric. And if you're looking for engaging gameplay, this game might not be for you. However, while the mechanics themselves aren't particularly interesting, they do succeed in elevating the storytelling and helping the core of the game—its dialogue—shine even brighter!

I really hate the Orchard. Something about its design grates on me every time I have to move through it or find a specific part, and a significant portion of the game takes place in it. Worse, I'm not certain if this is an intended experience or not. I might hate it due to my own peculiarities. Everything else was great. I felt at times the story could linger on a beat longer than necessary. It's a weird criticism to have since the writing is consistently excellent, but it sometimes feels like it's not building anymore, it's circling around. This probably is thematic, but it's not particularly pleasant. Honestly probably just my own pickiness, it's a very good story and well-told.

Hits HARD. A brilliant and striking narrative with great moment-to-moment writing, talented voice acting, and an excellent soundtrack. You really get to know and care for the characters. I couldn't put it down. People have said this could have been a visual novel, but I don't agree. I think you need the physicality and sense of place which realtime interaction brings to the table. You need to be able to look up and see the fake sky. You need to walk around and coexist with the other sisters. You need to see the scenes involving the Occupants from the POV given. And the game uses shifts in the point of view quite literally to support its themes in important and creative ways. I personally love that they used Irish names and voices for some characters. The Irish nation is founded upon violent rebellion - it really speaks to me as an Irish person familiar with that history. Are you sure you're just SAD? Hekki allmo.

I've thought of different ways to review this, but I'll keep it brief . . . This is the most unique story I've ever seen in a video game, and possibly the most unique storytelling. I encourage new players to go in blind, but just know that this game is nearly fully text/dialogue based. Also . . . pay attention. I ended up taking notes as I went through to understand better. Also . . . Talk to everyone. It'll help a lot. Up to you. Hekki Allmo.

Great and engaging story. I never play games like this but picked it up after hearing so much about it. I do feel like the game starts to get a little long in the tooth at some points but it still kept me engaged to see it through. Definitely recommend!

Red to blue, sisters. If you haven't already, I challenge you to play through the game in its entirety and stay the same person you were at the start. Complex and allegorical, dramatic, relevant and political, it's up there with the best stories ever told in games.

This game was like nothing else I have ever played. It was quite incredible how the developers were able to pull together all the elements to make such a visually unique & story-driven game.

I wanted a game about I thought was going to be about robot girls and instead I got an emotionally devastating game about families, mothers, survival, and fighting authoritarianism

I feel gutted and soothed all at once. Truly no story I've experienced quite like it. This one will remain in my mind for awhile

Amazing game with great story and characters. If you like games only for their story than you'll love this game.

Why did you make me cry? Very hard to describe this game’s feeling, it hurts good and bad, like Lisa: The Painful. BBF is so wonderful. Buy this game and never forget, you have to remember, even if it hurts. Especially if it hurts

I'm still kinda sorting out my thoughts on it, but I feel it's best described as a poem in video game format. An exploration of cycles of trauma and abuse, presented through the trappings of science fiction and history as storytelling. Melancholic, bittersweet. There are some mysteries to unravel, but they're not really the point, just a vehicle to explore these cycles and the emotions of the people trapped in them. If any of that rambling strikes a chord, maybe give it a shot.

1000xRESIST is many things: -It's deep -It's thought-provoking -It's slow -It draws many parallels on history (and forgetting, repeating, or trying to control it) -It questions our belief systems, our stereotypes, and how we treat each other -It beckons good introspection from the player -It leans hard into its female protagonists This game works best if you enjoy visual novels, and are not looking for intense gameplay, but rather a good, long story that is (mostly) linear. It took me a bit of discipline to get through, but if you can push past some of the mildly mundane sequences (travel by foot, finding waypoints) by enjoying the great artwork, voice-acting, and watching the complex story that comes with it unfold, it's a game worth your time. It'll stick with you as it will stick with me for a while. Resist.

This game is beyond phenomenal, I cannot recommend this game enough. The story had me so invested and honestly made me emotional at parts, I got goosebumps at certain parts too. If you are not picky about animation, graphics, and are okay with a more interactive novel like game, then PLEASE play this game I promise you will not regret it

(updated) Oh my god, i get it now. previous review below. Hekki Allmo. i don't understand what's happening, but it's cool as fuck and the imagery goes hard

After a lifetime of playing video games, I'm finally journeying into the visual novel / visual novel adjacent space, and started with 1000xRESIST. This game's story, in its depth yet approachability, its timelessness yet specificity, its poetically brilliant yet profoundly human dialogue, is easily the strongest narrative I've ever experienced from a game, and compares handedly to the most affecting works I've experienced from *any* medium. Since finishing it, I haven't stopped thinking about it, and doubt I will anytime soon. Play this game.

A fantastic story-game that manages to hold your attention from the very beginning. Every time it starts to slow down a bit, something interesting happens to pick up the pace again. Has more world-building than most storytelling games, and it is all engaging.

Hard to put into words how good this game is. The s-tier narrative, the world-building, the art design, the voice acting. It is utterly compelling to play. For me its only downside was that the orchard was a little too cumbersome to navigate, but this is trivial when set against what the game achieves with every other aspect of its design. Incredible debut game from Sunset Visitor.

Great story and visuals. Amazing what a small talented team can create. Music and voice acting are great. A special game for a good price. I look forward to future projects from this developer.

What a fascinating character study, learned things about myself playing this game. Hekki Allmo.

A little reminiscent of Nier Automata (story-wise, not gameplay-wise) but does plenty enough to establish itself as its own thing instead of a cheap copy (unlike, say, Stellar Blade). Some great story beats and gameplay quirks that I haven't experienced before. Starts out a bit confusing, but let it ride, and everything will gel together.

One of the examples of a video game being an absolute work of art. The dialogue and especially the voice acting were masterful, the story was incredibly well told, piecing everything together as you went. Absolutely fantastic 3D visual novel experience. I wish the movement was a little bit easier to control, but does not remotely take away from the incredible story telling.

Outstanding story game. I rarely play Narrative focused games but this one kept me captivated through its provocative themes and mysteries - at every stage of the game, I wanted to discover what would happen next. What an absolute ride. 10/10.

Amazing game. It takes quite a bit for a game to hook me but this one did and was worth it to go back and finish the achievements. Highly recommended.

AMAZING AMAZING beautiful great game... more people need to be talking about this game

Although the gameplay is nothing to write home about, this story still manages to impress with the power and thoughtfulness of its writing. Play this for the sci-fi narative first and foremost: if you like that kinda stuff, it's undoubtedly worth it, otherwise, you're likely to be bored.

If I had a nickle for every time a game told a deep, introspective story exploring the psyche of a woman named Iris, I'd have two nickles - which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. Jokes aside, 1000xRESIST is a game that feels like one of those dreams you have, where everything is so visceral and horrible, and once you wake up, you're glad it was all just a dream... Except, that isn't the case for everyone. This game doesn't shy away from its inspirations, and the story's more horrifying aspects (Sci-Fi elements withstanding) are grounded in some truly terrible, real-world occurrences. It's an allegory which, in the most abstract sense, criticises the systemic oppression and violence that arises within society and between friends and families (especially in a generational sense), and how it drives people apart while imparting a momentum that maintains the vicious cycle so it can start anew. The way it tells that story is certainly engaging, even if the presentation and game-play don't always do justice to the message being conveyed. In fact, I think it's reasonable to argue that many of the game-play elements detracted from the experience, diluting what would otherwise be potent story beats. Overall, I'd recommend it, with the caveat that you need to go in expecting a book, not a game, and have to be ready for a handful of gimmicky game-play loops that aren't half as engaging as the story.

To be quite honest, I don't really understand the story in full, the controls are janky at times, the graphics aren't great, and there's not much gameplay, it's basically a walking sim in terms of gameplay. Despite that, there's a lot of charm here and it kept me engaged from start to finish. There are some brutal moments, and some incredibly touching ones. I loved the environmental design, even if it was barebones at times. I loved the voice acting, it was the perfect amount of apathy and emotion. It has stuck with me for a few days, and I will think back on it fondly.

This game is so difficult to even describe. The closest game I've played that I can compare this to is AI: The Somnium Files, but that would feel like a disservice to both games. If you love games that make you wonder what you just witnessed, time and time again, this is the thing for you. The gameplay is VERY simple, and some reviews even mention this could be made a visual novel. Personally, I disagree, though I see the reasoning. Gameplay consists of moving, interacting with objects, changing scenes with the shoulder buttons, maybe a grapple section here or there. That's it. But the story is so mysterious and interesting, it enraptures you, and the gameplay segments that you initially think "I could just skip this and go to the next scene", in retrospect, get enhanced by the fact you have to walk to the next objective. The atmosphere when the game gets dark is SUBLIME, and there's always a question to find an answer to. The story only disappoints in the fact the subtext is a bit difficult to parse at times, and the subtext is important for understanding the events. However, this is hardly a critical flaw, and just makes you think harder about what the message is. And there are many messages this game can tell. Like a lot of artistic games, the meaning you get out of it will vary drastically from others. My experience will be different from yours, yet I think that's part of why this game is so great. Is it perfect? No, of course not, I feel like there are moments where they could have added some variety to the gameplay to make it feel more involved. However, I think this game is still absolutely worth your time playing. I'd overall give this an 8.7/10. Gameplay leaves me eanting, but the story absolutely dominates.

Hekki ALLMO, what a game. A beautiful game that weaves themes of parenthood, sisterhood, immigration, justice, oppression, the human experience and more into a transcendent sci-fi narrative.

easily one of the best game stories of recent years. the gameplay is so bad that it may as well have just been a VN and its very obviously a debut game from a team of people without a gamedev background, but it's well worth pushing past the flaws. the games industry would be in a much better place if there were more of these kinds of messy, ambitious and unique projects being funded.

emotional and sincere, a sci-fi epic about motherhood, monsters, and the wounds we carry across time and space. highly reccomend.

Look the only comprehensible way to pitch 1000xResist is to ask the question "does the idea of NieR:Automata done as a walking simulator intrigue you?" and if the answer is "yes" you should get the game. Now for the less comprehensible pitch. Watcher is in a cage. This is easy to recognise from the outset, you've seen systems like this over and over in both fiction and reality, and of course the first thing you see is her trying to escape from it. Diving into the memories of the one she will kill, you can also come to discern the shape and nature of the cage. Knowing you are in a cage is the key to escaping it... right? [i]In 2019 there were mass protests in Hong Kong against the introduction of a law which would create an extradition treaty with mainland China. Over 10,000 people were arrested and more than 2000 injured. In the 2023 local elections in Hong Kong, candidates from the pro-democracy camp were prevented from standing, resulting in a landslide for pro-Beijing candidates.[/i] Watcher's function is to observe the memories of the Allmother so that she can be better understood. However, if you're watching events out of context and out of order, how can you hope to really understand what happened? Can memory be trusted anyway? Can you even discern whose memories these are? [i]The Cultural Revolution was a period of sociopolitical turmoil in China between the mid 1960s and mid 1970s instigated by Chairman Mao Xedong. Millions were persecuted under suspicion of being counter-revolutionaries. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed, many in organised mass killings, with the actual death toll being possibly much higher. On the ascension of Deng Xiaoping to the premiership of China, the Cultural Revolution was ended and its remaining leaders were arrested, and capitalist reforms were introduced.[/i] Who is and is not culpable for the crimes of a system? When you tear it down, will it really be you who decides what happens after? Will sympathy for the oppressor dull your wishes for change? When all is said and done, will you still choose to resist?

An ambitious first game by studio Sunset Visitor, 1000xRESIST takes you into the role of a Watcher, a role in which you are to observe the 1000-year old memories of the ALLMOTHER, once a human teenager, now a revered deity among her clone brethren. While mechanics in this game err on the side of clumsy, and the navigation leaves much to be desired, I believe it makes up for it in its passion for storytelling, compelling cast, and its themes as it pertains to diaspora, resistance, and hope against all odds. I await this studio's next title with gentle excitement.