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| The bane of many Internet trolls |
- Reviewed by: Mark Goninon
- Developer: MGP Studios
- Publisher: Forever Entertainment S.A.
- Release Date: 16 Dec 2015
- Time played: 1.8 hours
What is it
MGP Studios seems to be a small indie studio situated in Poland and have been releasing games over the past few years including a multiplayer endless runner in 2016 called Roll'd and two Early Access games: an adventure game with RPG elements called Sand is the Soul and a trippy mix of Hotline Miami and FPS called Project Downfall.However, before these games, MGP Studios released a cyberpunk visual novel-style adventure called Sinless in 2015. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic but seemingly utopian cyberpunk society (now there's an oxymoron if I ever saw one) where crime and mental illness no longer exist thanks to humans having their lives scheduled for them by activating programs using cybernetic implants. The ones who manufacture these systems have apparently replaced governments and are running the show. You play the role of a man who is living a seemingly normal life but your life is quickly turned upside down as you discover things aren't all that they seem.
The game is currently not available for sale in Australia on Steam but it does have a "Very Positive" rating based off 80% of the 125 Steam user reviews being positive.
How I got it
I purchased Sinless along with a whole lot of other games back in November 2016, probably as part of the 2016 Steam Autumn Sale. I got the game because it was cheap, only 50 US cents at the time, and I like trying out sci-fi adventure games and visual novels.It sat in my Pile of Shame for the past 3 years until the most recent Steam Spring Cleaning Event which was probably just a means of them showcasing their new Steam Labs experiment: Play Next (which is basically tailored for people like me who have a Pile of Shame and don't know what to play next). Play Next recommended I play Mini Metro (which I've been playing a bit over the past few days) but the event's algorithm also chose a random game for me to try out and that random game happened to be Sinless.
So I set some time aside to try it and finished it in one sitting. Now on to the review!
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| I thought it was pork buns? |
What I like:
Intriguing plot
Sinless is set in the future where people live in one of several megacities. A utopian society was created where mental illness and crime was all but eradicated thanks to the development of programs (progs) that people could run on their mandatory cybernetic implants. On the surface, the game seems to be set in your typical cyberpunk future with megacorporations ruling over large, overpopulated cities where everybody are technology junkies, but there are hints of something else going on here; similar to "The Matrix" the game has the player questioning what is real and what is not as there are a few times that you'll experience possible glimpses of an alternate reality… or maybe it's nothing and it's just the progs malfunctioning?Audio
The sound design is pretty remarkable for a visual novel as every scene seems to have its own background track (thanks to the efforts of composer Roland Redwood) and not only that but if you pan around the screen, the music seamlessly changes depending on what you're looking at! Also, the developers did a great job with all the background sound effects too as these help amplify the immersion.Easter Eggs
There are plenty of easter eggs to find in this game including references to other games such as Half-Life, Mirror's Edge and my personal favourite, the pork bun salesman in Sleeping Dogs coz remember kids:A MAN WHO NEVER EATS PORK BUNS IS NEVER A WHOLE MAN
Steam Achievements and Trading Cards
The game has 31 Steam Achievements you can work towards and 6 Steam Trading Cards you can collect. |
| Unfortunately, the intriguing story is cut short |
What I dislike:
Short
It took me under two hours to finish Sinless so it's a pretty short game, but there's a reason for that...Incomplete story
The game ends on a cliffhanger and that's because this game was originally meant to be part of a trilogy, a trilogy that sadly doesn't look like it's going to be completed.Score – 7/10 (Good)
Sinless is a cyberpunk point 'n' click adventure/visual novel hybrid that offers an intriguing plot coupled with great audio design and a whole bunch of gaming-related easter eggs. Sadly, the game ends rather quickly on a cliffhanger and it doesn't look like the rest of the story will ever be completed.If you like this game, you might like…
[ LINK: MGP Studios Homepage ]
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