The news segment then goes on to interview multiple people about the apparent shady aims of the video game, which supposedly uses realism to make you, and I quote, “involuntary hostages of this story.” One expert criticizes that the game will use emotions, sensations, and music to envelop you in its agenda. The imagery is as arresting as it is evocative - which might explain why it’s also caught the attention of state-owned Russian media, Russia-24.ĭeveloper Tall Boys uploaded translated footage of a recent news segment, where an anchor argues that the game is somehow anti-Russian, especially since the policeman could be considered the villain. It’s easy to see why: The trailer features an enormous policeman who can, at any time, interfere with what the player is doing around the map. Indeed, all of us can relate to the need to escape from a confined space right now – just another way in which Militsioner's surreal conceit is tapping into some very real topics.įor more, check out the best Call of Duty games to play right now, or watch our full review of Watch Dogs Legion in the video below.In early September, footage of upcoming surreal mystery game Militsioner went viral on Twitter. Semenets tells me that Militsioner is "far from being released" right now, but it's already captured the attention of the internet with its compelling pitch, abstract tone, and stark messaging. It makes for an interesting quandary: are you willing to break the law in order to escape it? It's unclear why your character has been arrested, or if they were even deserving of incarceration in the first place, but Tallboys has said that the Militsioner is bound by a prison of his own making, too – a strict moral code that you, the player, might be able to exploit. But at the same time we try to limit the voice input mechanics a bit, we don’t want to make the game with a lot of dialogue." Knowing that it would be an important part of gameplay, we tried to find a fresh perspective on interactive communication. It must be some sort of communication with him. "He can’t keep catching you all the time, so most of your interactions with him must be between the action. "Physical interaction alone is not enough to fully show the profession of the policeman," Semenets explains. "We’re trying to capture our own sense of reality" Dmitry Shevchenko Who knows, maybe you'll be able to negotiate a compromise? Escape plan That said, another aspect of Militsioner's gameplay, dedicated voice chat integration, offers a potential workaround to the policeman's wrath, allowing you to speak with the town's denizens, and even the officer himself. If the Militsioner notices you getting up to no good, for example, he's more than likely to intervene, extending one giant arm to pick you up and, well… let's just say it's best to avoid his ire entirely. That’s why we needed to find interesting communication and planning so that when the escape itself came, it felt stronger." It was also important to bear in mind that the most important thing in escape is crossing the line between the safety of the prison and the risk of actually running away. "To make the player feel like they're playing against a real giant policeman, not against a video game. "We wanted to convey a sense of escape and connect it to a giant, without losing the identity of a policeman," adds art director Vladimir Semenets. The town itself is a micro sandbox of usable objects, working vehicles, and non-linear paths, while Shevchenko states Tallboys has been working hard to build "an interesting gameplay system that allows the player to experiment." How you achieve that freedom, however, is up to you, as Militsioner's immersive sim structure is all about exploring the world, and figuring out potential avenues for escape. We’re just trying to capture our own sense of reality that surrounds us." And though the studio addressed these comparisons on Twitter (opens in new tab), Shevchenko says that political commentary was never the original intention: "People very often draw parallels between the political situation in our country, but we originally didn't even consider the political context in the game. Some have interpreted the titular policeman as a literal manifestation of Big Brother, particularly when it comes to the overreach of governments and their exploitation of law enforcement as a tool for oppression.Ī state-owned media channel within developer Tallboys' own nation, Russia, even recently suggested that Militsioner was an unpatriotic piece of "informational warfare". Shevchenko's comments speak volumes about the mercurial nature of Militsioner's subtext, from which different people will draw different messages. Four years on, Splatoon 2 is still the freshest shooter around
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