Real Life- The Definitive Review Part 2

Shortest section for part 2/3.

Narrative-wise, the game provides an endless choice of options and paths to take. The overarching plot is a fairly basic three-part plot- you’re born and spend the first few years learning about yourself and who you are, you go to school and then university to learn the skills required for the rest of your experience, and then you have the rest of the game time to utilise these skills in any way you see fit. The common route to take is to get a job relating to whichever skills you were assigned when you started, and slowly rise the ranks in this job until you are the best. Most players will have multiple skills and therefore quite a few options to choose from, as well as the ability to change should you feel like it.

                There are also multiple side-quests and sub-plots to indulge yourself in, including romance, family, hobbies and adventures. Some of these are quite questionable; romance plots can end suddenly and abruptly; family side-quests can be irretrievable if you leave them too long. Others can prove the best experiences of the game; exploring remote locations or participating in dangerous activities give a thrill unlike any other experience. You can enjoy these alone or with one or more of the endless cast of characters available. These characters are in the unusual position of having endless potential for diversity yet all being fairly similar. Regardless, time spent with these characters can lead to you developing a real connection with them, meaning that if you spend time with one character your relationship with them will improve leading to you being able to partake in more activities with them.

                The game has a rather odd game-over system. The developers opted for the ‘perma-death’ approach to death which is usually used when the game is based around the mechanic. In here it can be frustrating, as you can lose over 100 years of progress due to one small accident. There are endless theories as to what happens after the perma-death- some say that you respawn as another character will all memories wiped; others say you progress onto some post-game lobby known as ‘heaven’ or ‘hell’ depending on your actions within the main game. All we know is that we don’t know anything.
Tom Bedford doing his bit for the environment 16/10/2013 16:25