I briefly mentioned completing 1000xResist on bluesky, and, it’s been one of those games that’s continued to stick with me over the past few days… Just really sunk it’s teeth in.
First, I love that the definition of “video game” can be so broad. From Pac-Man to Doom to Baldur’s Gate 3 to Stray Gods, there are so many different interpretations of this form of entertainment that engage in such profoundly different ways; it is just fascinating. 1000xResist is one of those interesting and different reaches. Genre-wise, I guess it’s more “walking simulator” and less “visual novel”… maybe “narrative-something”. but it primarily tells a compelling and well-written story. And, oh, hekki grace does it.
The game loop is weird. You don’t really do very much. You walk around and primarily just talk to people… and yet I was so riveted—I stayed up until 2 a.m. one night because I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.
It hit on some deeply emotional levels for me. The feeling of isolation. Some post-pandemic feelings of being scared and wearing masks. What does it mean to be a good parent? What does it mean to live a good life? What does it mean to be alive? The week that I played this, I also was listening to the Magnificent Jerk podcast, and (as a white male), getting to first-hand experience some of the Asian immigrant experience really hit me. It humanized, in such a powerful way, the high expectations asian dad meme.
I also cannot say enough about the Voice Acting. It was soft yet powerful. There was a flow to the dialoge that felt natural, rhythmic… almost like a dance. While in Persona, even though I loved almost all of those VAs, I’d still get to the point where I’d speed-read and skip their delivery… in this? Not once. It was about the delivery.
Especially Jaio’s character. Sunny Daydream (the performer): you killed it.
And the music. Oh, the mood it created. It always hit on the important storyline beats and left you wanting for more. It was subtle and masterful. Perfectly fitting.
I’m trying to avoid any spoilers in talking about it… but good grief, it left me at some points head-scratching, and at some points crying. What an incredible expression of art. Like a Nier: Automata, or Death Stranding this felt like a push or flex of the medium… continuing to define “what is a video game?”.
Hekki Grace, sister. Hair to hair.