Simulacra

Simulacra is surprisingly engaging for a game that takes place completely on the screen of a found smart phone. With well-drawn characters, a gripping story, and one foot planted firmly in the real world, the suspense of Simulacra entertains quite well. Never truly chilling, Simulacra is nonetheless a unique suspense mystery that is well worth a look.

The studio clearly sees potential in the format as a storytelling platform, and I definitely want to see them refine it in the future.

Despite its issues, Simulacra still kept me hooked for the duration of my playthrough. I’m not sure I’ll want to jump back in any time soon, but I’m glad I snooped on Anna’s phone and found out what happened to her. However, if you have a PC, perhaps play it on there: not only is it easier to navigate than the console release, it’s also less than half the price on Steam. But if you don’t mind coughing up, Simulacra is a fair addition to the ever-growing FMV genre.

Such questions surround SIMULACRA: a tech thriller in the vein of Black Mirror that is told primarily through text messages. Upon finding the phone of a girl named Anna, you quickly learn that she’s in some sort of peril. The phone glitches out, showing a video of her terrified state, and incoming messages quickly make it clear that she’s gone without a trace. From there, it’s a matter of exploring the phone, piecing together clues to uncover secrets, and making decisions about who might help or hinder you.

If you've enjoyed similar games, Simulacra will be right up your street. Its story is creepy and unpredictable, with the variety in gameplay keeping you engaged, even if it drags towards the end.

Flawed it may be, but Simulacra is an interesting thriller in which you get to play detective. The found phone concept is a smart hook, while the storytelling delivers a yarn that will keep you engaged from beginning to end.

Simulacra excels in premise alone. By the end of the game, I found myself wondering when a better game with this kind of concept will be released. It suffers from an identity crisis. It started out as an enticing murder mystery game, and wound up a tired metaphor.

If the story of finding a girl that’s missing under some very suspicious circumstances, while learning about who she really was, sounds interesting then you will definitely want to pick up Simulacra. But if you want a clean, simple experience that won’t tarnish your feelings on the story, then I cannot recommend playing the Switch port, especially if you have any vision issues that may prevent your ability to read the screen properly. Do yourself a favor and download this mysterious story...