Welcome to the simulation
ESC is a free text-based adventure-like video game wherein you get to explore the strange digital circumstances of a futuristic world through its new internet hub. Developed by Radical Dreamland, this indie visual novel tells the separate stories of two characters, which you’ll live through as you explore the dialogue-heavy but immersive narrative. This is an interactive fiction story that brings together atmospheric elements to deliver a compelling reading experience.
Hours of juicy entertainment
In ESC, you follow two characters closely. There is the role-player Raine, who’s having a fantasy world adventure in the old text-based world of the VerdaMUCK chatroom network. And there is also the bold and mysterious Navigator, who’s publishing a series of editorial pieces about internet conspiracies they’re unearthing. It’ll soon become apparent that you will switch back and forth between their perspectives to get a better grasp of the futuristic world they live in.
What’s interesting about this game is that while at first, it looks like you’re going to be doing text-based commands to stir the plot, you’re just going through a memory stored away in the archives, and it’s Raine who’s in control. You only have to press a key to continue. Even with the Navigator’s messages, you’re just reading it, and there are no choices to be made.
However, while there aren’t any meaningful player inputs, the story is compelling enough to make you progress the memories. The world-building is hidden in the text, and with the help of atmospheric audio and cool glitch art graphics, the narrative takes you to places you wouldn’t be expecting as soon as you started the game. The only possible setbacks to your experience are some resolution problems with lower resolution sizes and devices.
Dive into the cyberspace
Overall, ESC is an amazing abstract visual novel that emphasizes dialogue writing and the evolution of technology. With two memorable protagonists and the characters who surround them, it’s easily immersive when delving into the stories. Even with the resolution issues, the game is a solid title with highly-artistic creativity—all packaged into a fun text adventure. This game is highly recommended for any fans of old role-playing servers and the cyberpunk genre.
