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<center>![Screenshot 2018-11-12 20.59.12.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bengy/23tSf19AYDsmcCYN1NjjQbhLqDF3gLvfXgHTkanHTR4afCRs85vfAWvMrLxMSN3Csccm7.png)</center>

Orwell was released in 2016 by developers Osmotic and it is an interesting experiment in storytelling in game design. It is best described as a visual novel type of game, where you are uncovering the story as you piece together clues and events from eavesdropped emails and phone calls. 

As hinted at in the title of the game, the game deals with a near omnipotent government agency that helps to keep the peace in your nation. You serve as a cog in the bureaucracy, an investigator who feeds clues to the surveillance system named Orwell. 

A number of other games have taken this "government" cog approach to gaming, but have often played around with the balancing of enforcing government dictates with the character's personal life. In the case of Orwell, the story takes place only in the surveillance office and does not cross over into the personal life of the player character. 

# <center>The Setup</center>

<center>![Screenshot 2018-11-12 20.59.22.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bengy/242XyXLCcoZXVnoDLLtYh2SJfaRBG2NisFKFvKeHW9LyteStR7uBKv7iEDctHVMAwNWyg.png)</center>

You play as the nameless character in the surveillance machinery, newly inducted into the department. As luck would have it, you are immediately tasked with investigating a recent bombing at the Freedom Square.... so many characters in games lead such interesting lives!

<center>![Screenshot 2018-11-12 21.00.00.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bengy/23uQC7fKALv9we1JFurRbzJioRsxRpkwLXRbVxmMVDgNY6XRhnqBdEkxtwKPUfd9DRkJ1.png)</center>

It is a pretty weighty task to give to a novice inductee into the system, but you are initially walked through by your supervisor (Symes). You start to find out that the state has tapped into every camera feed and communications channel in the nation... and from there, you get your first clue. A positive match on a suspect who had previously had some connections with an earlier disturbance of the peace. 

# <center>The Game</center>

<center>![Screenshot 2018-11-12 21.01.24.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bengy/23w33pKogk3brLk4wzY465p3pyeQenPMLUoe8Vqb8bFLpKdDAYoyZCF8qf8eg2sFajcz2.png)</center>

The game plays out fully in the virtual interface that you have with the Orwell surveillance network. Everything is quite clearly and boldly laid out, and you have access to tapped communications and lots of websites. Sadly, the surveillance employees seem to have quite restricted internet access... so, you are only allowed access to relevant websites! 

There isn't too much to say about the actual game mechanics as this is much closer to a novel than a "game". 

<center>![Screenshot 2018-11-12 21.04.24.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bengy/243BkeRrfv9HscCDWu18artfuU6T9hXor984rg4AVXcqddMUAQwnmrHtgZcQP3VNHc5hk.png)</center>

As you gather up clues and hints from government and private servers, you start to grow a network of people and place connections. Everything is loaded up into various profiles and uploaded into the Orwell database. 

<center>![Screenshot 2018-11-12 21.10.53.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bengy/23tHR5NYPVoKJSHFm5CSXS4FbnJciHsCA7QCiwwgSqEZeydvpLoCTtbALE9XTgqE9rYFJ.png)</center>

Snippets of conversations and email can also be harvested for additional information to build out the various character profiles. All of this is done through a click and drag interface, and through the investigation, you will be looking for various discrepancies and information that is relevant to the progress of the case to add to the profiles. 

There are a number of red herrings scattered throughout the investigation materials, and tripping these will hamper the investigation. So, it isn't merely a dragnet operation... however, the game appears to be quite forgiving in the this aspect, the storytelling is more the focus of the game rather than the puzzle mechanics. 




<center>![Screenshot 2018-11-12 21.20.06.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bengy/23z7QDShYa5HGtB7KNommMGyb74zMnLGEex3a6vNZEBDwJPfySHUPPUujgVU9Kr1nswWp.png)</center>

Occasionally you will need to resolve a conflict between two pieces of information that were gathered from different sources, but it is unclear how this affects the outcome of the story if at all. But it is clear that the initial investigation in a "simple" bombing seems to have much deeper roots into the heart of the government and the elite of society. 

<center>![Screenshot 2018-11-12 21.38.53.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bengy/23uEzG1zH8qH8shiKWZ9zRHGXtjndbFoF14q6X5zgvn7MLbFSNg47uK19XvPkZ8XxPdpc.png)</center>

At the end of each day, the consequences of your data submissions is tallied up and resolved. Although it is tempting and almost encouraged to submit all the data that comes across your desk, it appears that there are changes in the storyline that will occur in response... however, it isn't always completely clear what happened in response to what information, and story-based games are hard to play multiple times with the same level of enjoyment!

# <center>Visuals, Sound and Performance</center>

<center>![Screenshot 2018-11-12 21.18.22.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bengy/23tcEdMtrL79PeZkB5D5mURR9tSTUc5JK7NtMHvciWdVgxY2btRq5FRKLf2m7YwnDxtVy.png)</center>

The entire game plays out in the simulated desktop world of the Orwell surveillance machine, with only static pages and displays. I would hazard the guess that this game would likely run on pretty much any machine manufactured in the last decade. Actually, if you can run a web browser, I wouldn't be surprised if you could also run this game!

# <center>My Thoughts</center>

I really do love the story-based games that are more akin to a novel with light puzzling elements. The player character is being told a story, but with some interaction to keep the interest and to potentially alter the outcome. However, these sorts of games lack replayability... once you have completed the game, it is a bit tedious to play through again to try and get different outcomes. It definitely is possible to do, but it isn't something that appeals to me. 

So, with that said, I would definitely recommend Orwell to those who enjoy a light bit of storytelling. The puzzles are not difficult at all, and the story is interesting if a bit cliched. The game interface is mostly intuitive and easy to use, and it is obvious that this is a game that is pitched at the casual (non-hardcore) gamer. 





# <center>Review Specs</center>

DELL XPS15 (9560)


CPU: i7-7700HQ
RAM: 16 GB
Storage: SSD
GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050





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# <center>Splinterlands (aka the best blockchain game out there!)</center>
<center><a href="https://splinterlands.io?ref=bengy"><img src=https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/steemmonsters/guQaRL9o-120splinterlands202400.png><br/></a></center>


# <center>[Humble Bundle](https://www.humblebundle.com/monthly?refc=Zio8ho)</center>

Have you heard of [Humble Bundle](https://www.humblebundle.com/monthly?refc=Zio8ho)? It's a place to get some really great deals on Games, e-books and comic bundles. However, if you sign up for a [Humble Bundle](https://www.humblebundle.com/monthly?refc=Zio8ho) Subscription (12 USD per month) you get some really nice bonuses!

1. A 100+ USD bundle of games delivered direct to you each month, redeemable on Steam, Uplay or direct download (depending on the game). This includes recent Triple A games! 
2. Access to the [Humble Bundle](https://www.humblebundle.com/monthly?refc=Zio8ho) "Trove", a list of 60 games (and growing...) which are free to play as long as you remain a subscriber!
3. Additional Discounts on the [Humble Bundle](https://www.humblebundle.com/monthly?refc=Zio8ho) store, with the choice of supporting charities, [Humble Bundle](https://www.humblebundle.com/monthly?refc=Zio8ho) or developers in whatever percentage that you wish!

[Humble Bundle](https://www.humblebundle.com/monthly?refc=Zio8ho) Subscriptions, it's a no brainer for the dedicated gamer!






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