14 DAY TRIAL // 
It's a good time to be into adventure games right now, especially if you can stomach graphics that look two decades old.
Wadjet Eye Games have brought us another point and click gem, fashioned in the same oldschool style of all their games, and with the same quality we’re used to seeing by now.
This time around though, it's not delving into the esoteric world of ESP investigation and otherworldly perils that makes up the bulk of the experience, but taking a huge leap into the future, experiencing a cyberpunk adventure that has its roots firmly planted in the origins of the genre.
Setting
The action is set in 2087, in a city governed over by an all-seeing artificial intelligence, watching over each and every minute detail of its inhabitants' lives. It's a semi-dystopian future, because that same AI also looks after the citizens, concerned with their well-being, even when ignoring them basic liberties such as the option to commit suicide via metal fork.
Not the same can be said about the rest of the world though. Much like our world today, some places have it much worse than others, and while celebrities who are only famous for being famous flourish, in some areas the sky is permanently blackened due to pollution, while in others warlords genetically engineer weaponized humans.
Synthetic humanoids with complex personalities are becoming a more and more prevalent presence in the city, and even food replicators have their own AI. The fields of genetics and computing have merged, and aside from having eradicated all illnesses, mankind is now able to grow spare parts at will.
It's a big world to fit into such a tiny, pixelated frame, but Technobabylon manages to do it all, instilling in you a sense of wonder and immersion that few games today manage to. Maybe it has something to do with the amount of reading required, or to the stylized, lo-fi visuals that let your imagination fly a little wilder, but just like any good book, it's really hard to put Technocrat Games' adventure title down.
The cast
You experience the events of the game from the perspectives of its three protagonists, Latha Sesame, Max Lao and Dr. Charlie Regis.
Latha is a thrall, a recluse that spends all her time inside a vivid online simulation called Trance, reminiscent of the Matrix, only designed more for fun and games and less for going to a pretend 9 to 5 job and acting as a living battery for the evil robot overlords.
She, like many others, is an orphan raised by the city, unable to find employment for the past two years, living in a squalid government apartment, wearing recycled paper overalls, eating city-issued gray nutrient goo when she remembers to log off.
Dr. Regis is an oldschool kinda guy, playing the role of investigator for Central, the all-knowing and all-seeing AI governing over the city. He doesn’t like nor trust it, is not even connected to it at all times, and he’s part Bruce Willis detective, part brilliant genetic engineer trying to get away from a haunting past.
Max Lao, Dr. Regis’ partner, is his complete opposite. She embraces all technology, sees Central as an integral part of the city’s life, and always chastises Regis for his rebellious actions, however, she still considers his antiquated methods fascinating.
Gameplay
Things start out in Latha’s apartment, when a sudden power surge kicks her off the Trance and renders her captive. As the game plays in the classic point and click manner, you have to hover your cursor over the screen in order to discover points of interest, pick up the hints in the characters’ descriptions of them, and then solve various puzzles to progress.
After you solve her problem, the focus shifts to Regis and Lao, who are currently tracking a serial killer whose preferred method of homicide is yanking the mind out of his victims, a process known as mindjacking.
Central sends the team to investigate a site where the mindjacker is predicted to hit next, and after solving a few puzzles, things start getting complicated and alarm bells start ringing.
Granted, with the game being a cyberpunk themed one, you kind of expect conspiracies and covert operations to take the spotlight in any story. The three characters’ paths start to interweave, the plot thickens, and the world gets fleshed out clearer and clearer.
“The scenes showing events taking place in Regis’ past do a great job of putting everything into context, and you end up absorbed by the plot, unable to put the game down”
The great thing about Technobabylon is that it feels very organic, with each screen moving the story along. There aren’t many tedious instances where you have to backtrack through several areas, or locations that only serve as a barrier where you must solve a puzzle in order to progress.
Instead, everything ties into the story, develops the plot, or reveals events that are crucial to understanding the backstory and the state of current events.
Although the world design feels pretty standard, with skyscrapers, ubiquitous technology, decadence, huge gaps between the rich and the poor, pink mohawks, tattoos and implants, it’s presented in a way that makes it seem vibrant and alive.
The pacing is great, the writing is very good, there are even some plausible twists, the scenes showing events taking place in Regis’ past do a great job of putting everything into context, and you end up absorbed by the plot, unable to put the game down.
The shifts in perspective, being able to always know more about what’s going on than the characters, seeing how they misplace the blame for some of the things happening, it’s all masterfully directed and creates a ton of genuine tension.
Sound and visuals
If you’re not a fan of pixelated oldschool visuals, Technobabylon will prove to be an eye sore. However, it’s fantastic atmosphere and great writing more than make up for the low-fi presentation.
I feel like I have to address something here though, a lot of work was put into making sure that everything is as detailed as possible. Everything is incredibly vivid and suggestive of the cyberpunk adventure you’re undergoing, from the futuristic vistas to the neon-drenched, decrepit areas of the city.
Lighting and shadows are used very well, and the art direction is surprisingly good at fleshing out a convincing background for all the adventuring. Everything is meticulously crafted, especially when taking into account the relatively small number of pixels on the screen.
Another thing that complements your experience is the futuristic synth tracks accompanying you around town, fitting perfectly with the general pacing of the action.
What really knocks the experience out of the park though is the great voice acting, lending the characters weight and personality, and making them feel like genuine protagonists, and not just vectors for your clicks.
The Good
- Great pacing
- Enthralling story
- Solid voice acting
- Immersive
The Bad
- Low-fi visuals
- Some unintuitive interactions
Conclusion
It offers a riveting story and overall pretty good and challenging puzzles, which most of the time don’t feel like you’re just merely ticking the mandatory puzzle boxes because you’re playing an adventure game, but are instead integrated into the context and feel like a more natural part of progression, as opposed to an obstacle.
The world the game paints feels vivid and weighty, and the voice acting definitely helps with immersion. The visuals, although lo-fi, are very suggestive and evocative, and the writing is exciting, with twists and turns that keep you glued to the monitor.
Technobabylon is a must-play for every science fiction fan who enjoys point and click adventure games. Even if its low resolution façade puts you off, do yourself a favor and look beyond this impediment, as its personality will win you over in no time.
