Rob reviews Encodya on Nintendo Switch...
Encodya is a point-and-click adventure title set within a sprawling cyberpunk world. Based upon an 11-minute short film called "Robot Will Protect You", Encodya follows Tina, a 9-year old orphan and SAM-53, her robot guardian. Developed by Chaosmonger Studios, Encodya aims to continue the themes set within "Robot Will Protect You" and the studio's live-action short "Attack of the Cyber Octopuses".
However, with such an abundance of sources, is this point-and-click adventure a masterpiece? Or is its meaning lost in translation? Come with me as I find out...
Set within a Blade Runner-esq world, Encodya sees you play as Tina, a 9-year old street orphan, and SAM-53, her robot guardian. Their goal is to journey across Neo Berlin whilst attempting to discover just why Tina is an orphan and to save the city from the menacing mayor.
Encodya plays like your traditional point-and-click adventure. Both Tina and SAM are playable characters with each doing something the other can not. For example, SAM can talk to his fellow robots and do the more heavy lifting, whilst Tina can communicate with certain humans (there's a distrust of robots), and do some more technical tasks (she likes to scavenge). Both are interesting to play as, and both offer a degree of atmosphere to the narrative.
The story is pretty clichéd, even though it does attempt to be different. Encodya almost feels like a social satire even though it claims to be neutral. The villainous Mayor is almost a caricature of a certain US President, and other characters sprout almost xenophobic rants about robots taking human jobs. The game takes place in Neo Berlin, which from its inhabitants is a pretty bleak city. The graffiti-laden walls and trash-filled streets hide a darker tone as most of the citizens are addicted to cyberspace. This virtual world is utilised by the major to somewhat pacify the citizens, whilst remaining in power. Even with such a dreary location, Neo Berlin oozes atmosphere with a visually pleasing ascetic all presented within a stylised 3D setting.
As you progress through the game, you'll explore more of this city. This is where Encodya both opens up and falls on its sword. Like most point-and-click adventures, Encodya will have you trawling through each area looking for mundane quest items. To complete some of these quests, you'll have to switch between Tina and SAM which offers some unique dialogue as some people will react differently depending on which character speaks to them. There's a lot of trial and error throughout the journey as you're never really given any hints on how to compete with your objectives. Considering there's also quite a lot of locations, looking for that one item does become a needle in a very large haystack.
For those wanting an easier time, there is an "easy" option. While it doesn't change too much, it does allow for hints to push you in the right direction and highlights useful items within the game world. If you're here for the story then this is how I'd recommend playing it.
All in all, Encodya is a title that I'm glad I experienced. Its 10+ hour story is full of ups and downs as Tina and SAM venture into the conspiracy they're unknowingly part of. Both characters and the supporting cast are incredibly well designed and the voice acting is superb throughout. The world of Neo Berlin is a great place to explore, with a superb atmosphere - even if the story paints it as a bleak place to live.
Rating 7.5/10
A code was kindly provided for this review
Encodya is out now and can be purchased via the Nintendo Switch eShop by clicking here.
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Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev
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