1000xRESIST Review

1000xRESIST is a game that hooked me right away with the visuals and its vibes. It stands out from everything else in the indie scene. The violent trailer, the music that followed, and the NieR Automata and Signalis energy it gave made me want to play this game immediately. And when I played it, I just couldn't put it down.

I'm getting ahead of myself, though. Let me start by giving you the premise of 1000xRESIST. It's Sunset Visitor's first game, published by Fellow Traveller. The publisher is known for endorsing other story-driven titles like Citizen Sleeper. That should give you an idea of what sort of game this is.

Yeah, it's an interactive adventure visual novel, and it is one of those narrative-heavy walking simulators that convert people to the genre. The story follows the Watcher, who starts off by committing an act of defiance.

You see the character you follow the most stab a character from behind with conviction. A rather strong start, I would say. You find out why she chooses to do this later in the story.

1000xRESIST is about a society of sisters, clones who worship and serve the original girl from whom they descended, the All-Mother. You are cast into the role of The Watcher, one of six sisters with a very special position in the community.

She is tasked with having communions, which flashback into what was happening and her experiences with the All-Mother. These are actual flashbacks through which you learn what happened in the world outside their colony, why the All-Mother created the clones in the first place, and how she became the person she is today.

The Watcher can relive past memories of Iris, the All-Mother, and interpret her past experiences through communions with the help of an AI known as a secretary. Each of these girls has a job within the group that matches their name, such as Noer and Bang Bang.

Their mission requires them to blindly accept jobs until the Allmother invites them to join her. However, a recent graduate named Fixer discovers a series of conspiracies. The Watcher then pulls at it. While it takes time for everything to become clear, you can tell something is wrong with the entire operation. We can learn exactly what happened thanks to Iris' memories.

With 1000xRESIST being based on memories, we can see what led the Watcher to that exact point while also learning the rules of this futuristic world. It's difficult to describe in a review format, but there was essentially an invasion combined with the spread of a disease. A girl named Iris is immune to this disease and serves as a model for the Watcher and her sisters.

Aside from exploring the world and uncovering the story, the ability to jump between points in time to relive the memories of a person who appears to be the sole survivor of a world-ending event is the most notable feature. The story begins with you stabbing the All-mother in the back, and it's a thrilling journey from there to discover the context of that act and learn Watcher's backstory and what drove her to commit this crime.

Games that are mostly about walking around and talking to people don't usually hold my interest, but the way 1000xRESIST tells its story is so compelling that I couldn't look away.

There are few puzzles and no combat—the majority of the gameplay consists of running around various locations and occasionally passing through ring-like markers in specific flashbacks. What's especially cool is that you'll occasionally have to travel back and forth in time, and the environment changes seamlessly around you as the days pass and the story advances.

In addition, the game frequently changes camera angles and perspectives. Some angles reminded me of anime, but the majority reminded me of a play, with the characters acting and the objects serving as props. It felt strange at first, but it quickly grew on me because it fit so well with the story and aesthetic.

The excellent soundtrack and outstanding voice acting also contributed to the overall success. The writing was already excellent, but the voice performances—both for the main and supporting characters—really elevated it. This is especially impressive, given that this is the developer's first title.

The science-fiction story and its exploration of themes piqued my interest the most. The concept of clones forming their own society and religion and worshiping their creator captivated me from the start. Each clone has a distinct personality, which raises numerous questions that piqued my interest throughout the game.

While getting answers piqued my interest, the game also delves into generational trauma and similar topics. If the game touches on something you can relate to, it may give you flashbacks, like it did for me.

The portrayal of these themes made me think about how trauma, upbringing, and culture can change people's beliefs and influence how they treat future generations. The game also goes on to explain how anyone can break this cycle by making better choices.

Resistance, in the sense of fighting for a better future no matter the cost, is one of the key themes in the story. 1000xRESIST explores this through its sci-fi storyline while treading real-world issues.

These are only a few of the many themes packed into its 10-15 hour runtime, but in terms of how it manages to get nonlinear storytelling right while juggling several complex plotlines at once, it's nothing short of audacious. The developers of Sunset Visitor manage to make it work in a way that is so much more engaging than a traditional narrative approach.

While the aesthetics house a distinct NieR-like, anime-inspired feel, the storytelling is much more toward Western style, which can be quite interesting to see. Writing-wise, it strikes a fine balance between the heavy themes and emotional arcs with ease.

The voice acting throughout all the characters was great. Most of them speak in a near-monotone fashion, perhaps not to disturb someone quietly reading in a library. At the same time, this could have been a ploy to mask their true emotions during conversations. The audio direction changes as you discover more about the world, which was neat to see from an indie team.

The storytelling of 1000xRESIST is excellent. It's one of the most imaginative stories I've seen in a game. The story's structure is ambitious, managing to show multiple storylines without being confusing.

If you like nonlinear storytelling in the style of Christopher Nolan films, you'll probably enjoy how this game handles its narrative. If you like a little thinking man's sci-fi à la Arrival or Moon, there's loads to get from it here.

With a lesser game, the myriad of heavy topics tackled all at once might have felt overwhelming or even heavy-handed. 1000xRESIST juggles all these themes without feeling disjointed. It's not easy to pull off, but the quality of the writing makes it appear effortless.

When the final cutscene and credits rolled, I felt like I could sigh with relief. It was as if I had lived multiple lives just by playing the game. But, as amazing as it was, I noticed a few flaws. The pacing in some of the later sections felt off, especially when you had to jump between points to advance the plot. Even with a map, navigating the hub area can be annoying at times. But these are only minor complaints.

All in all, 1000xRESIST is one of those titles that you're going to be thinking about long after the credits roll. Considering this is an indie title, it's a really great show of storytelling and world-building. The themes it tackles are pretty heavy and might not be for everyone, but I really can't see anyone leaving disappointed from a story like this. I wholeheartedly recommend this game to fans of narrative-driven adventures.