good cyberpunk: Hypnospace Outlaw
good cyberpunk: Hypnospace Outlaw
cross-posted from: https://awful.systems/post/252151
Hypnospace Outlaw is that funny meme game with the pizza dance. it’s also a leftist parody of the California Ideology and some of the factors that led to the bursting of the dot com bubble. crucially, it’s also a whole lot of fun to play — it’s a very good point and click mystery adventure that takes place on a faithfully rendered and authentic-feeling version of a networked computer in the 90s, crafted by someone who absolutely knew what they were doing with the time period and aesthetic.
above all, it’s one of the better cyberpunk games I’ve played, though I can’t really explain why without spoiling the ending. Hypnospace Outlaw can be finished fairly quickly, so I encourage anyone who hasn’t to give it a play or at least watch a playthrough from a non-annoying YouTuber. ending spoilers follow:
the game’s author, Jay Tholen, is currently in progress on its sequel, Dreamsettler. I can’t wait for more good cyberpunk.
Heck yes, I binged this game over a weekend where I didn't see many other people and it put me in a weird headspace that was perfect for this game. I really enjoyed it, very unlike anything else I've played. If you're just playing it to beat it, you might not enjoy it, is my guess. But if you're in the mood to dig in a bit more it's a lot of fun to learn about the characters through the different websites and messages.
I've recommended this game to friends and coworkers and I don't think any of them have gone for it. Ah well. This game will always hold a special little place in my heart.
EDIT: If you weren't alive back in the days of AOL and angelfire/geocities/Myspace websites, you might not enjoy this game as much. I think you might still enjoy it, but the nostalgia feeling for that bygone age was a big part of the appeal for me.