1984
The Orwell story of 1984 is coming to life in a different way with the recent announcement of the 1984 video game
Here we go with one more book getting brought to life in video game form with the announcement for 1984. Yes, that dystopian world is coming to life in a different way to retell the story to a whole new generation of humans out there. That is the goal of Inner Party anyway. To give us the same cautionary story of 1984 in a new digestible way on the PC. You know, because reading books and getting our narration in those mediums are no longer a thing and we need to have it all piped in via some other digital means out there. I jest and now am glad to share this full announcement with you.
Just as other games, like The Talos Principle, 1984 will be part walking simulator with parts of survival and adventure elements mixed in. All as the game also narrates the events to us all that would normally be read in our heads. It is a very decent way to share information with the current generation of players out there who need to be visually entertained and not need to read hours of text on a screen. Even if there is some commentary that 1984 has about all of that. I hope some of the irony is not lost on anyone with all of this. That and we can get more of the ideas in the next generation out there to make sure none of this actually comes to full light.
1984 — Announcement
Announcing 1984, a first-person survival adventure set in Orwel’s timeless dystopia coming to PC on Steam. As Winston Smith, you must carefully plot your secret rebellion against Big Brother, while avoiding the suspicions of the Thought Police. Adaptation by the Narrative Designer of Subnautica, Talos Principle, and FTL.
1984 is part walking simulator, part adventure, and part survival game. Each day you go to work, acquire the resources you need to stay alive by whatever means necessary and conduct your illicit rebellion as surreptitiously as possible. Your actions are largely narrated from Orwell’s original prose, but you’ll have many opportunities to make personal and dialog choices that redirect the story.
Major Features:
- Fully-Realised 3D Dystopia: Explore iconic locations from Airstrip One, including Winston's flat, the Ministry of Truth, and Room 101, all rendered in Unreal Engine 5.
- Choices Matter: Burn the diary, inform on your comrades, and save yourself.
- Complete Audiobook: Orwell's novel is narrated as you play.
- Survival Gameplay: Work to earn your rations, trade essential goods, and do whatever it takes to survive.
Things You Can Do in This Game:
- ‘Rectify’ History: Work at the Ministry of Truth to forge articles in favor of The Party, earn money, and maintain your cover.
- Manage Your Relationships: Start an illicit affair, decide which of your comrades you can trust (if any), and always say the right things at the right times to avoid suspicion.
- Handle Revolutionary Documents: Write a diary confessing your hatred for Big Brother, learn about the promise of Oligarchical Collectivism, or turn it all over to the Ministry of Love.
- Drink Victory Gin: Luxuries are in high demand, but just might keep you going for one more day.
I am always torn when it comes to game announcements like 1984 here. Some of it feels as if it is needed to get some of the classic thoughts and stories out there, yet some of it feels like it might just be better to have the user take a break and read. In the end, we will have to wait and see how well this version of 1984 goes out there. Given the current state of the world out there, we might need to lean further into these interactive forms of things to keep everyone engaged and thinking for themselves. An art that the human race keeps on forgetting is out there in general. Then again, we would all be out of jobs if that was the full case.
How are you feeling about 1984 getting a video game based around it all and will this be a good thing? Do you think that it will function way better with the narrative being dictated out as we play the events or will it always be a work that should have been read? Will the current generation understand the lessons of it all better in this form or will it be lost in the mix just as other games that tried the same have gone through? Head down to the comments and then feel free to discuss it all as we always do. When we have anything more to share for 1984, we will have it on the site for you. Please keep on checking in for all of that and more.
