Observer Review: Disturbing Consciousness

The end of a cigarette ignites and illuminates a cold, grizzled face cut deeply with scars and wrinkles. The fingers which hold the cigarette aloft are run through with metallic plates and cables; at first glance you wouldn't know that the hand belonged to a man at all. This is Daniel Lazarski, an augmented cop on the trail of his estranged son, and Observer details the events of that search in Poland's not-so-distant dystopian future.

Observer is a narrative-driven, cyberpunk-noire adventure that mixes standard investigative gameplay with some truly novel, psychedelic elements that will have you doubting the reality of the ground you walk on by its end. Bloober Team tells a dark and gripping story that is driven forward by the inestimable Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner, Sin City), who gives a fantastic performance as our lead protagonist.

The story begins with Daniel Lazarski reluctantly venturing into the grimy heart of Poland's housing slums. This is where the hopelessly addicted and neglected go to live out the end of their short lives along with the unfortunate fools who have augmented themselves beyond recognition or function. Shortly after your arrival, a seemingly routine lockdown is triggered, trapping you inside of the complex along with its residents, who you'll need to interview and investigate as you search for your son. Not twenty minutes into the game you'll discover your first mutilated body -- the first of many -- and a much larger mystery begins to unfold.

The titular "Observer" refers to Lazarski himself, as he's be outfitted with multiple technological enhancements and implants which enable him to tap into and observe the memories and fears of certain victims and suspects. In a world where war, digital plague, rampant crime, and government corruption are commonplace, the average man's fears provide a Hellish landscape through which you must wade for clues.

These "Observer" sequences make up the most intense and, sometimes, the most frustrating stretches of gameplay in Observer. On one hand, they provide a much needed break from the type of video game detective work we're used to. The majority of your snooping in the real world consists of searching for missing numbers you need to unlock doors or trigger locks, but tapping into someone's mind as an observer completely obliterates and replaces your reality altogether.

While wandering the dark and shifting corridors of the human mind you'll encounter all kinds of strange things. The most important things are the memories and visions, of course, but you will not procure these without some effort. In fact, you'll be lucky if you can escape with them and make it back to reality. You'll make repeated ventures into the depths of consciousness throughout Observer, and with each submersion you'll come closer and closer to something altogether foreign; something that senses you and is hunting you.

These psycho-digital adventures will scramble your senses and unsettle you. At times they'll challenge you, but for the most part the puzzle-solving and stealth segments are more trial and error than anything else. Plug 'thing A' into 'thing B' and explore; Meet an obstruction; Poke more things and plug more things, and keep exploring; Come across some doors; Walk through a few until you choose the one that doesn't lead you back to where you started; Avoid some search lights.

These puzzles and objectives break up the Observer sequences just enough to prevent the game from turning into a walking simulator, but in this humble reviewer's opinion, we would have been better off with fewer of them. At times they serve as vehicles for exposition and story-telling, and I also understand that at times they're used to convey a sense of sanity unhinged, but more often they simply serve to obstruct your progress. More than once I found that I was entranced and enchanted upon entering a victim's mind, but quite ready to leave by the time my departure arrived.

It's a small complaint, especially in light of the grander experience that Observer is offering. Make no mistake, this is a clever and profoundly disturbing mystery that will suck you in and captivate you until its closing moments. There are no other games like this right now, and very few priced this aggressively. For $30, this is one rabbit hole you can't pass over. Buckle up, make your descent, and check your expectations at the door.

WWG's Score: 4 / 5