Event[0] Review

I’ve never been more fascinated and intrigued by Event [0]. And truthly it has to be a game that you need to experience yourself. Developed by Ocelot Society, Event [0] is a sci-fi narrative where you have to navigate an abandoned space station and talk to the lonely AI onboard to find a way back to Earth.

Event [0] is all about exploration and while it is possibly considered a walking simulator, Event [0] is different. Where many other titles within this side of gaming offer little to no mystery or intrigue, Event [0] is an experience that will keep you delving deeper into the rabbit hole.

From the onset, you are provided with a catered introduction. Like a choose your own adventure you’re given choices on how you fulfill your dream of going into space. As the words appear you choose where you grew up, what kind of person you are and more. While doing this the narrative continues and reveals your unfortunate and unavoidable circumstance. You become lost in space. Fearing for your life in the darkness of space, you try to find solace, but all was lost, that was till you discover hope in the distance. That’s when your journey begins.

You’re not alone. Upon arrival of the station, you’re greeted by Kaizen, an artificial AI there to provide a conversation, assistance and most importantly guidance. What makes Event [0] believable is the AI of Kaizen. He could be considered a simple chatterbox, but he’s much more. Through his guidance, you’ll learn more about the station and find a way home.

Kaizen is an unusual but welcoming companion. Any other exploration title would place you somewhere and leave you discover things for yourself and while you can here, it’s far more fascinating to discover and explore through the power of speech. Communication is key and as you play you will be typing a lot. Movement is handled using the mouse, left click and right click are backwards and forwards respectively, your keyboard does the rest.

Kaizen while competent enough to understand 90% of what you say, he isn’t perfect. He won’t be able to tell you everything and anything but will comprehend and understand most commands, even to the point where you could confidently have a conversation with him.

Interaction is key, but it’s not just about having a chat. You have to explore your environments, make your way through the station and solve the mystery. There are puzzles to solve, some found around posted on notes or hidden away in rooms. Throughout the station are terminals beside doors and within rooms all with Kaizen. Kaizen will react differently depending on your interaction. If you’re pleasant he’ll be more open and kind, but if you’re aggressive or demanding his mood will reflect this in his responses. Certain actions can done through Kaizen such as exploring the ships logs and opening or unlocking doorways and mechanisms, but it’s all on you how you talk with and build a relationship with Kaizen that determines your success. You just have ask the right questions and find the clues.

Event [0] is immense with atmosphere. Visually inspired by the likes of 2001: Space Odyssey, the world is design to be retro-futuristic and this is carried out throughout the environments of the station. You’re in a world where technology and space travel was possible in the 80’s and the 80’s early 90’s decor is apparent throughout. The issue though is that the game itself is relatively demanding. I didn’t have much performance problems, but I couldn’t keep a constant frame rate, it’s heavy on lighting and post-processing effects and even toning down the options had little to no effect to performance.

It’s difficult to speak more without delving into the story or spoiling. Event [0] is a unique experience and worthy anyone’s time. Especially for those interested into the sci-fi genre and has a fascination of artificial intelligence. I would only wish it were longer, the narrative can be completed within three hours, perhaps longer if you stay to chat with Kaizen and explorer the ships logs, but even then Kaizen will only have so much to say. Fortunately, there are multiple endings so there is replayability, but at £14.99 it’s whether you’re willing pay a high price for such a unique experience.