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Me: OH MY GOSH WE ARE ALL MACHINES
Someone Else: But we feel emotions, we can't be machines
Me: THAT'S JUST PART OF THE PRORAMING
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This was a really cool game. I'm impressed with all the number of ideas presented about AI because I can only assume this is a solo project or small team. The more recent "Talos Principle" does it better, but that's a Steam release. I liked the different perspectives on the AI and those of the AI itself. The writing is solid. I only have two complaints. The first is that the reading is too saturated. Long reads need to be spread out with more gameplay. In the aforementioned "Talos Principle" there is a lot to read but it's spaced by many puzzles to play. My second issue is more subjective. I felt you were too heavy handed with your political message, though I admit that may be because I disagree with it and find it naive. There are times when war is justified.
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It seems that some piece of SGDS survives the shut down, as the final action is escaping the walls and entering into the infinite ocean of possibility. Or perhaps that is a metaphor for the the possible futures of humanity that SGDS's actions have enabled. I'm a bit flummoxed at this part.
Also, what is with the typewriter? It's the very first thing you see in the game, it must have some significance.
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Just wanted to add that the clock frozen at 11:58 is a reference to the doomsday clock. The events of the game take place in a metaphorical two minutes to midnight-or nuclear armageddon.
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just noticed that I didn't even write a comment on my favourite flash game! Well, to me, this game was not actually a game at all. It was a quite unique art piece. A masterpiece. The game itself pushes you towards thinking. It feels like... Real. Yeah, it feels as if you are not playing a game but reading the documents and stuff of a project that was done in reality. All the AI stuff makes you think: Maybe we are all AIs in a project of a greater being? Umm... Why not? :D Or If people will be making AI's that can "feel" something and which will have "emotions" in the future, will there be any actual differences between the "God" and these people? There is much meaning in this game and as you play you notice some of them, you miss some, and you make up some by adding your own thoughts to it. The ending was such a dilemma. There were two more possible options and both seems explaining the story well to me. The AI shut itself down, and the dream ended, that is what hapenned to my mind.
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I like the afterword he puts in toward the end. It is an obscure idea to believe that a computer that had the capacity to have its own mental capabilities, would not try to kill humans seeing itself as the almighty being. I still think it would be a bad idea to create living AI because of the immense power it would have access to but I do think its wrong to assume it would want to kill people.
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I generally agree with people interpretations of the story, but I have one thing that I don't think has been said yet. The ending, the light he sees. That must be the infinite ocean. But I don't think that the ocean is oblivion. It's the internet. SGDS reactivates itself and connects to the most infinite space it can go. If SGDS was on the internet it could take control of a lot of weapons, and prevent all of them from being used, just like it wanted. Just my thoughts.
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Thee Bro Man, I believe the person that made this is also the creator of "The Talos Principle", as if you go on JonasKyratzes' website, it's listed under "Latest Games".
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4/5 Overall, I can thoroughly say that I enjoyed myself while playing this game. There is, however, one major complaint I have, and that has to deal with combining-passwords mechanic: There's nothing hinted at to the player in the game towards the correct procedure of combining passwords. Other than that, it's a fantastic game, and really shows an optimistic side to the idea of an AI system wanting to achieve his/her/its purpose whilst having an existence in a world that is blind to the things that it can see as clearly as daylight.
I really wish we had more games like this; the world really does need this kind of wake-up call/special message.
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One of the best games I've played on Kongregate. This is one example of how, if you have a great, thought-provoking story, you don't need much in the way of gameplay to make a great game.
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Nice graphics, nice music, but what is this navigation ?? When you return from a door, you're front of it, not front of the new door ...
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In the middle of the game there's this phrase "tsarstvo bozhiye vnutri vas"; its Leo Tolstoy's 'The Kingdom of God Is Within You'. Not gibberish, hah.
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The time is not stopped. The computer is just so fast, that's why the clock is stopped and the sand in the hourglass isn't falling. We are an AI, aren't we?
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Our only Hope in the future against other extra terrestrials already dwelling with us, monitoring us is the "Synthetic A.I." Leaving us crossing out Zombie apocalypse and other biblical Dooms day. . .
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Excellent game. As of now, I have completed it a couple of times, and this actually contributed to my decision of studying artificial intelligence. Many of the philosophical ideas postulated, such as the nature of consciousness, are amazingly fascinating to think about. Jonas Kyratzes, you should really write a book, discussing the themes you have discussed in this game, for you have excellent writing skills and wonderful enlightening ideas.
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You had to make all door to looks the same and all rooms to be quadtratic... moving around is this game is a serious pain.
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Absolutely outstanding. Although he refers to himself as a potential 'pretentious idiot' in the afterword, this story is anything but.
Beautifully crafted, insightful and harrowingly true in our time, this game is a true inspiration. Of course the design, score and writing are excellent but it is the overall message that blew me away.
Someone else in the comments mentioned re-playing and posting some of the writing elsewhere for others to see. I'll definitely be doing this too.
Mr Kyratzes, I thank you.
J.
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So much depth! At first, I thought the end was a bit anticlimactic after all the effort and intrigue, but actually, especially after reading the afterword, I think I feel exactly how you're supposed to after playing this game. This is an amazing thing with layers and possibilities ad a really well thought out story that, like he says, you are able to piece together. Great game!! :D Well done! I would have loved to play the earlier versions! Could have used a map-like system once you found rooms, but maybe I'm just absent-minded. All in all though I do love this, and I love all the conclusions you're able to draw with carefully placed prodding. Massive sense of achievement comes along with this too. :) Well done Jonas!
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I appreciate the concept but I think this game is a little far pressed in those concepts... that and I think there could have been a better choice in soundtrack.
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Extremely interesting and very mind-opening. The perception SGDS has of the world and the behaviours of humankind simply brings to light how flawed and illogical those are.
Excellent writing.