A little less conversation, a little more action, please. Lyrics don’t get more popular than that, and yet it’s this Elvis Presley quote that Subsurface Circular flies directly in the face of. From the mind behind Thomas Was Alone, Mike Bithell’s latest outing is all about the spoken interaction, and it makes for one very special experience.
The entirety of Subsurface Circular takes place inside a single train carriage, with you assuming the role of a robot, who is referred to as a 'Tek'. Every android is programmed to perform a specific role, and after a fellow passenger tells you about his missing friend, it’s a good job you’ve been wired up as a detective.
This only scratches the surface, however, as you begin to uncover a conspiracy of multiple disappearances. To say much more would step into spoiler territory, but it’s fair to say that things escalate magnificently. You’ll take great care in your dealings with every Tek you come across, as you question them on anything they’ve seen that could be deemed suspicious, or influence them into revealing a secret. Twists and turns also keep you on your toes, with genuine surprises turning proceedings on its head. This all culminates in a final chapter that has to be some of the best storytelling we’ve come across.
Presented with a choice, you’ll have to deal with the consequences no matter which side you pick, as what started out as a simple inquiry turns into a situation you feel is way over your head. This is an incredible plot that grows and grows from the word go, with curveballs thrown into the mix that you would never have guessed to be tackled by a seemingly simple game such as this, as well as a conclusion that had us both mesmerised and feeling a little bit too guilty because of our actions.
Carrying out your detective work is done by interviewing the various Teks that join you in the train carriage. The gameplay loop is based around the conversations you have, as you select who to talk to, choose between dialogue options and then react to what they say. It’s simple, but it works flawlessly.
Some depth to the interactions can be found in the fact that due to you wanting to extract information out of someone, they’re going to want something in return. This sets up the conversational puzzles, where giving correct responses or gaining a piece of information from someone and then incorporating it into a separate discussion is the key to victory. The driving force behind these puzzles are the focus points, words or phrases that can be used as a topic of conversation to turn the chatter in your favour. You’ll gather so much more knowledge from using these after all other avenues have been exhausted, if a Tek is refusing to budge on some important intelligence, a focus point is most likely going to get what you want.
Thanks to never getting too complex, this conversational system is so much fun to engage with. Watching a focus point change the course of the communication is a joy as you uncover something meaningful, while the general chit chatter of the Teks is funny and engaging. With simple side objectives that seamlessly intertwine with the main plot, Subsurface Circular’s systems allow you to interact with and help the many just as much as the few.
The other robots you meet all come with their own personalities and traits, and they’re a bit of an odd bunch to say the least. One Tek will have you playing the role of a priest as they confess their sins, while another will only talk to you if you can convince their lover to leave the train. They’re all endearing in their own ways, and it’s entertaining to speculate just who you’ll meet next.
Subsurface Circular looks and runs like a dream in both docked and handheld mode, as we didn’t experience a single glitch or graphical hick-up during our time with the game. We were too busy being distracted by the thumping electronic soundtrack produced by Dan Le Sac, which goes a long way in setting the mysterious but exciting tone that pulsates throughout the entire experience. This is one you’ll want to have playing on your chosen music device long after you’re done with the title.
A single playthrough can be completed in two hours, and with the conversational system sticking to a linear path rather than allowing you to branch out, there isn’t much reason to return a second time for the core plot. However, completing the game unlocks developer commentary, which actually slots itself into the experience seamlessly in the form of an ever-present BithellBot on the train with you. You can talk to it just like any other Tek, asking it questions about the game’s development. Delving into the title’s code, design, art, and mechanics, you can get into the nitty-gritty of how it all came together.
Conclusion
Subsurface Circular is a landmark moment in interactive storytelling. The elegance of its escalation is simply unmatched, as it tells a story that makes you feel like you’re in completely over your head, and yet still perfectly believable. The characters you meet along the way all feel unique with their own personality, which makes interacting with them a test of wit and cunning as you use the conversational mechanics to their full effect. There’s nothing quite else quite like Subsurface Circular, and when that uniqueness is combined with the phenomenal narrative at hand, you have all the ingredients for a simply unforgettable and very special journey aboard the subway.
Comments 46
10. Called it.
....said no-one EVER!
How is the sound and music?
@Mortenb "We were too busy being distracted by the thumping electronic soundtrack produced by Dan Le Sac, which goes a long way in setting the mysterious but exciting tone that pulsates throughout the entire experience."
Doesn't look like something that will hold my interested. But, I'll look into it.
Despite the 10/10 rating, this really doesn't seem like my kind of game, as I'm not much of a reading person.
Interesting, wasn't expecting that. I'll have to look a bit more into this one and perhaps consider picking it up.
Only just noticed how cheap it is. Worth a go then.
sounds like an interesting game and for the price it seems worth a shot
There's NO way this game is better than Zelda, let alone anything else that Nintendo produces...
The way the text-based adventure mechanics are implemented is a curio, but from a different review I gathered that the game is laid with a political message delivered with all the subtlety of a brick to the face. This makes me skeptical of 10/10 scores on this, as I am never sure if the game is good or if the reviewer just happens to agree with the message, regardless of how well it is delivered.
I was always a person that priorities a good story over moral and doubly so with video games, where gameplay comes first. So I'm just going to wait for this game to be part of some humble bundle I'll buy for a different game entirely and play it then.
Woah... I just saw this in the shop yesterday and was like "it looks interesting, but I wonder what Nintendo Life has to say about it". Well, looks like I'll be giving it a go.
Well I didn't expect that at all. Guess I'll buy it tonight then.
I haven't even heard of this game before. There are so many eShop games nowadays that I can't keep up with them. That's why I always glance through any review NL puts out. I'll do some more research before deciding if I'll buy it or not but it sounds great.
I thought this game looked horrible but it's apparently good? I'll have to look more into this.
I'll have to watch some trailers of this. Reviews seem very positive elsewhere. I see that the game released on Steam over 6 months ago but the point is they got 20% off as a launch deal offer, Switch owners got no such discount.
Played this game, and I thought it was okay. It's a 2 hour interactive story, a decent one but not really 10/10 masterpiece material. It's worth it for the money, but this seems to really be overhyping it. I think anyone expecting one of the greatest stories in video games will come out quite disappointed.
Ok, I'm sold.
After the NintyLife Detention (a truly atrocious game) Review, I swore I'd never get burned again ... however ... since this is only £5 ... i'll take the plunge!
NL awesome reviews strike again! 😂
Better than BOTW....i think not 😒
10??? Really? Maybe an 8 max! But it's not that great lol
A 10?? Wow - I had zero interest in this game!! I’ll look deeper now..
Crikey. Was on fence about this!
This review + the price = I'm now going to give this game (that I was totally prepared to skip and relegate to the depths of the eShop library) a shot.
I don't agree with the score but if it's perfect for you guys then I may had to check it out.
Have finished this around, in total, 2 hours. Yes, the story is intriguing with quite stylish ambience. It is great 8-ish experience, but not perfect 10.
Well, I'm sold (If Hamster will let me...)
@fluggy You're the first person I've seen talk negatively about Detention. I've just about finished with it and thoroughly enjoyed it.Well worthy of a 9/10.Different strokes I guess.
Haha, completed this over the weekend in one sitting. As soon as I saw you'd posted the review, I thought "if this is below an 8 I will be pretty disappointed." So glad you guys enjoyed it as much as I did! To any on the fence, it's more of a short interactive story than a game. This makes it not very replayable, and if you're expecting gameplay you will be pretty disappointed. But the story is so damn good, and the price is so damn low, that it still gets a 10 from me. Utterly thrilling experience. My flatmate couldn't get a word out of me from when I started the game to when I finished it.
As a "video game" it's probably an 8, but as the piece of interactive storytelling it actually is, it's flawless.
@ThanosReXXX and @Tate24 I know you're probably joking but that isn't how score ratings work.
@Tate24 BOTW received a 10 as well though 😉
@fluggy Detention is getting high scores everywhere, not just on Nintendolife, is it possible your opinion can just differ sometimes? If you keep this in mind, and use reviews as pointers instead of the bible, it's impossible to get burned
@SmaggTheSmug You have a point and it's one that's hard to respond to without spoilers. But it's not as bad as you think, the game doesn't render a judgement either way as far I can tell. Although I have only played through once so I don't know what happens if you take the opposite standpoint to the one I did.
Maybe it's because I take my time with it, but I've passed two hours and don't think I am even close to the end with it. Then again I really take my time and although text adventure games aren't my forte, this game has me hooked. Glad I wasn't able to finish it in one single sitting thus far. And there are plenty dialogue options to make me want to play again and see the other possible responses while checking out the making of bot. The music, the art, the vibe... this game is something else. And you cannot go wrong for the price either.
So this is a conversation simulator?
Perfect 10 or not this just seems totally boring to me.
@SmaggTheSmug It's all the more telling when the game contains an unlockable developers commentary where Bithell himself admits that the immigrant, slave allegory in Subsurface Circular isn't perfect.
Holy CRAP I did not expect a 10. A game out of nowhere, and a 10 out of nowhere. I really should check it out.
I do not really agree on the score personally. I was instantly intrigued and played through the game in one sitting, but after the score the game got, I expected a lot more. I got the metaphors and analogies etc., however, I felt the ending was pretty cheap and unsatisfying. It reminded me of the Mass Effect ending tbh. I think from a narrative standpoint, there are better indies and even AAA titles out there.
But then again, also Journey on PS4 did not touch me AT ALL. It might come down to personal preferences
I thought it different and intriguing, but I wouldn't have thought it to get a 10/10. I still am too busy with other games, but I'll keep it in mind, for sure. If it gets a sale at its already tempting price, then I'll scoop it for sure.
I'm curious as to whether the reviewer is a big reader or not. I read excessively, and so a video-game interactive story would have to be pretty special to match the quality of fiction I've read over the years. Like I say, just curious
Nah... Someone's a bit hyped about this game. A 10 is just unobjective.
This isn't a game.
This whole review is absurd. NL is lowering their quality.
@Lina-MG
In what way is this not a game?
I certainly played it on my Nintendo Switch.
Like everyone else who has played this game I completely agree with this review. Stunning.
I played through and think it is far from masterpiece. A clever concept and good dialogue does not a perfect 10 make. I found it lightly entertaining at best, obvious and cloying at worst.
@Lina-MG What?.. not a game. Did u play it. Most definitely seemed like a game to me. Narrative was excellent as well.
@ThanosReXXX
Yeah, I know ratings are subjective but perfect ratings always make me very suspicious. This reminds me of a blind date you're being setup on and you keep being told they have a great personality.
10? Not a chance.
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