Nothing has felt this destructively satisfying since Red Faction. But oh my goodness, at what cost? Virtue and a Sledgehammer is a game that is, on one level, about smashing down buildings with a massive hammer, and on another, it’s a melancholic exploration of the nature of humanity and consciousness. The two do not seem natural companions, and yet they combine here in such a fascinating way.

You play as Pratelle, a young adult who has returned to her hometown after the death of her mother. And instead of therapy, “you chose the brave option, a sledgehammer.” You’re here to smash everything, to destroy your past, as you wrestle with the memories of your childhood. As you arrive in town, you open the trunk of your car to retrieve your sledgehammer, and don’t even remark on the body of your mother that lies in there too.

The town is now…populated by robots. Look, bear with me here, this isn’t nearly as silly as it sounds. Just how much of Virtue and a Sledgehammer is allegory and how much is literal is, I think, very much up to you, but its science-fiction plot does what science fiction is meant for: it speaks about our reality through its unreality. Pratelle is looking for Nina, her genius sister who herself became obsessed with the nature of what makes a person themself, and in Pratelle’s way are a lot of walls and buildings and robots that claim to be the living consciousnesses of the people who once populated this town.

Source link