State of Mind (video game)
A cyberpunk adventure exploring transhumanism in 2048 Berlin.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
State of Mind is a graphic adventure game from 2018, created and published by Daedalic Entertainment. The story takes place in a cyberpunk version of Berlin in the near future and deals with transhumanist ideas. Players control the game from a third-person view, with no combat; instead, they interact with characters, solve puzzles, and play mini games. The game was released for Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One in August 2018, and critics gave it mixed reviews.
In the game, players explore various locations and can scan and interact with many objects to learn more about the world. For example, they can look at photos of the main character Richard Nolan’s family. The plot follows Nolan, a journalist who wakes up in a hospital after an explosion and finds his family missing. He soon discovers that technology has taken over society, and the story examines how AI and technology affect humans, as well as how super AI might adapt to human behavior. Nolan is voiced by Doug Cockle, known for playing Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher series.
Development was led by Martin Ganteföhr, who created the 2004 adventure game The Moment of Silence, and production started in 2015. The game was built using Unreal Engine 4 and features a low-poly art style inspired partly by That Dragon, Cancer. According to Daedalic’s Kai Fiebig, Ganteföhr chose this fragmented look to reflect the game’s themes of a shattered person and society on the edge of change. The Nintendo Switch version launched in the west on August 15, 2018, and in Japan on November 8, 2018.
Reception was mixed. Adventure Gamers’ Pascal Takaia praised the transhumanist themes and voice acting but criticized the narrative, puzzles, and characters. Jeuxvideo.com gave a positive review, highlighting the visuals, story, and themes. Gamereactor’s Roy Woodhouse called the sci-fi world gripping and the narrative thought-provoking and emotional, though he found the puzzles weak. GameStar’s Robin Rüther liked the graphics but noted a lack of challenge and issues with mini games. PC Games’ Paula Sprödefeld enjoyed the story and graphics but complained about the controls. Nintendo Life’s Dom Reseigh-Lincoln said the game had strong moments, especially in the endgame plot and visuals, but criticized overused sci-fi cliches, poor voice acting, and a lack of cohesion between gameplay ideas.
Quick Facts
- Title
- State of Mind
- Developer
- Daedalic Entertainment
- Director
- Martin Ganteföhr
- Producer
- Carsten Fichtelmann
- Writer
- Martin Ganteföhr / Tilman Schanen
- Artist
- Stefan Wacker
- Programmer
- Max Stegan
- Designer
- Martin Wilkes
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Released
- August 15, 2018
- Genre
- Adventure
- Modes
- Single player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
State of Mind unfolds in Berlin in 2048 and revolves around Richard Nolan, a journalist waking up in a hospital after an explosion, finding his family missing. The game focuses on the impact of AI and technology on humans, as well as how super AI can adapt to human behavior. The main character is voiced by Doug Cockle, known for voicing Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher series.
Development was led by Martin Ganteföhr, creator of the 2004 adventure game The Moment of Silence. Production began in 2015 using Unreal Engine 4. The game features a low-poly art style inspired in part by the visuals of That Dragon, Cancer. According to Daedalic's Kai Fiebig, the art style was Ganteföhr's idea, as the fragmented look reflected the game's themes of 'a shattered person, a shattered society on the edge of change.' The game was released on Nintendo Switch on August 15, 2018, in the west and on November 8, 2018, in Japan.
Reader's Guide
State of Mind received mixed reviews from video game critics on Metacritic. Writing for Adventure Gamers, Pascal Takaia praised the transhumanist themes and voice acting, while criticizing the narrative, puzzles, and characters. Conversely, Jeuxvideo.com gave a positive review, praising the visuals, story, and themes. Roy Woodhouse of Gamereactor praised the gripping sci-fi world, calling the game 'thought-provoking' with an 'emotional and engaging narrative,' though he found the puzzles weak. Robin Rüther of GameStar praised the graphics but criticized the lack of challenge and mini games. Paula Sprödefeld of PC Games liked the story and graphics but complained about the controls. Dom Reseigh-Lincoln of Nintendo Life said the game 'has its moments to shine,' including the endgame plot and visuals, but criticized overdone sci-fi cliches, poor voice acting, and a 'lack of cohesion between its gameplay ideas,' resulting in 'a muddled experience at best.' Josh Wish of VideoGamer praised the story and art style, while noting puzzles and story cliches as negatives. Jan Wöbbeking of 4Players commended the story but criticized the mini games and character portrayal. The game's legacy is that of a divisive title with strong thematic ambitions but uneven execution.
Did You Know?
- State of Mind was developed using Unreal Engine 4.
- The game's low-poly art style was inspired in part by That Dragon, Cancer.
- Lead developer Martin Ganteföhr previously created the 2004 adventure game The Moment of Silence.
- The protagonist Richard Nolan is voiced by Doug Cockle, the voice actor for Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher series.
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