Get Even

Lore & Background

The game follows Cole Black, who awakens in an abandoned asylum with a device called the Pandora (or Savant) strapped to his head. A shadowy figure named Red instructs Black to explore memories of a kidnapping involving a girl with a bomb. Black navigates asylum environments and memory levels, using a smartphone with apps for scanning evidence, thermal vision, UV light, mapping, and communication. Combat is discouraged as killing threatens memory stability, and the player's stealth or aggression influences the ending. Unique to the game is the CornerGun, which allows firing around corners via the smartphone. Puzzles involve codes, valves, and levers, often requiring smartphone apps. Anomalies scanned with the camera alter environments to the player's advantage. Player choices, such as releasing an inmate or bypassing puzzles, affect the ending. Late in the game, players control Red, who can assimilate enemies, use warp points, and employ sonar vision instead of the smartphone.

Reader's Guide

Get Even is notable for its integration of psychological thriller narrative with first-person shooter mechanics, emphasizing player choice and consequence. The game's delayed release due to the Manchester Arena bombing drew attention to its sensitive themes. Its unique CornerGun mechanic and smartphone-based puzzle-solving set it apart from conventional shooters. The branching narrative, influenced by combat style and moral decisions, offers replayability. The game's exploration of memory, identity, and trauma, combined with its asylum setting and unreliable narrator, contributes to its distinct place in the 2010s FPS landscape. The shift to controlling Red late in the game provides a narrative twist that recontextualizes the player's actions. While not a blockbuster, Get Even is remembered for its ambitious storytelling and experimental gameplay elements.

Did You Know?

• The game was delayed from 26 May 2017 to 23 June 2017 due to the Manchester Arena bombing.
• The player can use a CornerGun to fire around corners by turning the weapon 90 degrees and aiming via the smartphone.
• Collecting 100% of a level's evidence unlocks a code for specific doors in that level.
• Late in the game, the player controls Red, who can assimilate enemies and use warp points instead of the smartphone.