What do you do when you notice something isn’t quite right in your life? That’s the question faced by Watcher when their best friend disappears after betraying everything they previously stood for. It’s easy for Watcher to continue with her regular life, but the doubt inside her grows as she continues her duties. Faced with the truth that her friend’s betrayal may not have been wrong, what will Watcher do? 1000xResist slowly unravels the tale over a long story, detailing the actions people take and the consequences they have.
It’s a powerful narrative that touches on several themes at once. You take a look at the past, present, and future, seeing how your actions impact everything for better or for worse. Do you continue the mistakes of the past because you are afraid of what the future holds? Or are you confident that even with the mistakes of the past, the future can be better? Depending on how you view the story, you can subtly encourage change to be better or keep everything stagnant.
You play as two characters during your journey. The first character is Watcher, who is one of the most well-known figures in the futuristic all-female community. After reporting one of her friends for disobedience, she begins to learn more about the past that led to the formation of the community. Seeing that everything isn’t as clear-cut as she once thought, Watcher begins to question what’s right and wrong. Her questions set her on a dangerous journey that changes the fate of the community.
You play as Blue just as Watcher’s story ends. Blue is a woman living in another section of the community, living her life normally until a big change happens. As Blue’s life rapidly changes, she attempts to change the system but the results don’t go as planned. After meeting up with Watcher and a few allies, Blue gets more visions and decides how the future will play out. Blue’s journey is the culmination of everything you learned about the world, and what you believe the future should be.
The graphics in the game are gorgeous, and there’s even real-life footage of Hong Kong shown towards the end. It’s a great representation of what the world used to be like, and how things turned out the way they did in the future. Despite the seemingly bleak environment, the futuristic setting is filled with amazing technology. Even the locales of the past have been expertly recreated to point out how ordinary life was and how fast things changed. Some of the game’s themes appear here, such as immigrating to a new country and not fitting in. You also see the struggle of a family leaving behind everything they knew for safety and freedom. Unlike other stories, it’s not presented as the best or easiest choice.
1000xResist doesn’t pull its emotional punches and shows the reality of these themes. Just because you move to another country doesn’t mean that everything will be fine. Similarities between people doesn’t mean that they will get along. Trying to fill the void of loneliness with people just like you doesn’t necessarily produce the outcome you hoped for. By not holding back the downsides, 1000xResist can tell a powerful story that properly covers and deconstructs some popular themes.
There are no easy answers to problems in 1000xResist, something both Watcher and Blue experience throughout their adventure. That doesn’t mean the solutions they come up with are wrong or ineffective. But in a complex world, there’s more to the story than you might initially realise. When the story begins, you might think you have the answers that help our protagonists. As the story progresses, while your initial thoughts may not be incorrect, they don’t factor in other issues. The cast performs a lot of self-reflection as they wonder if they made the right choice or when actions turn out to have greater consequences.
Thinking about the character’s experiences and story events isn’t hard when those involved voice their thoughts. This often takes the form of monologues or mental conversations with other people. The struggles that people go through and their conflicts are relatable and let you empathise with them. You can imagine having similar doubts, conflicts, or problems as the characters in the story. Would you make the same choices or react the same way? As radical as some of the conclusions are, they are never presented as morally right or wrong. This lets you decide what’s best for everyone without feeling shoehorned into a conclusion.
It’s also easy to empathise with the characters in the game because they are in familiar situations. Who hasn’t wanted some alone time in school or wanted to make more friends? When was the last time you held a party and invited others to attend? Have you ever felt lonely and tried something drastic to fill the void? Even if you haven’t answered “yes” to any of those questions, there are plenty of other situations where empathy is present. You may not have experienced the exact situation, but you can understand how or why a character acts the way they do.
By the time you reach the end of the story, you learn a lot about the current environment, past events, and character beliefs. It’s in your hands to decide what the future should look like going forward. Without mincing any words, there’s no pleasant way to give everyone what they want. However, you have enough information to decide how the world should be and get to see the results of your actions. Whether it goes the way you expect is up to your interpretation.
1000xResist takes some risks with storytelling, touching on several themes to drive its points home. While there are rare moments of levity, you will often find yourself feeling a range of emotions that make you reflect on your life. As you follow along with the story and interact with the characters, you start to decide what you think the solution to everyone’s problems should look like. Follow the game to the end, and you may find yourself realising that the truth isn’t as clear-cut as you once thought.
About the Author
Victor Tan
He/Him
Victor spends his time trying to help players out of tricky situations and give them the guidance they need to succeed. Outside of the video game world, you can find him training at the gym or doing simple improv activities.
