MiyazakiHatesKojima
Banned
Gameplay (8.75/10)
In terms of gameplay, Papers, Please is unconventional in its approach to the puzzle genre. Never have I ever played a game quite like this yet, it felt familiar as if I've played this game in a past life or something. I believe the gameplay design has an elegant mixture of old-school game design philosophies and post-modern design choices that resonate on a meta-level. Lucas Pope is an experimental developer at heart, and this resulted in a game that plays like an experiment. An experiment on player empathy and due diligence on the player's part. This gameplay focus on the attention to detail when playing a fictional border patrol officer can be challenging for the majority of gamers today due to rampant ADHD-like attention spans. I, myself, am guilty of this, but I learned to adapt and become more proficient as the playthroughs accumulated over time. As time passed, I saw myself becoming more strict and impatient with citizens of Arstotzka and foreigners trying to pass my border without the proper documentation. I don't know whether this is the intent that Lucas Pope wanted, but a charitable interpretation would suggest so. Nevertheless, I will not spoil some of the gameplay mechanics that get introduced as you go through the story mode, but they spice things up quite nicely in terms of gameplay variety. I never felt like the game was a chore, except when I was mentally roleplaying as a border patrol officer. However, the game does become a bit monotonous a few times so gameplay could have been a bit more polished in that regard.
Atmosphere (Graphics/World Design/Art Direction/Music) [9.25/10]
It's safe to say: Papers, Please is outstanding when it comes to evoking a fictional dystopian Eastern Bloc-like atmosphere for the player. I immediately felt the oppressive, authoritarian world of Arstotzka when I started the game. Lucas Pope nailed the atmosphere in Papers, Please and I would say for those who are interested in European Politics, this game will fit like a glove. As I played the game, I became more fascinated about Soviet Union's history and will delve more into it later this summer on my own time, but I digress. The graphics are not AAA-budget, but when thinking about the impoverished Eastern Bloc countries that we've come to know historically, having low-budget graphics makes more sense and added to the game's overall atmosphere. The Art Direction is on-point with the tone of the story, world, and gameplay and adds to the immersion of Papers, Please. One thing that I loved and hated at the same time is the lack of music in this game. Now, don't get me wrong, there is music in this game but only three tracks: Opening track, Ending track, and Conclusion track. However, I always believe that quality trumps quantity and these three tracks serve the game well, in my opinion. Furthermore, a charitable interpretation for the lack of music might be because of the oppressive, authoritarian nature of the world depicted in Papers, Please, which makes the game even more consistent with the premise and concept. One thing, however, is that the NPCs tend to repeat themselves in terms of facial appearances which kind of makes the game less realistic ("Didn't I just let this same person pass through the border yesterday?") so it could have had more NPCs to make it even more immersive.
Final Remarks
Overall, Papers Please is a fantastic (albeit slightly frustrating) puzzle game by Lucas Pope, and I commend him for making an artistic game such as this. It pushes the envelope of videogames in terms of how far they can go with simulating real-life situations and occupations such as border patrolling. While the game is not perfect (just like every other game not made by Kojima), I would highly recommend it to those who want to try something new and challenging. Gamers who ride the subway or have long transits should try out Papers, Please, especially if you're a frequent flyer
I will never forget my time spent in the world of Papers, Please and I will make sure to never get frustrated at any border patrol station ever again. Glory to Arstotzka!Score: 9/10 (Editor's Choice)
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