1000xRESIST is a unique and thought-provoking experience that skillfully blends its narrative-driven exploration with meaningful gameplay.
1000xRESIST is one of those games that you don’t think much of at first, but after playing it, I’m able to say that it left a lasting transformative impression on me—and not many games have. Developed by Sunset Visitor, 1000xRESIST aims to be a narrative exploration game heavily inspired by a visual novel theme. The game features a nuanced narrative aimed at topics such as motherhood, immigrants, adolescence, bullying, loyalty, devotion, and philosophy.
As the story unfolds in chapters, 1000xRESIST throws some unexpected twists and turns at you. The layers of narrative complexity are impressive, especially the way it handles its heavier themes. This intricate storytelling, combined with the game’s unique atmosphere, pulls you into its world, making you reflect on the broader philosophical ideas it presents.
But what truly sets this game apart isn’t just the story — it’s the way gameplay complements the narrative. Now, let’s dive into the gameplay mechanics, visual design, and overall experience…
After an alien civilization known as the Occupants arrives on Earth, humans start to die out from a deadly world-ending disease. There remains one girl named “Iris” who is immune to this disease, and after a millennium, she has filled out a bunker known as the Orchard with clones of herself. Iris, now referred to as the All-Mother, leaves her bunker and has control of six of her clones and their shell counterparts. Iris now resides in her compound, waiting for her worthy clones to assist her with the Occupants.
There are six main clones: Principal, Bang Bang, Fire, Noer, Fixer, Healer, and the Watcher, who are your primary playable characters. In contrast to other clones, which serve traditional roles like preparing shells for defense, birthing new shells, or overseeing the Orchard, the Watcher possesses a unique ability. The Watcher can relive past memories of Iris, the All-Mother, interpreting her past experiences through communions with the help of an AI called secretary.
Let’s go over the gameplay experience of 1000xRESIST. You are sent on a mind-boggling trip through the All-Mother’s memories, and you get to see and experience the crucial stages of her life, from her high school to the introduction of the Occupants on Earth to her founding of the Orchard. Using these memories, you’ll solve puzzles and discover hidden secrets to understand the All-Mother’s past better.
Between these communions, you’ll explore the massive underground hub of the Orchard, engage with various NPCs, and immerse yourself in the intriguing world of 1000xRESIST. The experience is a unique mash of genres, such as third-person adventure, graphic novels, and even first-person walking sims.
Chapter one of 1000xRESIST transitions into your first communion and guides you through it. In your first communion, you can venture out, mess around with stuff, and talk to NPCs. The Secretary will float over items and characters in the game to show you that they are intractable.
If you happen to forget your task—which unfortunately happens to me a lot—you can pull up a display that shows your currently active tasks. Once you finish your task, you’ll be able to move through various periods.
The time frame can vary depending on the situation and the story being told. There can be instances when you have one or two sequences to jump between, or you could have a large number of them. At times, you can find yourself moving through big stretches of time or little ones.
If you want to know what time sequences are available, you can check the bottom left corner of your screen and you can cycle through them. Eventually, you’ll be free to roam the Orchard; you’ll notice that you have plenty of freedom to move around.
The tasks in the game are fairly easy, but navigating the world will be your greatest challenge. A lot of the time, I struggled to make my way around the hub world between scenarios—the maze-like structures can be a bit confusing. Talking to the other sister in the compound is an optional objective, but I don’t think it’s worth the trouble, as it can take a while. I wish there was a fast travel option.
All these chapters and phases flow naturally; while 1000xRESIST is mostly third-person, the frequently employed first-person view swaps make sense both narrative and design-wise. The game has you engaging a lot, even though it’s a narrative-focused game – in a good way.
When other games attempt this sort of intricacy and nuance, it more often than not feels forced, especially when you are introduced to complex topics. But here it’s so wonderfully done; the complex topics are visited early on in the game but are then revisited later; you aren’t swarmed with information. It’s nicely woven, and very little is left out by the time you are at the end.
Some of the themes in 1000xRESIST delve into dark territories that I wasn’t emotionally ready for. I felt like I was chiming into dialogues so personal that it felt inappropriate to hear. Gut-wrenching and relatable at times, but by the end, I was teary-eyed.
With its heavy themes and some slow pacing, not everyone may find this game to their liking, but I believe those who can overlook these two elements will see the intellectual and emotional resonance within. And, all things considered, I think this will be a worthwhile voyage.
I love the visual design. 1000xRESIST has a really beautiful sci-fi anime aesthetic. The size of the places you can explore is huge, and most settings are vibrant and imaginative. The animations are quick when you’re switching timelines. My only complaint in this department is that some of the side NPCs can have weird, awkward animations. Otherwise, I’m pretty satisfied.
The sound design was terrific, and all of the characters’ voices sounded great. The characters speak in a fairly monotonous voice—as if they don’t want to cause trouble in a library—but I can view this as 1000xRESIST‘s way of avoiding revealing the genuine emotions of the characters during the interactions.
I loved the soundtrack. It syncs well with what’s happening on screen, and you’ll often hear piano arrangements that correspond to sequences in the past. The tunes are appropriate for the eerie sci-fi atmosphere.
1000xRESIST is a unique and thought-provoking experience that skillfully blends its narrative-driven exploration with meaningful gameplay. Graced with identity, loyalty, and human survival in a world after an apocalypse, the themes within build emotional resonance throughout its chapters in its universe, with the atmosphere of science fiction, a wonderfully designed world, and a hauntingly evocative soundtrack-this is one of the most compelling narrative-driven games in recent memory.
1000xRESIST comes highly recommended for players who enjoy deep storytelling and aren’t turned off by a leaner, more contemplative pacing. It’s not for every player, certainly-especially those itching for something with a little more action.
With its thought-provoking pacing, deeply personal narrative, and emotional resonance, it stands out in the crowd of fans of narrative exploration and visual novel-style games. If you’re into a game that challenges you to reflect on various philosophical and emotional themes while trying to untangle an extremely intricate storyline, 1000xRESIST is definitely worth checking out.
