Get Even will be a divisive game for its players. On one hand it offers an intriguing narrative that is hesitant in doling out new revelations, but that same hesitation leads to some satisfying twists and reveals towards the end. Then on the other hand, the same constant hesitation leads to unnecessary obfuscation and constant reliance on misleading the player leads to some really frustrating moments.
Developed by Farm 51, a Polish game studio, Get Even is a psychological thriller played as a first person shooter.
You play as Cole Black, and start off equipped with a silenced pistol and a smartphone. Early moments of the game gives you very little pretext, and you set off trying to uncover what’s happening. Pretty soon a series of events occur, and since story is the strongest part of the game, I don’t want to spoil anything here. If you like story driven games, this will hook you, and you will be invested in finding out more.
The story is delivered using some really cool tricks – there’s even a VR headset involved at some point and you even play as another character, which changes the gameplay in significant ways and offers a fresh new perspective on previous events. There are moments when Get Even tries to be excessively coy with it’s story, but even with its conceits the game never falls flat.
What does fall flat are most of the puzzles and shooting sections. Apart from the CornerGun (a gun that shoots around corners), the first person shooting is pretty average. The best I can say for it is that though it offers nothing new, it doesn’t get in the way of your enjoyment. The same is the case with the puzzles, some are kind of clever but most of them are fairly simple. Again, they don’t get in the way.
When it comes to visuals, Get Even doesn’t look all that impressive. That’s not because of low texture quality, but it seems to be a lighting issue. There’s an overall subdued look to the game, and it feels like something that could’ve been improved with better lighting and contrast. The game sounds great though, from the musical score to the voice acting, it’s all really standout.
Farm 51 is definitely a team capable of doing some excellent work, and a lot of their talent shows in Get Even. There’s a strong narrative here, with a lot of attention to detail and a real commitment to subverting player expectations. Even with the lacklustre gameplay, I would happily recommend Get Even to anyone willing to take a chance on a new game.
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