Developer: BearBone Studio
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), Switch
Genre: Adventure, RPG
Publisher: BearBone Studio
Minds Beneath Us is a thriller sci-fi story adventure game. This game was developed and published by BearBone Studio. There are a few games similar to Minds Beneath Us, such as Oxenfree, Night in the Woods, A Space for the Unbound and many more. This review was done on the PC, but the game is also available for the Switch.
Minds Beneath Us is a single-player narrative game where you wake up in a hospital with amnesia, finding yourself disorientated whilst meeting a companion. As you begin to talk with your companion, you learn that something strange has happened, which only leads to further twists and turns. The main opening of the game was intriguing and captivating. As the game is set in a futuristic Asian city, you are enveloped in a dystopian world, one that may not be in your grasp. Just from the opening segment of the game, I knew that the story aspect would be a seller and truly rope in the player. Without having to give away much spoilers, you play as an M.B.U, which is an unknown entity that can possess people. Soon enough, you find yourself in the possession of Jason Dai, an ordinary man on the lookout for a job and maintaining his relationship with his girlfriend. Upon starting your career, you begin to notice many suspicious information, which starts to build upon the game.
The controls to Minds Beneath Us are extremely easy to get a hang of. When starting the game, there is a tutorial segment, which is part of the opening sequence that allows the player to get used to the controls. The game has many details in its setting designs, so the interactable button is really useful when not wanting to miss out on any important information. Whilst using the controls, there were no noticeable delays. I would find that this game would be perfect to play with a controller as you can unveil the story through the comfort of a controller.
The art style for Minds Beneath Us is placed in a beautifully immersed setting. The art style is extremely impressive as it combines hand-drawn animation and smooth camera movements to create a cinematic experience like no other. Animations are subtle yet really get the job done. With the ‘cyberpunk’ futuristic theme around this game, there goes to say that no detail is missed in making each area of the game stand out. It is impressive that throughout the playthrough, I made sure to look out for the little details in the various settings as they were so intriguing to pay attention to, like, for instance, the cameras that would follow you around in the Vision Building to the automatic doors. City-like areas are filled with neon bright colours and a tapestry of artwork. The visuals are mixed with 2D and 3D elements that are flawless and make each cutscene play out so fluidly. The game’s visuals remind me of the visuals for Oxenfree, but one in which the world is so much more lively and advanced. Not only that, but the UI itself is futuristic. The usage of dynamic lighting, shadowing, and creating fourth/backgrounds all get encapsulated really well with the various layers of the environment. Something that stands out is the character designs, which are simple yet intricate; they are faceless, but through the written dialogue, you can understand their tone and emotions, which goes to show how the story for Minds Beneath Us is written. I have to say the art style is fantastic and stunning.
In addition to the visuals, the soundtrack makes the game even more alluring with the completion of the visuals. The soundtrack can be described as vivid yet tranquil. I like that depending on the scenario, the music changes and can be either more on the mellow side or a bit more amped. The music itself doesn’t complete the game, but the sound effects that accompany the atmosphere make it so much better; even the text typing sound effect gives the futuristic vibe. The great mix of sound effects adds a good level of ambience, and these can be things like sliding a door open, using the vending machine or even the steps the character takes. I found the visuals and sounds to make the game much more encapsulating to play.
The gameplay for Minds Beneath Us is quite simple. You pretty much walk around the environment and investigate areas. An interesting mechanic in this game would be the person’s mind analysis (this gives you a debrief of how the person you possess is feeling and their thoughts). Whilst exploring locations, you can interact with NPCs that allow you to make dialogue choices that will affect your playthrough. The game is heavily dependent on players needing to investigate items/people thoroughly that can further unlock new dialogue choices or information. For instance, when Jason Dai is in the house with his girlfriend at the beginning of the game, you can interact with several items throughout the house that can lead to further conversations with his girlfriend. I found this to be very enjoyable because it adds more instances to the story and puts great effort into all the details that the developers have put together. The game also features quick-timed fights that are enjoyable and different. What I really like about Minds Beneath Us is that all the choices you make have major effects on what will happen in the future, and at times, what you may think are simple dialogue choices can be daunting. The game does a great job of creating a feeling of real responsibility, which you need to make the best decisions. These decisions can mess up Jason’s job, make him an outstanding employee, or even mess up his relationship. Having the freedom to shape Jason’s life as an M.B.U is exciting. Minds Beneath Us makes the player think about the decisions they are going to make, as it could be a risk or a reward.
Minds Beneath Us is a heavily narrative game where your choices matter and, at times, may not be a game suitable for everyone due to the abundance of dialogue you have to read through, but it is one game that I would definitely recommend checking out. I found that reading the dialogue of the game makes you realise that you’re in possession of someone else, as some choices you make allow the actual characters’ thoughts to be read. At first, I found it confusing why my choices had contradicting thoughts only, to realise that there’s still a sense of the actual Jason Dai present. As choices are heavily focused, the game is great when it comes to wanting to replay, as you can choose from certain chapters rather than having to replay the game entirely.
Minds Beneath Us is an interesting game that revolves around a dystopian story where you play as an unknown entity that can possess an ordinary guy named Jason Dai. Through this story, you learn more about the secrets of the new job you are starting and how decisions will unfold in your future. The game captures a great sense of curiosity through fascinating hand-drawn visuals and an immersive soundtrack. If you want to try out an outstanding sci-fi narrative adventure game, then be sure to check out Minds Beneath Us!
Overall: 10/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
