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All of this threatens to be too much — a visual novel with 13 co-leads, an RTS, a fan wiki. And on top of that, the adventure whirls between genres and influences every half hour. That everything comes together, that it can be so easily comprehended in the end, is a magic trick. Which is to say, I can’t explain how it’s done. It just ... is.
The best comparison — and there aren’t many — is Lost, the ABC drama about a group of plane crash survivors deserted on an island brimming with mysterious science experiments and sci-fi tropes. Each week, the show would follow one member of the ensemble, flashing back in time (and sometimes forward) to reveal more about their motives and about their connections to the island and the people with whom they’re marooned.
And yes, at first, this abundance of references, parodies, and imitations feels like what Wilde described: mediocrity paying flattery to greatness. Each individual story doesn’t resonate on the same level as Groundhog Day or A.I. or Solaris or Neon Genesis Evangelion. But soon enough, it becomes abundantly clear that the game isn’t fawning over “better” works. Instead, it’s delivering a critique.
You haven’t played the best PlayStation exclusive of 2020
A masterpiece, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim got lost among the new video game consoles
www.polygon.com
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