Release Date: 03/10/2019
Played On: Win
Available On: AA / iOS / Lin / Mac / NS / Win
Time Played: 3h 34m
Progress: One Complete Playthrough
Developer: Chance Agency
Publisher: Fellow Traveller
If you've ever read any of my posts before, you've probably heard me talk about "narrative" games and how much I like them. Although, there really isn't any definition of what makes something a "narrative" game per se, and I feel like I often use it as a short-hand to say "this has a good story, but maybe not much gameplay". In fact, I prefer the term over the more divisive "walking simulator", so perhaps I'm trying to be nice when I refer to narratives over simplistic gameplay.
However, this isn't because I'm trying to cover anything up, as I honestly believe that a story-focused game experience is just as valuable as one that's purely mechanics driven. Partly because I'm not that big a fan of games that rely on mechanics and nothing else, but mostly because there are some great innovations being made in the world of games around new ways to tell a story.
For my money, the heavily narrative genre of games are where some of the innovative and original ideas are being tried out. It's one of the few genres that continues to surprise and delight me on a regular basis. The difference between playing a game like Everybody's Gone To The Rapture and What Remains Of Edith Finch might not be apparent to the casual glance, but both of those games tell stories in exceptionally unique ways.
It almost feels akin to seeking out the latest and greatest big-budget AAA game, just to see how far they've taken their graphical fidelity. It's thrilling to see what the most cutting edge tech can create and how amazing the graphics and sound can be, but those things are all very tangible with a clear progression. Graphical capabilities will only ever get more advanced, but telling a story in a new and interesting way takes some real creativity and risk.
Sometimes it doesn't even work very well, as we've seen with some real stinkers that try something new, only to see it fall flat on its face. I couldn't stand the way that Quantum Break streamed full motion video episodes into the game, instead of using in-engine cut scenes, but I still respect it for being an attempt at something new. Unfortunately in that instance, the attempt failed and I hope Remedy never try that sort of thing again.
Anyway, the only reason I bring any of this up is because despite my belief that the narrative genre is one of the most innovative spaces in gaming, I still find myself having to defend it to other gamers. There's a real negative vibe that's cast around dialogue or story heavy games that have few mechanics and very little of what could be considered traditional game interactivity. It's like as soon as you mention that something's a story-heavy game, a lot of gamers roll their eyes and shift their attention to whatever shooty-bang-bang game they're focused on instead.
I don't mean to sound bitter about it, or like there's some terrible injustice going on. I suppose what I'm trying to convey is that if you're the kind of gamer who writes off narrative experiences because they seem like they're on rails and boring, this is the time to be dipping your toes into the genre. There are so many games that have come out in the last few years with incredibly diverse and interesting ways of telling stories, that they deserve attention.
With that in mind, I can easily recommend Neo Cab as one of those games that you really need to pay attention to and try out sometime. After all, this is a game that manages to tell a complex story through the singular method of dialogue, while being primarily set in a one location. It might not break the mould as hard as some other titles, but this is one of those games that manages to kick every goal it tried to go for.
Set in the futuristic reality of Los Ojos, we play the role of a Neo Cab driver called Lina. It's basically an analogue for Uber drivers in a city like LA, but it's the future and self-driving cars owned by large emotionless corporations are the norm. Lina is new in town and needs to find ways to survive, as well as take care of herself and bring a little humanity into the high-tech gadget-filled world she encounters.
Apart from a few unique scenes, the entirety of Neo Cab takes place inside Lina's car. The game is actually listed as a "survival" game, even though it never occurred to me while I was playing it. However you do need to balance a set of resources in order to make it through the game, so I suppose you could call it a narrative survival game if you wanted.
The game takes place over a series of days, within which we're given the option of doing a few different things to pass the time, earn money, and delve deeper into the story. Lina needs to pick up passengers and complete rides to earn money, but the real trick is conversing with different types of people along the way. She doesn't know who she will pick up half the time, so navigating some nuanced and fairly open dialogue trees will yield varying results.
For instance, if Lina really clicks with a passenger and manages to avoid offending them or talking about topics that make them uncomfortable, they might leave a positive rating on her driver profile. With a better rating, Lina can pick up 'premium' passengers and potentially earn more money. Finally that money needs to be spent on recharging her car (fuel), and accommodation each night. Being able to afford better accommodation will result in a better start to the next day, but running out of money or charge in her car will bring negative results.
Basically that's the gameplay loop: pick fares throughout the day, try to make them happy so they pay well and leave a good review, spend money on fuel and accommodation, repeat. It's a realistic and easy enough treadmill to follow, but this only accounts for the basic survival system that underpins the rest of the game.
After all, the only reason Lina is in Los Ojos is to reconnect with an old friend. As the story unfolds, we learn that they have a chequered past and have had long periods of not talking to each other, but they're trying to make amends and create better opportunities together. Although, soon after arriving in the city and meeting up with her friend, Lina loses all trace of her and sets out to discover what's happened.
At the same time, the city is going through a period of change where many citizens are up in arms and rebelling against the mega-corporations that apparently control everything. There's debate over a government policy that would legislate whether human drivers were allowed on the road anymore, thanks to a car accident where someone was killed. Suspicions arise as the corporations want their driverless fleets to remain on the roads, while preventing the competition from human drivers as best they can.
Even the police in this city seem to be on the payroll to some extent, as they harass Lina on the roads and ask for bribes to leave her alone. What's more, everyone is obsessed with their personal gadgets, also provided by big corporations, that mimic our own IRL dependence on mobile phones and internet connectivity.
Lina soon learns that the fashion accessory of the moment is a piece of jewellery that reads its wearers emotional state and displays relative colours. It's like a highly accurate mood ring, so everyone around you will know if you're feeling tense, or relaxed.
In fact, while talking to certain passengers along the way, Lina discovers that not everyone is down with their emotions being read all day by a device, not to mention broadcasting that information to everyone else around them. Meanwhile there are others that appreciate the honesty and empathy such a device can create between two strangers, as it communicates more than meets the eye and provides space for more intimate connections.
That's all well and good, but from a game point of view, Lina's bracelet allows the player to know precisely how she is feeling at any given time. Lina's mood will change swiftly depending on the type of conversation she's having, or the kind of passenger she has in her car. For example, anytime anyone brings up her competition (the automated corporate vehicles), Lina gets very agitated and angry, as something happened in her past that made her dislike them intensely.
Then again, when someone understands where she's coming from and shares a bit of empathy and compassion, Lina's mood will settle and shift to a more relaxed state. While this is an interesting system to manipulate for story reasons, it actually has mechanical repercussions, as Lina will refuse to talk about things that will impact her mood in strong ways.
Perhaps she's getting angry about the corporations, which will block a dialogue option from being selectable, as she's too mad to take it further or change tac so quickly. Having to manage Lina's emotions in such a way has the subtle outcome of nudging the player into picking dialogue options that might help Lina, even if it's not always the best option. It's an interesting way to influence choice in what is essentially a game about dialogue choices, and where making different choices will change the outcome of the story.
Dialogue is where Neo Cab shines the most, which his fortunate as talking to passengers is the main thing that Lina does all day. There are a range of different passengers to pick up, including some that I never got to meet during my own playthrough, and each one opens up new story paths and opportunities.
Remember that throughout all of these interactions, Lina is trying to solve the mystery of what happened to her disappearing friend. After asking around and with the help of a few passengers, Lina eventually starts to piece together what happened and is able to find the right people that will give her the information she needs.
The story and the gameplay intersect nicely at times, as Lina might purposely take on a passenger, because she knows that they have information that will help her find her friend. However, perhaps talking to that person isn't easy and it takes some clever dialogue choices to get anywhere with the right people. One of the key decisions to make is who to pick up each day, as different passengers come with different opportunities as the game progresses.
Making friends is also important, as it will impact the end-game when Lina needs to rely on help from the people she's met in this new city. Depending on how she got on with previous passengers, Lina may or may not have the connections to solve the mystery.
Hence why the importance of dialogue choices in Neo Cab cannot be understated. After all it's what drives the entire game and its narrative, to the point that your choices as Lina can open some paths and close others completely. It's a really well put together system and I commend the developers on their design choices and writing, as it really feels like you have a bit more player agency than usual.
Another aspect of Neo Cab that can't be understated, is the importance of visual aesthetic in the game. After all, we spend most of the time looking at the same environment and the same character, with very little variation. It's only thanks to the excellent art and writing that each character is given nuance and identity. So much so that I found myself getting excited when I had the opportunity to meet someone new and find out what makes them tick.
Not all the characters are likeable, but there are some genuinely interesting and even funny individuals to meet on the streets of Los Ojos. They each have their own opinions on social matters and the power of corporations, which thankfully goes beyond just a binary meter of whether they like it or not. Some don't even care because they don't consider themselves to be involved, while others are obsessed with every piece of technology and gadget they can get their hands on.
There's a fun juxtaposition at play between the city-side concerns of legislation and corporate manipulation, and the loss of self through personal technology and constant interactivity. Talking to different characters about these subjects in-game is a great way to consider both ends of the spectrum, as well as everything in between.
What we end up experiencing is a world that feels incredibly believable, even though it's a work of fiction. There are simple parallels to draw between contemporary world concerns and those in the game, which I always think is where science fiction is at its best. I'll never get tired of creators showing us possible realities that may exist in the future, if only to warn us of the complications we may not be wise enough to predict.
To this end, Neo Cab walks a fine balance between the obvious macro issues of corporate technology replacing humans, and the human experience itself. It raises the question of how the adoption of technology might change and distort the human experience itself. Thankfully though, the game avoids preaching and essentially just poses the question, along with a few alternative perspectives. It give you the room to make up your own mind and influence choices as you wish.
I said at the top that I love narrative games because they really push the envelope when it comes to story-telling. Neo Cab might not push it as far as others in the same genre, but it offers an engaging balance between the inner and outer self, and how each may be influenced by a changing society in the future. It's this balance that forms the most compelling aspects of Neo Cab, which is ultimately a fun mystery game with a bit of light survival along the way.
Although, I think the part of Neo Cab that stuck with me the most, was the question of weighing up the pros and cons of being 'connected'. It's not a new concept, but it's nicely executed here and poses enough questions to ponder long after you've reached the game's narrative conclusion.