Event[0] Preview: Rediscover Communication

The relationship between human and machine are a paradigm that has been at the forefront of consciousness since computers began their spread to ubiquity in the twentieth century. Movies like 2001: Space Odyssey and WarGames explored a world beset by computers as peers and these adversarial explorations have continued, right through the Matrix films and into modern works like Ex Machina. Paris game studio Ocelot Society’s first game, Event[0] continues those philosophical musings but explores a scenario where creating aconnectionto a computer is the key to survival.

Genre: Indie Adventure

Developed by: Ocelot Society

Published by: Ocelot Society

Release date: September 2016

Age rating: Pending

Platforms: PC, MAC

Event [0] Features

Event [0] Gameplay

Event [0] is a sci-fi exploration game where you must forge a bond with an AI controlled spaceship to secure your passage back to Earth. The reasons and reality behind you being stranded in space on this ship will unfold as you begin to explore the mysteries of what happened on the ship and the 1980s society from which the ship and AI have emerged. In order to accomplish this, playerswill have to develop a relationshipwith Kaizen, the ship’s AI by interacting with it via terminals across the ship.

Kaizen is capable of procedurally generatingover 2 million lines of dialogue. Your primary method of interacting with Kaizen is through Fallout looking terminals where you ask questions of Kaizen, and receive answers as well as your own inquiries from the curious AI. Kaizen is prepared for interaction, and will answer everything from the sublime to the absurd with a relevant response. These interactions are the basis for discovering the answers for how you got here, and how you will get home. William S. Burroughs called language a “virus from outer space”, but in this spaceship,language is the panacea.

In real terms, Kaizen is a Japanese principle of continuous improvement, and in Event[0],incremental refinement of your relationshipis the backbone of the experience. Kaizen will respond to your developing relationship accordingly, and will manifest a variety of fears and anxieties which will all affect the answers to your questions. This creates a dynamic and organic situation that changes from moment to moment as you manage the feelings and moods of this highly developed intelligence that seems to be looking for companionship and understanding. Kaizen’s changing moods will not only be apparent in your terminal interactions, but in thesounds the ship itself makes, being an extension of Kaizen which adds an investigative element to monitor as you explore the ship.

Exploring the ship is done in first person perspective and the ship makes use of advanced lighting and realistic physics. As you progress through the ship’s environment, you will gather information and clues as well as solve hacking puzzles, all while you monitor and maintain your relationship with Kaizen. You will even be able to exit the spaceship to go onspacewalks.

There is no musical score, soall sounds will come from the game’s environment, allowing you to hone in on subtle clues and cues from Kaizen. This aural isolation reinforces the game’s focus on your relationship with Kaizen. It is just the 2 of you, and to survive, you are going to have to develop a relationship that facilitates that.

The game is currently in development and scheduled to release in September of this year and can be pre-ordered on theHumble Storefor 19.99 USD.

Event[0] has the makings of a unique gaming experience especially for players interested in a game with some philosophical heft. With the possibilities inherent in Kaizen’s dialogue and interactions, Event[0] can potentially deliver a gaming experience that sticks with the player long after the game is completed.

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