Disconnected
A downloadable Alternative Game
Do you ever feel like the world is looking at you? Like an outcast to be avoided. Social anxiety is much more than just interactions with people, even going into a crowd can be just as overwhelming. Disconnected was created to address and create that feeling for players so that they may have a better understanding of how one with social anxiety may feel. Throughout their journey, the player will find friends hidden in the crowd so they can hopefully start feeling less isolated and more comfortable while being around friends. But be careful because not everyone you decide to travel with is good for you, and sometimes those are the people you just can't say no to.
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Disconnected is a wonderful example of Games as art. Expression through movement and the impact of a player who loses the ability to influence the game. If you think this is a reskin of Loneliness you'd be incorrect. This game uses quite a few moments to nail the feeling and recognition of story. Music is also really great.
This game is a real piece of art that takes advantage of the interactivity of mechanics that more games should aspire to be.
First, the soundtrack sets the mood perfectly. By hitting the sweet spot of balancing hope, Zen, and woe the game sets you up for a calming yet illuminating experience.
The mechanics of moving and parting a sea of characters that are identical to the player searching for a connection in hundreds of vacant stares is a very significant message from the developer. When the acknowledgement or connection occurs, the player finds a friend and begins to build a posse of friends.
It was at this point I wasn’t sure of the purpose of the game other than making friends who seem to be as lost as you were. It seemed to take a while to find the true meaning before I found the first toxic individual. Just the same as the other friends I had collected, this toxic character’s dialogue was lost and searching for companionship, however, they were pessimistic of their circumstances to say the least.
Without spoiling the end cut scene I would like to say it was a satisfying and wholesome conclusion. In my head canon, the other actors in the scene were the friends I had made along the way, coming back in my hour of need.
A few notes to the devs:
-The invisible wall at the edge of the world breaks the immersion a little. If the other characters, blocking the way were out of frame, and it looked like they were blocking the player rather than the invisible wall, that would make more sense to the player. Or maybe a literal wall would help solve this problem
-There is no button to exit the game, either through menus or at the end screen other than Alt+F4.
-I would have appreciated some indication or dialogue of whom the characters were at the end cut scene. Were they the friends I had made? Are they generic NPCs? The friends I had made had names and dialogue. Is there somewhere they could go narratively speaking?
Overall, this is a fantastic experience akin to Loneliness. Very nice work.