Analogue: A Hate Story

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 108 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 79 out of 108
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 108
  3. Negative: 13 out of 108

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  1. cidgrad01
    Jan 7, 2014
    7
    I don’t usually enjoy these types of games, but I liked this one. It’s sort of like an interactive mystery novel with pictures (be prepared for a lot of reading). The reason I liked it is because the story is, shockingly, pretty interesting. It also introduces enough game elements to prevent it from being nothing more than a pure text adventure and the length is just right.

    You play the    I don’t usually enjoy these types of games, but I liked this one. It’s sort of like an interactive mystery novel with pictures (be prepared for a lot of reading). The reason I liked it is because the story is, shockingly, pretty interesting. It also introduces enough game elements to prevent it from being nothing more than a pure text adventure and the length is just right.

    You play the part of a salvager who is trying to uncover what happened on a derelict generation ship, which is one of the theorized ways humans might be able to explore the galaxy. The way this story goes is how I think such an attempt would end in real life, too (I’ll stop here before revealing any spoilers).

    There are different levels of depth to be discovered to the story as well as multiple endings. What you uncover depends on what questions you ask and how deep you dig. The game is also timed, in a way, so that after a certain point certain endings become impossible depending on what you’ve done so far. Thankfully, the game’s length is paced excellently so right around the time you are getting tired of reading the text, you’ll find yourself near the end. You’re also able to speed through much of the text on subsequent playthroughs to see different endings, which is nice.

    I liked the music a lot, too. It sets a very appropriate mood throughout the story. I played this with headphones on and I’d recommend that. It greatly increases the immersive feel as this game is best enjoyed with a couple of hours blocked out and no distractions to take you away from it, not unlike reading a book.

    Is it worth $10, though? That’s a tough call and will depend on just how much you like this sort of thing. It will only take you 2-3 hours to get through this and considerably less to view the alternate endings, if you even care about doing that. And once you beat it, there is little reason to play through it again. I bought it during a Steam sale, though, and am content with what I paid for it.

    I will say that the music and writing are above average and the artwork is well done. This is essentially an adventure game that removes all of the pointing & clicking and walking around aimlessly through the same maps. To me, that is a good thing.    … Expand
  2. Mogul
    Jan 24, 2013
    7
    This is a very cool little visual novel type game. As a player, you search through a computer database, read e-mails, and learn about the history of a spaceship and the people that used to live on it. There is a lot to read, and the story is quite good, with some exciting twists and turns along the way. I wouldn't rank this as one of my favourite novels, though, and given that it isThis is a very cool little visual novel type game. As a player, you search through a computer database, read e-mails, and learn about the history of a spaceship and the people that used to live on it. There is a lot to read, and the story is quite good, with some exciting twists and turns along the way. I wouldn't rank this as one of my favourite novels, though, and given that it is mostly a novel (in video game clothing), I've come up with a score that reflects this.… Expand
  3. GenuineOpinion
    Apr 27, 2012
    5
    I almost bought this game JUST to give it a bad review on steam. I was playing this game at my friend's house because he was trying to tell me how good it was, so I started playing, and my god. This is soooooo slow. I'm sure there's someone out there that will LOVE this game, but it is definitely not my cup of tea. I give it a 5 because it's good at what it does, it's just not my style.
  4. Kenmei
    Sep 4, 2013
    7
    For what it's worth, this is a very good Visual Novel that has a few problems that arise from being a game. The story is excellent, but definitely on the depressing side. It's wonderfully done and the A.I's that accompany you on the journey were excellently written. The issue arises with the override terminal that's in the game. If you don't have some idea on how to already use a computerFor what it's worth, this is a very good Visual Novel that has a few problems that arise from being a game. The story is excellent, but definitely on the depressing side. It's wonderfully done and the A.I's that accompany you on the journey were excellently written. The issue arises with the override terminal that's in the game. If you don't have some idea on how to already use a computer terminal in this way, you definitely will have issues, like I did, especially in the later stages of the game where you must use the thing in order to advance in the game with a time limit. It's frustrating and annoying and something that definitely didn't need to be there. If this game was more along the lines of it's sequel, Hate Plus, it would have been alot better. But the fact that there's an element to give it more of a game feel ironically makes it a worse game than it should have been. Still a good game and worth the 10 dollars I spent on it. But that terminal did not need to be there at all.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
62

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 5
  3. Negative: 1 out of 5
  1. RPG Fan
    May 14, 2012
    86
    It's no secret that I thoroughly enjoyed Analogue: A Hate Story. The writing is stellar, the music and graphics are stylish, and the interactive gameplay elements are immersive. I also appreciate its unapologetic attitude toward mass appeal, instead opting to please a very specific kind of gamer. Those who want to see a fine example of elevated video game storytelling would do best to check this game out. It may not be a long ride (5-7 hours for a single playthrough), but it is a satisfying one.
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  2. Eurogamer
    Apr 6, 2012
    70
    It's a game that doesn't have the luxury of distracting you with clever mechanics and satisfying challenges to excuse its lack of narrative. It's just you and the story and how exactly you digest it. If you're interested in dystopian sci-fi and intriguing mysteries and like getting angry about patriarchal misogyny, then it's certainly something you could enjoy.
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  3. PC PowerPlay
    Apr 5, 2012
    40
    An intriguing exercise in interactive fiction, let down by shaky writing and a major lack of emotional engagement. [Apr 2012, p.50]
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