- Publisher: Zachtronics Industries
- Release Date: Aug 12, 2019
- Also On: Switch
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
- Unscored
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Aug 12, 2019Eliza is a poignant, well-presented tale about how even technology created to help people can be harmful when it replaces human connection. Rather than demonizing technology, though, Eliza is a paean to compassion, communication, and all the varied ways people can lift each other up.
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Edge MagazineSep 12, 2019His masterstroke is Eliza itself. [Issue#337, p.120]
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Aug 13, 2019Quotation forthcoming.
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Nov 21, 2019It’s a game about the compromises necessary to get by in the working world and problems that don’t come with pat solutions.
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Aug 21, 2019It is not unreasonable to assume that the software suggested in Eliza already exists, though it has not yet been exploited and marketed. Our culture certainly believes that technology is the solution to what ails us, even when what ails us is technology, and Eliza the visual novel is an interesting and engaging exploration of that thesis.
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Aug 12, 2019Zachtronics make a detour from its puzzle game destiny with the visual novel Eliza. It's slick in its design, though shy on the big choices you might expect from most visual novels. Still, packed with a stellar solitaire minigame, impressive voice acting, and one of the most prescient narratives I've seen in games, if you're a fan at all of interactive stories that'll have you gripped from start to finish, Eliza is it.
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Aug 20, 2019I have such mixed feelings about Eliza. With regard to what it does well, it stands head and shoulders above the competition. In terms of the concepts explored, exemplifying how directionless adulthood can be, and its presentation, Eliza is exceptional. Regarding the actual narrative, pace, and flow of the writing, Eliza can be a slog to get through that frequently left me wondering, "Why am I doing this in the game right now?"
| This publication does not provide a score for their reviews. | |
| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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Aug 12, 2019I came out of Eliza with the sense that I'd been on a journey of juggling grief, hope, and joy through the existential dread that is living a modern, tech-filled life. And for that reason, I recommend this visual novel as a must-play experience. [Ars Technica Approved]
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Aug 29, 2019It’s a realistic depiction of depression, but it’s as tiring to play as it is to live.
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Aug 12, 2019I came to this game imagining it would be a clever take on the Turing Test, a scenario designed to see if a machine can pass for a human intelligence. Instead, I explored the possible outcomes of trying to treat mental health problems at scale. Removing the humanity from the act of helping humans cope is a dystopian way of solving the problem; Eliza’s story highlights the potential pitfalls of generalizing a deeply personal process.
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Sep 20, 2019Nora is wonderful. [RPS Bestest Bests]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 11 out of 30
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Mixed: 12 out of 30
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Negative: 7 out of 30
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Sep 20, 2019
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Oct 20, 2019
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Nov 27, 2020