Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You

 PC
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 17
  3. Negative: 1 out of 17
  1. The Escapist
    Dec 19, 2016
    70
    Orwell is a thought-provoking interactive debate about the politics of privacy and security. It's the kind of game that never actually feels like a game, and it manages to do it well.
  2. Game Informer
    Dec 16, 2016
    60
    Games should always be engaging – at least for a few moments – but I did not find myself interested in what Orwell had to say about terrorism or totalitarianism. For the bold face it puts it on, Orwell is simply content to repeat what novels and films have more eloquently said about the terrifying intersection of our lives and technology. That’s a shame, because games could tackle those heavy subjects in a thought-provoking manner. Unfortunately, Orwell doesn’t.
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  1. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Dec 6, 2016
    There is no deep understanding here, you won’t have your mind changed, and it certainly doesn’t have any of the emotional impact of Papers Please. But within its own barmy universe, it works! It’s a good chunk of fun, and easily survives at least a second play to see how much you can mess with people’s lives.
  2. Stevivor
    Oct 31, 2016
    Based on the first two instalments however, I can happily recommend this for anyone that loves to dig into a layered story – or just wants to snoop around in somebody else’s emails.
  3. The Verge
    Mar 5, 2018
    By the end of the game, the decisions I made didn’t reflect my feelings or the outcome I wanted. But I’m okay with how the story wrapped up, despite that the last choice still didn’t feel wrong — or that might just be the compromise I made with myself so I can sleep at night.

Awards & Rankings

80
#80 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
41
#41 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 141 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 91 out of 141
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 141
  3. Negative: 23 out of 141
  1. Sjalka
    Dec 18, 2016
    8
    I love this game - and the decisions you make feel like making a real impact. You can easily immerse yourself in your investigation - mostlyI love this game - and the decisions you make feel like making a real impact. You can easily immerse yourself in your investigation - mostly due to the fact that there is not much to distract you. No walking around, no action - just you as yourself.

    Of course this feels a little like "work" kind of - but work that you can enjoy because you are making a difference. Now - what difference you make is something you need to think about very much. You are interpreting - but so is your supervisor based on your findings. You have a direct influence on what conclusions and actions are being taken (well..... more or less anyway).

    What i did not like about this otherwise very good game is that there are certain key findings that MUST be delivered - otherwise the story will not proceed. So you do not have the option to actually let a suspect simply go. (so the open-world/free choice really is more of an illusion)

    The game is very mature in its mechanics and presentation. You need to read a lot and need to actually be interested in the subject matter to draw any kind of enjoyment from it. It is also a game that i like to turn on ... in short to medium bursts ... so to say. It can become kind of exhausting to go on for longer - but then - making pauses pulls you out of the immersion making it fairly hard to get into it sometimes.

    Artstyle and visuals are very nice - and have a unique charme. The low polygon style is not exactly new that is... but fits the sterile and unpersonal feeling of being distant to what your actions might provoke.

    The music is soothing - and puts you further into a mood of being uninvolved - with certain consequences making a sharp impact on this feeling.

    I would have wished for an "expert" mode (likely too hard to do though...) where you would not decide on pre-marked key notes but instead freely mark and interpret stuff yourself ... because more than once i read passages and informations that i would have loved to proceed - but was not supposed to use due to the game engine.

    I can highly recommend this game to the probably rather small target audience of past time investigators that want to take the subject matter a lot more serious than 99.9% of any other so called "investigative game".    … Full Review »
  2. thecowofbeef
    Aug 19, 2017
    7
    The game presents an interesting, if somewhat overly simple set of mechanics to the player, allowing for the illusion rather than theThe game presents an interesting, if somewhat overly simple set of mechanics to the player, allowing for the illusion rather than the existence of choice. Whilst some actions do have consequences, most players will just be uploading information as soon as it appears, especially in the early game. Whilst the game does probably think that it's cleverer than it actually is with its literal Orwellian references (see title) it does sometimes revel too much in its own sense of smugness over what the developers no doubt thought were biting social comments. Never-the-less, Orwell manages to provide a novel gameplay experience, enriched by the lengths the game goes to in order to immerse you in its story, like sending you emails in the real world. Worth checking out if only for the chance to see a different approach to storytelling.… Full Review »
  3. bluefrisky
    Nov 28, 2016
    10
    Great game. It's insightful, interesting and draws you right in with a compelling story and unique presentation. If you're looking forGreat game. It's insightful, interesting and draws you right in with a compelling story and unique presentation. If you're looking for something casual, intriguing and mysterious, you'll be satisfied.

    P.S. it really makes you feel like a creeper, conversations between characters seem very authentic and I felt like I shouldn't have read some of them.    … Full Review »
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