Random Video Game Review - Not Tonight

 

Most of us are now pretty fed up with Brexit. The referendum divided the country as a result of a lack of information about it at the time and for what has felt like an eternity, it's become perhaps the only thing the UK government wanted to focus on with everything else pushed to the side. Then last year, a little thing called the coronavirus became the new Brexit just as the UK left the EU with talks of a deal still being in the books. Me saying it became the new Brexit is more about the news and press making a big deal about it which of course it is. So unsurprisingly with these political things, a game was made that was released the day of Brexit and gives us a disturbing look at what our future post-Covid could look like at least from the perspective of those who came from another country before living in the UK. So let's see how this plays out:

In the game, you play as a bouncer of foreign descent in a UK like place called Albion. Your job is to play the role by checking people's IDs and catching them out if the IDs are for example fake, expired, not on the guest list or the person is underage. As the player must be able to gain money in order to stay in the country, they can take bribes at the cost of a reduced social credit score. However, it remains important to keep money coming in and the score up in order to stay in the country. Between shifts, the player returns to their flat where they can buy things, pay outstanding rent or interact with people living in the establishment.

One thing I did pick up when playing this game is that it is like Papers Please which is a very similar game, but about travel security. Comparisons aside, this game is good but a bit disturbing given it's intended purpose on giving us a glimpse at a dreary future which the pixelated graphics present really well. No one truly knows what will happen to the UK going forward. It's a scary time for most, but also a hopeful time that may be in our favour. Especially as the world is now much different than it was before Covid and social injustice became a big deal. 8/10