Redshirt is a cunningly designed depression simulator which brings science fiction and social media together in an unholy marriage that will leave you feeling emotionally drained – not because it will change your life, but because you will experience the full unadulterated horror of social media, human relationships and the life and happiness will be sapped out of you as you play.
You take the role of a socially awkward loser like myself, on a space station full of wonderful aliens, androids and other humans who will slowly start to despise you as you progress in the game.
In this hilarious interpretation of the social media experience, you can push yourself up the chain of command by studying, going out, and screwing people. Much like real life! But much faster!
Full of lovely science fiction allusions, constant crew whining, and the realization that no matter who or what you end up sleeping with, you will be annoyed, depressed, and pressured into expensive dates, or he or she will betray you by having an affair with one of your best friends or coworkers, or even worst enemies! Which will leave you a miserable shell of the person you once were.
There is still hope though, because something negative is occurring on board and nobody is talking about it directly, merely hinting about it and it might be a good idea to leave before things get messy!
You begin at the very bottom, scrounging for a living with your trusty mop. Before you know it, you’re adding Spacebook buddies and experiencing your first genuine sense of happiness since downloading the game.
What is this though? Career advancement? You can now make enough money to be able to eat and have fun with your new electronic companions, right? Oh, yeah! Before you know it, you have more friends than you can manage, and they all resent you. Everyone wants to sleep with you except the girl you want to sleep with so you can obtain a better career, and jealousy is tearing your social connections apart. Once you finally manage to score with the person you need to to get that promotion, she breaks up with you as soon as you apply for the job realizing what a miserable sack of crap you are! Which is hilarious.
As you wine and dine the useless meat sacks and erotic cubes who demand your constant undivided attention or they will break up with you, you start to lose your friends because you have neglected them. To keep yourself happy, you desperately invest in a robotic cat, but your wretched life and pointless career drag you kicking and screaming into the depths of depression.
If you don’t consistently pay the repair expenses for the things you buy, they will all break after a few days, leaving you unable to socialize, and a broken shell of your former self. This is what I like to refer to as a hidden rent simulator. Even though the game claims you are adored and your charisma rank is higher than ever, everyone despises you, especially your closest friends who you ditched in favour of a better job.
Redshirt is a hilarious portrayal of people and an accurate analysis of social media. You’ll feel dejected, unhappy, and alone as a result. Once you’ve played it enough to be thoroughly depressed, go out and feel the sun on your skin and breathe in the wonderful smell of nature. You’ll thank me for it later. I rate the game a strong 5/10 overall.
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