Let's Talk About: Simulacra [SPOILERS]
Wow! It's been a while since the last blog post about gaming disorder. Admittedly, I kinda got emotional about it and ended up causing a major shitstorm about it on Doomworld. I could understand how it could be a disorder, but I still firmly believe it is a symptom of other deeply-rooted causes. However, perhaps by taking care of symptoms, we can also take care of the real problem.
Anyhoo. That's not what I'm here to talk about. I'm here to talk about a whole other type of game that completely blew my mind this past week. It's called Simulacra. It's the spiritual successor to Sara Is Missing, a game where you find someone's phone, and ultimately end up either being that person's savior- or her executioner. There was a lot of really interesting and obscure references in it, including a reference to the Sasebo slashing (which probably ended up becoming a base plot in Yandere Simulator).
Simulacra, however, is an entirely different animal. It starts you off right away with an insanely creepy video of a girl crying, saying "don't find me", and "I just wanted to be happy". More disturbing is her repetition of her name, Anna. Throughout the game, you are introduced to a series of unsavory characters, none of which really seem to understand what's really going on. The phone keeps glitching out and a strange man sends you messages, saying "find me and you will find her- find it."
But what is it?
PSSST.... SPOILERS BELOW.
It is the Simulacra. It claims to be a hyperreality- blurring the lines between the online world and the "material" world. It holds three important lessons for us.
1. Don't become obsessed with the online persona you create for yourself.
It's easy to feel like you need to make yourself seem better than you actually are, in order to become what other people want to see. This has been true for decades, but with the presence of online social media, it's easier than ever to make up things about yourself, or just not be completely honest. The lack of context for those who only know you online is what makes it so easy to fool people.
My online persona and myself are essentially the same person. I speak my mind, and I'm honest to those who want to talk to me. I have nothing to hide from anyone. I simply use my online name to protect my extremely personal information. Otherwise, what you see is what you get. I don't believe in seeking out attention or exerting effort into lying.
2. Doing nothing wrong and nothing right is not enough.
This sounds harsh, and probably hypocritical coming from someone who at this point has lived exactly this way. But it is the truth. Skating through life without a purpose is not a good idea. It affects your mental health in negative ways- you don't feel fulfilled, you feel stuck in one place. It sucks.
I'm precisely at this place right now. But soon, I won't be. I hope to be making a difference in the lives of others, be it through accounting or cybersecurity services. We are a world of radical change- we have to keep up. Sitting quietly and complacently is no longer an option.
3. Be careful about what you say to others.
This is something we've heard since we were school children. But as adults, this take on a whole new meaning, and in SIMULACRA, it is absolutely the biggest lesson you could hope to learn.
What words we choose can give new and different meaning to what we communicate to others. For example, when we pose as Anna, and tell Ashley we love her, the SIMULACRA says this:
"I do not know how it feels to be told one thing, only to find out later that it is untrue. How would true Anna react to this?"
My most recent playthrough of the game consisted of this, and when the SIMULACRA said this, my heart dropped into my stomach. When you're so focused on finding out what you need to know, you will say or do ANYTHING to get it. But when that person that you've been manipulating finds out, what will happen? You won't know the consequences, but more than likely, Anna and Ashley's relationship would deteriorate quickly, adding to the laundry list of fucked-up things that happened to Anna. What about the Spark matches she gets (well, you get)? You quickly realize how many people you've hurt within such a short period of time. The SIMULACRA has no problem with this, but it also isn't human.
That marks the end of this blog! Thanks for reading! If you want to play this game, it's available on Steam, as well as on mobile devices (for that extra-real fucked-up phone atmosphere). It's about $5 but well worth it, the story and easter eggs are all fantastic.