JJ Macfield is an ordinary girl, one that seems to be existing at the end of the world. After a nice night with her close friend Emily, JJ awakens to find her friend missing. This sets her off on a journey to find her friend and puts her into the path of danger.
JJ soon finds herself dead and resurrected by a strange man who’s decided to make a test subject out of her. This weird mooseman as it were, curses her with a devilish life and it, in fact, helps her on her adventure through a war-torn world. Now, it is unclear what his motives are but the fact that he does this is sickening in its own right.
Never had I ever thought I would play a game where a character can deliberately destroy their body and regrow it when necessary. This game has the player using this ability as effectively as they can. JJ will need to blow up bits of herself to maneuver through obstacles at times. There was one point where I had to bounce up onto a platform and the only way I could be to just be a head.
As JJ travels through the world, the platforming can be insane. There are times when JJ will have to invert the world and the only way to do that is to get her neck broken. JJ can get hit by say a wrecking ball and suddenly the world will be upside down and she will be able to solve puzzles that way. Seeing that for the first time was a brutal sight indeed.
The player must always look around for things that might not seem right. They must often times adjust their thinking and even do things like light themselves on fire or electrocute themselves. This game is unlike any other because at the end of the day you might complete a puzzle by being nothing but a head.
JJ as a young woman also has a cellphone. This phone offers up the menu, cheat mode, and settings among other things. But the most important aspect of this is, in fact, the texts she receives. As the player plays through the game she will receive texts from all sorts of characters, most the player won’t meet.
Some of these messages are downright hilarious and others will leave the player and JJ chilled. It’s disturbing for her to receive messages say from the doll she carries with her, or even Emily herself. The doll is an everpresent figure in the game, so the fact that it talks is even more unsettling.
The text messages add to the world of the game and that is excellent. This world is so different and unlike ours yet vaguely like ours. These messages make the player wonder why the world is like this and should make them want to play the game more.
Missing is a game with a fantastic atmosphere. The areas all look modern yet with an old-school flair. There is something that screams everything is fine when of course this world has basically gone to hell in a handbasket.
The world is not one to be taken lightly. Clearly something far worse then just the end of the world has occurred here. Maybe a massive war broke out. There is even a massive spirit who might just be a manifestation of JJ’s emotional distress. This creature is always unsettling and sometimes chases Emily so there is always a lot to unpack in these encounters. This beast might also want to kill JJ and that adds another layer. Clearly this game is out to be a mystery and it works so well in this regard.
The Missing is a game I truly would have never expected to play. A game where nothing is as it seems and a character literally can break themselves to the point of no return and then heal themselves. The whole game is a wild ride that people if they have the stomach for it should at least watch some of. Swery has made something that is at times so visceral yet also that has a heart. Now, JJ needs to find Emily, will the player be up for the task?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided