Developer: Wales Interactive, Good Gate Media, Little Jade Productions
Publisher: Wales Interactive
Platform: PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC
Tested on: PC
The Complex – Review
There is no better time to release an interactive movie/game that revolves around a virus when pretty much the entire world is in lockdown because of a global pandemic. The Complex takes us to London, where a scientist is creating nano-technology for a first manned mission to Mars. The technology would serve as a way to treat injuries in space. It soon becomes clear that this technology can be used for harmful practices as well. That being said, such technology is desired by both good forces as well as those on the evil side of the fence.
There is not that much more to tell about the story than we initially mentioned in the introduction. We get to know Dr. Amy Tenent, who we first meet during a biochemical attack in an Asian country, which later gets known as Kindar. This country is a clear reference to North-Korea, as they even speak about the ‘Supreme Leader’. Five years later she is working for the Kensington corporation, which is the frontrunner on nanotech, that is designed for usage in space. This coincides with a case of a viral outbreak, which is also tied to the company. It seems that none other than Tenent’s technology has been compromised and has been inserted in the body of an intern, Clare. They successfully retrieve the patient, but as this is the only batch of the nanotech available, it’s a matter of retrieving it, and hopefully save Clare in the process.
When taking a closer look at how everything is created, we can say that this is a proper cinematic experience. While some scenes look a bit cheaper than others, the scenes flow seamlessly into each other, even when you’re supposed to make a choice. The game also allows you to pause the movie when you have to make a choice. The latter is certainly a fun feature for those who need a bit more time to consider their options, or when viewing the movie with several people, it’s always nice to debate on what to do. You can, of course, turn off this option, but we recommend playing with it. The Complex has nearly 200 scenes to view, as well as 9 endings to unlock.
Those wanting to revisit the different options of The Complex can skip previously viewed scenes, in order to plow through the game quicker to unlock new scenes and perhaps even earn a few achievements in the process. There’s only one minor inconvenience and that’s the lack of controller support. It would be nice if this was added in the future, allowing you to play and view from the comfort of your sofa. Of course, with the pause option you can still do this, but getting up constantly isn’t really that much fun. You could also opt for a wireless mouse of course.
You can play through your first watch in about an hour and a half. This makes it an ideal length to watch everything in one go, and perhaps try to unlock a few extra scenes for a second playthrough. It’s best that interactive movies such as this aren’t too long, as it would be too hard to play in several sittings.
Conclusion
The Complex is a great interactive movie that has many different choices, endings, and properly filmed scenes. While there is still a big crowd that will not consider this as a true game, the amount of work that was put into this project is quite impressive. If you’re looking for a great movie/game during your lockdown, this one will provide you with a lot of fun and replay value. We can wholeheartedly recommend this title.
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