Underwhelming compared to the previous installment
While the intimate and voyeuristic "Simulacra" experience is mostly preserved, this game really highlights how much better Simulacra 2 was. Instead of focusing on a specific character and their immediate circle as in the previous game, this game tries to encompass the entire scope of a the enigma plaguing a whole town. While ambitious, the end result is weaker because the sense of immediacy and the dynamism of character personalities as seen in the second game is just not there. Compared to the memorable Murillo and Maya and friends, the protagonists of this game are...just there. And there are no other speaking cut scenes with any other live actors besides Ruby and the bland Paul, which makes the whole experience seem cheaper.
Pair those shortcomings with an arguably worse phone interface with clunkier design and less interactivity than last time, and you get this overall underwhelming third installment. Perhaps the most disappointing thing about this game is that the humor and pettiness seen in characters that made the last game so much fun is virtually nonexistent this time around.
In short, this game, even with its economical runtime, ends up feeling less immersive and downright boring at times (those extended Ruby videocall sequences are a drag). Hopefully these things can be remedied if there is a fourth game.
Pair those shortcomings with an arguably worse phone interface with clunkier design and less interactivity than last time, and you get this overall underwhelming third installment. Perhaps the most disappointing thing about this game is that the humor and pettiness seen in characters that made the last game so much fun is virtually nonexistent this time around.
In short, this game, even with its economical runtime, ends up feeling less immersive and downright boring at times (those extended Ruby videocall sequences are a drag). Hopefully these things can be remedied if there is a fourth game.
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