ENCODYA is a 2.5D cyberpunk point-and-click adventure game. It has 3D models but the environments are in 2D. It is based on the story and the characters of the 2019 short film Robot Will Protect You by the same company and utilizes the same art style. Despite the bleak environment and dark themes the overall style is often light and described by the developers as toon cyberpunk. Next to the power of corporations and corruption the game focuses on themes such as family and the negative aspects of escaping from reality by becoming addicted to a virtual world. The game consists of five chapters preceded by a prologue.
The game is set in 2062 is Neo Berlin, a futuristic version of the German city. It has been turned into a dark megapolis run by corporations and corrupt politicians, especially its mayor Rumpf. The protagonists are nine-year-old orphan Tina who lives on the streets with her robot S.A.M. 53. Their life consists of getting by through scavenging and finding new uses for scraps. The robot was assigned to her at birth, like all babies, and takes care of her. Tina took to the streets on the age of six when her mother died of a cyberspace overdose. Both characters are playable at the same time and it is possible to switch between them at any moment. Even though they share the inventory, using a specific character is often vital for progress. S.A.M. 53 can for instance reach higher locations, talk to robots and deal with electronic elements, while Tina has a different approach with other uses for items or different dialogue options.
The game uses classic mechanics. Tina and S.A.M. 53 can freely explore environments, talk to characters and need to solve puzzles to progress. Items can be picked up and are stored in an inventory. They can be used with each other or in the environment. Most of the puzzles are item based, but conversations also play an important role. The top right corner holds a mission tracker with the active tasks. In the top left corner are the portraits to switch between the characters. The bottom left corner has a map to travel quickly between locations. Clicking elements in the environment triggers shows icons for one to five possible actions depending on the context: use, look at, talk to, pick and pull. There is also a fair amount of pixel hunting so vital items are picked up.
There are two game modes: Easy and Hard. In Easy mode pressing the space bar reveals most of the hotspots in the environment and a few puzzles are omitted. In that mode Tina can also talk to S.A.M. 53 to receive a hint on what to do next. The game mode focuses on continuing the story so players do not get stuck on certain puzzles. Next to the main puzzle-solving there are ten secrets to discover through items that are not vital for progress. There are about 100 locations and over 30 characters who are all voiced. The game contains a video tutorial where all the mechanics are explained. There are no fail states and it it not possible to die. Saving is done both automatically and manually.
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