Impostor Factory

Last updated
Impostor Factory
Impostor Factory steam poster.png
Video game cover art
Developer(s) Freebird Games
Publisher(s) Freebird Games
Director(s) Kan Gao
Writer(s) Kan Gao
Engine RPG Maker
Platform(s)
ReleaseSeptember 30, 2021
Genre(s) Adventure, role-playing, thriller [1]
Mode(s) Single-player

Impostor Factory is a 2021 adventure video game developed and published by Freebird Games. [2] Like A Bird Story , the game was a follow-up and prequel of To the Moon and Finding Paradise . The story revolves around the new protagonist Quincy Reynard, who ends up in a murder case inside a mansion but suddenly finds himself experiencing double murders and mysterious time loops. The game released on September 30, 2021, for Linux, macOS, and Windows to positive reviews. [3]

Contents

Gameplay

Impostor Factory's gameplay is similar to that of the first game in the series, To the Moon , which was built on the RPG Maker XP engine. Like the previous game, it functions like a typical RPG, but lacks many RPG elements. However, unlike its predecessors, Impostor Factory does feature an inventory and party system, but these features are only used for jokes, and ultimately have no impact on the gameplay. Players navigate Quincy through story events as he tries to understand the events unraveling around him.

Plot

On a rainy afternoon, Quincy Reynard arrives at what appears to be a decrepit mansion for a party. The massive estate is owned by Dr. Yu and Dr. Haynes, who run the illustrious Yu-Haynes Foundation in an underground lab hidden deep beneath the mansion. Quincy gets acquainted with the other party guests, including Lynri, a mysterious young woman with the ability to seemingly be in two places at once. As Quincy navigates the party, he finds that the sink in the bathroom can apparently rewind time for him. Eventually, Quincy accidentally stumbles upon the corpses of a recently murdered Dr. Yu and Dr. Haynes. Accused of being the murderer for his strange behavior, Quincy runs away to rewind time in the bathroom, but is eventually informed by Lynri that the murders are not real, the world he inhabits is nothing but a simulation, and that Lynri created him.

Overwhelmed with an existential crisis, Quincy is sent out by Lynri to view another simulation to properly explain the situation, which turns out to be Lynri's memories. As a young child, Lynri was prone to sudden blackouts and was eventually diagnosed with a rare condition that could become malignant with little warning. Isolated from her peers by the knowledge of her condition, Lynri devoted herself to studying neuroscience, specifically researching a method on how to encode human memories into computers. In college, Lynri meets Quincy for the first time. The Quincy observing the memories is shocked, as he has no recollection of any of the events he's seeing, but continues to watch the story unfold. As time passes, Lynri and Quincy grow close. Despite knowing what Lynri's condition would mean for both of them, Quincy and Lynri fall in love and start dating. On graduation day, Lynri is approached by representatives from the Yu-Haynes Foundation over a research paper she had published. Offered an illustrious and lucrative job, Lynri and Quincy move in together. Lynri immediately begins to work with the Foundation on developing technology that would interface directly with human memories, while Quincy takes on domestic life roles.

Over time, Lynri's job begins demanding more and more of her time, causing friction between her and Quincy. The Foundation offers for Lynri to live within the mansion's residential complex to remove the commute, as some other employees do, but she is uncertain. However, on the day when Lynri is to present the Foundation's progress to a group of investors, she arrives late, and finds that the demonstration had already proceeded but ended up killing one of her colleagues. While the Foundation and the investors heatedly debate about the use of memory-interfacing technology that just kills its users, Lynri, knowing that she was supposed to be the one handling the demonstration that day, immediately quits her job and returns home. Overwhelmed with the realization that she could have died right then, independent of her health, Lynri decides to travel the world with Quincy, finally fulfilling a long-time goal of theirs. Upon returning home, Lynri learns that she is pregnant. Though Lynri is concerned about how her hereditary condition could affect her and the pregnancy, she and Quincy ultimately decide to go through with it. However, Lynri's condition suddenly becomes acute late into her pregnancy. She is forced to either give birth prematurely to have a time-sensitive life-saving operation, or postpone the operation to allow her child a healthy birth and possibly render the operation ineffective. Lynri chooses the former.

Tobias Reynard is born to Lynri and Quincy prematurely. Consistently wheelchair-bound and on oxygen support, Tobias is raised with all the love his family could give him, but ultimately dies of health complications as a young child. Heartbroken and guilt-ridden, Lynri and Quincy start drifting apart. Eventually, Lynri leaves Quincy without a word to return to work and live at the Yu-Haynes Foundation. She devotes all of her time to developing the memory interfacing technology and eventually decides to run another simulation test. She samples her own memories to create an early version of Quincy that would serve as a test character, thus explaining the Quincy the player is controlling.

Finished with observing Lynri's life story, Quincy returns to the mansion where present-day Lynri explains that the murders he had observed earlier were flaws in the simulation she was trying to correct. Quincy agrees to help her out and Lynri briefly exits the simulation. When Lynri returns and Quincy finishes doing all the tasks Lynri had set for him, they are both confronted by Watt's AI assistant Faye from Finding Paradise . Lynri realizes that she, too, is not real, and that even her world is the result of multiple simulations of her memory simulating more tests from the memory interfacing machine. Faye tells them that there are too many levels in the current simulation and that she'll have to delete their world soon. However, before doing so, Faye tells the duo that this simulation was allowed to run because it was very close to the real story of Lynri. Faye explains that in reality, Lynri chose to delay her operation to have a healthy baby. This baby was Neil Watts from the previous games, as Quincy decided that their newborn should inherit Lynri's family name instead of his. Lynri would only live for a few more years, so towards the end of her life, she returned to the Yu-Haynes Foundation to use their memory-interfacing machine to preserve her memory for a grown-up Neil. Neil, later diagnosed with the same condition as his mother, would eventually find his way into Sigmund Corp., which had licensed the imperfect memory interface machine to grant wishes to the dying, so that Neil could continue working on a version of the machine that would unlock his mother's memories. Neil was eventually successful, and that machine is the one currently running the simulation the current Lynri and Quincy are in.

At this point, Faye deletes the world they're inhabiting, but offers Quincy and Lynri an opportunity to live a perfect timeline. After some convincing, Lynri agrees to go with Quincy. The two then proceed to live a life where Lynri's condition is permanently gone and she gets to have a happy marriage with Quincy, watching Neil grow up all the way, get married, and have a child of his own. In their old age, when their time is almost over, Lynri and Quincy express their gratitude towards Faye. Faye assures them that their son is still watching over them and briefly celebrates their good life. The simulation then permanently ends.

In the post-credits scene, the real Dr. Neil Watts talks to Faye about what constitutes a perfect world, and whether or not the simulation just now was perfect by any standard. He is eventually interrupted by his Sigmund colleagues at his door, inviting him for a casual hangout. Neil heads out with them.

Development and release

Impostor Factory was first announced in March 2019, though it was not yet confirmed whether the game would be a part of the Sigmund Corp. series. The official trailer premiered in August 2020. It prominently features an unnamed lady in a red dress, presumably the same one featured in the promotional posters. [4]

In November 2020, Kan Gao announced that the release date was pushed back from the end of 2020 to spring 2021. It was further delayed per a July 2021 announcement on the game's Steam news page, stating that the game was set to release in September. The game was released on September 30, 2021. [5] An update on the game's Steam page pushed the release back to September. [6] The game released on September 30, 2021. [7]

Laura Shigihara, whose vocals were featured in the previous major installments, is noticeably uncredited as her voice wasn't suited for the game's darker elements. [8]

Reception

Impostor Factory has received generally positive reception, with a score of 80 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic, averaged from 13 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [10]

Damaso Scibetta of IGN Italia gave a positive review, saying: "Gao's writing is always impeccable and is capable of never falling into the banal, even when it touches themes already abused in the medium and in narration in general." [11]

Bob Richardson of RPG Fan also gave a positive review, saying: "It’s akin to going into an art gallery and scoring each painting or sculpture, and while that seems like I’m laying the praise on a bit thick, I genuinely feel this way."

Related Research Articles

A visual novel (VN) is a form of digital interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustrations and a varying degree of interactivity. The format is more rarely referred to as novel game, a retranscription of the wasei-eigo term noberu gēmu (ノベルゲーム), which is more often used in Japanese.

Otherland is a science fiction tetralogy by American writer Tad Williams, published between 1996 and 2001. The story is set on Earth near the end of the 21st century, probably between 2082 and 2089, in a world where technology has advanced somewhat beyond the present. The most notable advancement is the widespread availability of full-immersion virtual reality installations, which allow people from all walks of life to access an online world, called simply the Net. Tad Williams weaves an intricate plot spanning four thick volumes, and creates a picture of a future society where virtual worlds are fully integrated into everyday life.

<i>Déjà Vu</i> (video game) 1985 video game

Déjà Vu is a point-and-click adventure game set in the world of 1940s hardboiled detective novels and films. It was released in 1985 for Macintosh – the first in the MacVenture series – and later ported to several other systems, including the Amiga. Initially, the game featured black and white graphics, and later releases introduced color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mind uploading in fiction</span> References of mind uploading in fiction

Mind uploading, whole brain emulation, or substrate-independent minds, is a use of a computer or another substrate as an emulated human brain. The term "mind transfer" also refers to a hypothetical transfer of a mind from one biological brain to another. Uploaded minds and societies of minds, often in simulated realities, are recurring themes in science-fiction novels and films since the 1950s.

<i>The Legend of Sword and Fairy</i> (video game) 1995 video game

The Legend of Sword and Fairy, also known colloquially as Sword and Fairy 1 (仙劍一), is an adventure role-playing video game developed by the Taiwanese game company Softstar Entertainment. Initially released in 1995 for the MS-DOS platform, the game incorporates elements of wuxia, shenmo and xianxia fantasy, and draws heavy inspirations from traditional Chinese mythology. It has been widely praised as one of the most iconic and influential Chinese RPG games of all time, and has since spawned a successful video game franchise in Taiwan and Mainland China. In addition to video games, it has also developed into a media franchise, most famously a television series adaptation by Tangren Media in 2005 starring Hu Ge in his breakout acting role.

Construction and management simulation (CMS), sometimes also called management sim or building sim, is a subgenre of simulation game in which players build, expand or manage fictional communities or projects with limited resources. Strategy video games sometimes incorporate CMS aspects into their game economy, as players must manage resources while expanding their project. Pure CMS games differ from strategy games, however, in that "the player's goal is not to defeat an enemy, but to build something within the context of an ongoing process." Games in this category are sometimes also called "management games".

<i>Persona 4</i> 2008 video game

Persona 4, released outside Japan as Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, is a 2008 role-playing video game by Atlus. It is chronologically the fifth installment in the Persona series, itself a part of the larger Megami Tensei franchise, and was released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan in July 2008, North America in December 2008, and Europe in March 2009 as one of the final major exclusives for the system. It was re-released as a PlayStation 2 Classic for the PlayStation 3 in April 2014. Persona 4 takes place in a fictional Japanese countryside and is indirectly related to earlier Persona games. The player-named protagonist is a high-school student who moved into the countryside from the city for a year. During his year-long stay, he becomes involved in investigating mysterious murders with a group of friends while harnessing the power to summon physical manifestations of their psyches known as a Persona.

<i>YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World</i> 1996 video game

YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World is a visual novel adventure game developed and published by ELF Corporation. It was originally released in 1996 as an eroge for the NEC PC-98 Japanese home computer and later ported to the Sega Saturn and Microsoft Windows platforms without the sexual content. The story follows the protagonist travelling between parallel worlds to solve the mystery of his parents' disappearance. The game uses concepts from science fiction, physics, mathematics, philosophy, history and religion to construct a unique fictional universe. The "Auto Diverge Mapping System" (A.D.M.S.) that displays the branching parallel worlds and storylines as a tree helps the player navigate the game world.

<i>To the Moon</i> 2011 video game

To the Moon is a 2011 adventure game developed and published by Freebird Games. It was originally released for Windows and was later ported to Linux, OS X, Android, iOS, and the Nintendo Switch. The story follows two doctors who offer to fulfill a dying man's last wish using artificial memories. The game features relatively few gameplay mechanics, with the player controlling the two doctors, exploring the narrative, and solving puzzles as they try to reconstruct the dying man's memories in order to fulfill his wish.

Freebird Games is a video game developer based in Canada. They have developed eight games. Their most prominent game, To the Moon, was nominated for Best Writing and Innovation Award for the Canadian Videogame Awards.

<i>Half-Minute Hero: The Second Coming</i> 2011 video game

Half-Minute Hero: The Second Coming is an action role-playing game developed by Opus and published by Marvelous. It is the sequel to Half-Minute Hero. It was first released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable before being localized in English for Windows in 2014.

<i>Mad Father</i> 2012 video game

Mad Father is a survival horror role-playing puzzle video game. The game was developed by Japanese developer Sen, published by Miscreant's Room and released on 10 December 2012. The game centers around an 11-year-old girl named Aya, who breaks into her father's secret laboratory to uncover the horrifying truth of his research. A Steam version, published by AGM Playism, was released on 23 September 2016.

<i>The House in Fata Morgana</i> Visual novel video game

The House in Fata Morgana is a visual novel video game developed by Novectacle. It was released for Microsoft Windows and iOS by Novectacle in 2012 and 2014 in Japan, and for Microsoft Windows by MangaGamer in 2016 internationally. Additionally, a Nintendo 3DS version was released by FuRyu in 2016, and a PlayStation Vita version was released by Dramatic Create in 2017, both exclusive to Japan. Another PlayStation Vita version, as well as a PlayStation 4 version, were released in North America by Limited Run Games in 2019, who also released a Nintendo Switch version of the game in 2021.

<i>CrossCode</i> 2018 video game

CrossCode is a 2018 action role-playing game developed by Radical Fish Games and published by Deck13. Players control Lea, a player in a fictional MMORPG called CrossWorlds who wakes up with no memory and is unable to speak. Gameplay involves the player employing both ranged and melee shots to solve puzzles and defeat enemies, with differing elemental modes granting different powers used in combat and exploring.

<i>Finding Paradise</i> 2017 video game

Finding Paradise is an adventure game developed and published by Freebird Games. Serving as a sequel to To the Moon and A Bird Story, the story continues with doctors Eva Rosalene and Neil Watts as they help to fulfill a wish for Colin Reeds, who is now a bedridden old man. As with To the Moon, it features relatively few gameplay mechanics which center around puzzles, with the player controlling both doctors as they solve them in order to reconstruct the dying man's memories in order to fulfill his dying wish. The game was fully designed, written, and composed for by Canadian independent game designer Kan Gao using the RPG Maker XP game engine. Development of the game began in 2015, and it was released for Linux, macOS, and Windows on December 14, 2017. It was released for Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch on November 18, 2022. A sequel to the series, Impostor Factory, was released in 2021.

<i>Remothered: Tormented Fathers</i> 2018 video game

Remothered: Tormented Fathers is a 2018 survival horror video game created and directed by Chris Darril, developed by Stormind Games and published by Darril Arts. The game was originally released digitally on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. A Nintendo Switch version was released digitally in 2019, in collaboration with developer Dico Co., Ltd. The game was also released physically in October 2019 by publisher Soedesco.

<i>Lockheart Indigo</i> 2020 murder mystery video game

Lockheart Indigo is a 2020 independent adventure game developed by Fangsoft, using the RPG Maker MV engine. It follows Beatris Summers, a young private detective hired to solve the murder of the business owner, Evan Volkov. She must attempt to interrogate one of them, especially the Volkov Family and its workers, who commit the crime behind the wealthy robotics tycoon in the mansion.

<i>Among Us</i> 2018 video game

Among Us is a 2018 online multiplayer social deduction game developed and published by American game studio Innersloth. The game was inspired by the party game Mafia and the science fiction horror film The Thing. The game allows for cross-platform play; it was released on iOS and Android devices in June 2018 and on Windows later that year in November. It was ported to the Nintendo Switch in December 2020 and on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in December 2021. A virtual reality adaptation, Among Us VR, was released on November 10, 2022.

<i>Omori</i> (video game) 2020 video game

Omori is a 2020 role-playing video game developed and published by indie studio Omocat. The player controls a hikikomori teenage boy named Sunny and his dream world alter-ego Omori. The player explores both the real world and Sunny's surreal dream world as Omori, either overcoming or suppressing his fears and forgotten secrets. How Sunny and Omori interact depends on choices made by the player, resulting in one of several endings. The game's turn-based battle system includes unconventional status effects based on characters' emotions. Prominently portraying concepts such as anxiety, depression, psychological trauma, and suicide, the game features strong psychological horror elements.

Faye Mata is an American voice actress best known for her roles as Aqua in KonoSuba, Astolfo/Rider of Black in Fate/Apocrypha, Petra Macneary in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Yukie Shikako in Godzilla Singular Point, Kagami Tsurugi in Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, and Katie Killjoy in the pilot episode of Hazbin Hotel.

References

  1. ↑ "Impostor Factory on Steam". Steam . Valve . Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Impostor Factory website". 15 April 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  3. ↑ "Steam news release date for Impostor Factory". September 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  4. ↑ "To the Moon 3 trailer". YouTube . Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  5. ↑ "Impostor Factory delay video". YouTube . Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  6. ↑ "Steam announcement". 8 July 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "Steam release page for Impostor Factory". September 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  8. ↑ "Shigihara's confirmation" . Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  9. ↑ "Finding Paradise for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Metacritic page for Impostor Factory". Metacritic . Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  11. ↑ Ottobre 2021 09:33, diDamaso Scibetta Pubblicato: Giovedì 07 (2021-10-07). "Impostor Factory - La recensione". IGN Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 2022-11-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.