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Minds Beneath Us Review

Imagine playing Cyberpunk 2077, but instead of stepping into V’s shoes, you’re Johnny Silverhand. You possess a body that isn’t yours, yet you have the power to influence it. Would you respect the wishes of the body you inhabit, or pursue your own goals, disregarding the desires of your host? Minds Beneath Us poses this question — and many other thought-provoking ones.

The game, which I would largely classify as a visual novel, caught my attention when indie developer Bearbone Studio promised in June that choices in their sci-fi game would truly matter. I’m always up for a “choose-your-own-adventure” experience, especially when the setting and narrative are as promising as they are here.

This review contains no spoilers, and I won’t delve too deeply into the story. Minds Beneath Us is a game best experienced with minimal prior knowledge.

One of the Most Intriguing Intros I’ve Ever Played

In the opening minutes, you discover that you are not playing as the leader of the city’s largest smuggling ring, but as an A.I. controlling him from within. You find yourself in a mysterious room alongside your partner-in-crime. Your mission is to extract information from your companion. You can choose to play along with the scheme or sabotage the mission entirely.

The game feeds you just the right amount of information at just the right pace, enough to create countless questions while answering only a few at a time. By the end of the introduction, my curiosity was piqued to the point where I needed answers immediately. And each time I found one answer, it led to even more questions. Be warned though: these won’t all get resolved.

You Are Jason Dai — But Why? No One Knows

After the intro, you quickly shift into the body of the actual protagonist: Jason Dai. Unlike the previous body you controlled, this time, you have no idea what your mission is. Your employer is nowhere to be found.

“The game feeds you just the right amount of information at just the right pace, enough to create countless questions while answering only a few at a time.


Jason’s girlfriend, Frances Chang, informs you that it’s your first day of work. As you engage in conversation on Jason’s behalf, an interesting dynamic emerges — you can actually see Jason’s real thoughts. If you choose dialogue options that contradict his thoughts, it naturally confuses him.

As you begin your morning and head to your new job (accompanied by Frances, who works at the same company), the setting of Minds Beneath Us is introduced organically and in digestible bits. You notice subtle technologies like floating hair dryers, and Frances tells you about the “flop farm” you’re heading to.

Powerful mega-corporations, with extensive influence over the country, own these flop farms and compete fiercely with one another. There are complex, intertwined interests at play, and you’re quickly pulled into the web of intrigue.

Human Brains Are Exploited to Power A.I. Systems

To keep the country’s infrastructure running, human brains are essentially drained. This process takes place in the flop farm where Frances works and where Jason hopes to secure a permanent job. To put it mildly, this practice is morally questionable. My initial reaction was: Why would anyone want to work for a company that supports such inhumane practices?

However, where Minds Beneath Us truly shines is in its ability to challenge your initial judgments and moral dilemmas with new information. Situations are rarely black and white. In the case of the flop farms, it’s important to note that for many people, this is their last chance at earning an income and a crucial tool in the fight against unemployment. Offering up their brains for a short period of time is, for some, the only way to survive or to provide for their loved ones.

So, are you still certain you want to take away that final opportunity from these people?

Making Choices Forms the Core of the Gameplay

Minds Beneath Us is a game that you primarily progress through by clicking. If you’re not a fan of reading and prefer gameplay that’s action-packed above all, this is probably not the game for you.

The gameplay consists of about 90% dialogue with people around you. You’ll be processing a massive amount of information from your partner, colleagues, and others you meet along the way.

“Almost every conversation I had as Jason was informative and served the plot. Even things that seemed somewhat irrelevant at the time often came back later and clicked into place.


I’m a big fan of story-driven games, but personally, I sometimes struggle with very large amounts of text. My thoughts tend to wander, which can make it difficult to stay fully engaged in the narrative.

Luckily, the world, the themes, and the characters in Minds Beneath Us are so captivating that my attention rarely faltered. Almost every conversation I had as Jason was informative and served the plot. Even things that seemed somewhat irrelevant at the time often came back later and clicked into place. Some details initially felt trivial, only to later reveal themselves as crucial pieces of knowledge, leading me to think, “I wish I had remembered that.”

Through countless conversations, not only do your own insights change, but you also have the power to influence those around you. These changes can be small, like bringing two colleagues closer together, or more significant, like altering the fate of people who’ve offered their brains to a flop farm.

Between conversations, you can walk around your street or office. You’ll move between different floors and departments, can listen in on conversations (some of which again contain important information), and can click with various objects to learn more about the world.

In addition to listening to and engaging in dialogues, you’ll occasionally be tested on how well you’ve been paying attention. For example, early on, one of your first tasks is to select a person with the right traits to offer their brain to a flop farm. You’ll engage in conversations with three potential candidates and choose the one who seems most suitable based on your prior conversations and training. Or, if you prefer to be an evil A.I. instead, you can try to sabotage Jason’s mission by picking the worst option.

But don’t worry, there’s combat too. It’s not particularly complex, consisting of quick-time events. The sequences do look pretty cool, but the animations quickly become repetitive.

Long story short, the main gameplay element is finding answers to your questions. And one of the most important questions is: who do you trust? After all, the world is full of enemies you might want to avoid making.

Minds Beneath Us Looks Stunning, Gritty, and Atmospheric

All this intrigue unfolds against the backdrop of a beautifully designed Asian cyberpunk city. The 2.5D graphics are a visual delight. The lighting reflects off the character models in an exquisite way, and the streets feel alive.

As you walk around, you see people hanging out on their scooters, smoking a cigarette, relaxing in a small restaurant, or queuing for bubble tea. Vehicles pass by the screen, creating the feeling of actually walking through a city. The area in which you can walk around is quite a small hub, but what we do see is beautifully detailed and convincing.

The office, where we spend a lot of time, does exactly what it needs to. There are futuristic gadgets on display, but it still manages to resemble a current day office. For instance, lunchboxes are still getting stolen in this high-tech workplace, and it’s socially acceptable to choose the farthest available urinal, rather than the one right next to someone else. It’s nice to see some things never change.

The absence of facial features on characters didn’t bother me in the slightest. While faces and expressions certainly help convey emotion, the animations, dialogue, and accompanying music—though the latter does becomes a bit repetitive after a while—were more than enough to draw me into the dark world and hold my attention until the end.

The English Isn’t Always Perfect, and Seems to Deteriorate as the Game Progresses

What occasionally disrupts the immersion is the fact that I frequently spotted spelling errors or translation mistakes throughout the game. English isn’t my first language, and if I noticed these mistakes, I can imagine it might be a bit bothersome for native English speakers.

Especially as the game progressed, it seemed like more and more errors popped up. While an occasional mistake is forgivable, towards the end, it felt like there was a new one every few minutes. This is definitely an area the developer could improve upon. Fortunately, it’s far from being experience-breaking.

The Door Is Left Open for DLC or a Sequel

As I mentioned earlier, not all the questions are answered. This includes the specific one I actually found the most intriguing, which was a bit disappointing after investing around 20 hours into the storylines that had kept me so engaged.

One reason for this could be that DLC or a sequel is on the way, something that’s definitely hinted at. I’m not usually a fan of leaving questions unanswered just to set up a follow-up, but in this case, I would welcome it.

The world and the lore created by Bearbone Studio are so fascinating that there’s still much more to explore, and plenty more interesting stories to tell. A sequel or DLC would undoubtedly be a day-one purchase for me.

Conclusion

Minds Beneath Us is captivating from the very first minute and remains so until the final second.

The game frequently made me pause and reflect on the many challenging choices it presents, especially as the circumstances surrounding those choices shift in phenomenal ways. Things are rarely black and white, as the developer skilfully presents convincing pros and cons, making it difficult to make decisions with absolute certainty.

The visual style is both appealing and atmospheric, bringing the world and its believable characters to life in a truly impressive way.

Minor issues with the English translation and unresolved plotlines cast a small shadow over an otherwise fantastic experience.

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