Interrogation: You Will Be Deceived

Interrogation - You Will Be Deceived is one of the most unique games I have ever encountered, and I have enjoyed it thoroughly. You play as a police officer leading a brand new task force created to deal with The Liberation Front, a group of extremists-turned-terrorists. The core gameplay mechanic, as the name suggests, consists of a series of interrogations you conduct with sympathisers, innocent bystanders and full-blown terrorists, trying to figure out which people fall into which category and how to coax the truth out of them. Where Interrogation really shines is here: 1) For what's essentialy a conversation simulation, by God is it an immersive one. I found my heart pounding every time I managed to get a new piece of information, my mind jumping at how to spin it to the suspect in the next room. I grew increasingly frustrated as it became clear this particular guy will just sit here with his arms crossed and not give me a single name - becoming more and more stressed as the timer ticked down until the next bomb would go off. I loved every second of it. 2) You're free to say and do pretty much whatever you want in order to get the information and confessions you need. PArdon their illegal activities, bond over a glass of whisky, outright agree with TLF - or just go ahead and beat the everloving sh-t out of your suspects. Your call, officer. Beware, though, as your actions have consequences - if the public turns against you, or the authorities lose faith... Well. An open conversation system, a realistic simulation of how people react to the questions you ask or statements you make, and your own moral compass coming into play (both on police conduct and whether or not these guys really /are/ that bad..?) creates a gameplay experience where you have to keep yourself in check and try to stay three thoughts ahead at all times. All in all, Interrogation is as unique as it is thrilling. For a game about fighting terrorism, it sure is morally challenging.

In this title, the core of the gameplay is to interrogate several suspects, trying to frighten (and/or) conciliate them enough to get the information you need. Your options are pre-set; so you may choose from a suggested list. A poor pick may make the following interrogation more difficult or even impossible. Typically, you can ask a limited number of questions before you run out of "time". You are free to restart at any point, though. All the interrogations are connected with a single grand story. Between the interrogations you have to manage your department and interact with your team and other characters. Pros: — The words and emotional reactions of the suspects are believable. They are definitely written with enough knowledge in the subject field. So is the main story; — The atmosphere is deep and complete. The look and feel are consistent; — The main plot is moderately intriguing. Cons: — The interrogations are story-driven. The storywriters have already decided how every dialogue goes, and you just reasonably follow along. The question options are few and specific enough to feel you're following the plot rather than "doing this your way". There's no way you're missing something, or getting some extra info if you're good; — The non-interrogational part is story-driven either. Everything you see or do there has a low impact on the interrogations and no impact on the story. You CAN screw the game by deliberately mismanaging, though… Rating justification: — Splendid atmosphere; — Met most expectations; — Designed by knowledgeable people; — Too little freedom for the player. Feels pretty much like a visual novel. Strategic and managerial elements are primarily atmospheric. Recommended to: (1) those who saw the screenshots and got interested (2) detective story lovers; Not recommended to: those who don't like reading, analysing, thinking of reasonable choices.

Perhaps I'm biased having studied political science in university, but I was impressed by the quality of writing in this game. I've been disappointed by other "conversation-simulators" before—personally I don't even care all that much about the gameplay, but as a story, slowly piecing together the disparate, contradictory parts of the ideology that drives such different people, often pursuing mutual exclusive ideals, into committing acts of terrorism was absolutely fascinating. I was particularly impressed by the care and attention paid to the depiction of the wide spectrum of anarchist ideologies and of the widespread discontent with the state of the world which fuels similar (albeit less overtly violent) populist movements today. I have no idea how someone not interested this would feel about the game, but at the very least it is an educational experience, particularly relevant today.

I do love this game. Immersive, well-documented, and non-manichean about today's world at the edge. The destruction is close and you, as a leader of a police force, is the last to hold position. But is it a good thing? Is there even something that could be labelled as "good"? Aren't just doing your work and you best? Interrogation will resonate with your political opinion, whatever it may be. On top of it, it will also provide a really good psychological game, with a bit of team and PR management. Sounds cool? It is!