I’ve played a couple of games where I’ve been cast as a journalist, but in most of these games you’re a journalist in the same way Tintin is a journalist – kind of, but not too much. Beyond Good & Evil probably takes it the most seriously. You’re a photographer trying to get the truth about an alien invasion. You break into places and have fights and solve puzzles, but you also get the shots you’re after before you get out. But still, you know, the fights, the breaking in, the solving puzzles. You’re a journalist, kind of…
Times & Galaxy, which was announced this week goes much further. (There’s a demo here so you can see it for yourself.) Suddenly I’m a journalist who’s expected to go and research actual events, build a sense of what happened and then sculpt a story afterwards. Sure, it’s the future and I’m also a robot exploring a colourful sci-fi world, but it goes a lot deeper than I had expected.
On my first mission I’m sent to a planet to write up an RTA. But as I chat to people things start to get strange. A ship crashed because the cops were chasing it, but the cops won’t take any blame for a crime they caused in the line of duty. Furthermore, there didn’t appear to actually be anybody in crashed ship, and the flight recorder is missing.
