M/1

Introduction

M/1 is one of those games I probably should have skipped over. For one thing I'm not a fan of games with horror elements or dark themes. And for another, the issue at the center point of this story is obviously going to be rape based on the title screen alone. And rape is a difficult subject to approach at even the best of times due to how emotionally draining the subject matter is even for those that have never experienced it. Even thinking about this topic quickly leads to me becoming aggravated, but after the anger wears off the depression sets in. So, before I begin this review I'll need to put some emotional support around me in the form of a few stuffed plushies.

Does This Game Approach Rape is a Respectable Fashion?

The short answer is no. The long answer sit down and let me explain myself. For one thing this game ignores the reality that most victims of sexual crimes are at least familiar with their rapist. A good example of this is Brent Girouex, a youth pastor, who was charged with raping multiple underage boys in order to cure them of being potentially gay.

Another issue is that most of the ending in this game leave the character a broken shell of themselves. I suppose you could argue their is more to Zoe falling apart then merely being raped and left for dead. Zoe also suffers from abandonment issues as well as feeling like all of her efforts are pointless since she never succeeds. And, while it is conceivable that the trauma of being raped and almost murdered were the straws that broke the proverbial camel's back. I'm going to sit firmly in the camp that this wasn't a good idea to explore.

And, finally I don't feel this game approaches the subject in a respectable fashion since it failed to resonate with me on an emotional level. The topic of rape is deeply upsetting and for me to play this game and feel more frustrated at stupidly falling into a few traps then at the rapist and his mother that defends him says a lot. Though the main reason this story fails to yank at my heart chains is because the characters feel more like 2D caricatures then actual people.

Gameplay

On the gameplay side of things there isn't much to be said. You explore the recess of your mind looking for objects and depending on which ones you find and the rooms you visit determines the outcome of the story. A factoid that makes the game even less engaging since there is very little for the player to do. It's not like getting to the objects is a challenge and only a few are carefully hidden.

Graphics

On the visual side of things the game is pretty decent. While a few of the maps such as the opening area for the mines could use some cleanup and possibly reduction in size the character art more then makes up for it.

Sound

On the sound side of things the game is alright. The few pieces the game does have were well chosen, but at times the lack of background music feels a bit off putting in my opinion.

Conclusion

M/1 isn't a game that I would recommend. Even if you disallow my personal opinion that this game isn't emotionally engaging the game still feels like it fails to approach its subject matter in a respectful and accurate fashion.