Whispers of a Machine Review for Mac

With the advent of sophisticated artificial intelligence looking increasingly like an ineluctable occurrence in today’s day and age, the relative virtues and shortcomings of AI have become a hot topic. Publisher Raw Fury and developers Clifftop Games and Faravid Interactive’s new point-and-click detective game, Whispers of a Machine, explores what a society dealing with the aftermath of AI implementation might just look like.

In Whispers of a Machine, players take on the persona of Vera Englund, a detective for the Central Bureau who recently received cybernetic augmentations. Blessed with preternatural strength, the ability to discern the veraciousness of the statements of those conversing with her, and a built-in scanner that allows her to pick up on the minutest details, Vera is sent off to the distant, shabby city of Nordsund to investigate the murder of a museum worker. However, before she knows it, Vera will uncover a massive plot involving terrorists, disparate doctrines, lovers, and more that has huge ramifications for the world she lives in.

Vera is a thoroughly likable character. Players can mold her into the protagonist that they desire her to be by selecting how she responds to certain key situations from a set of prompts. Whispers of a Machine typically presents players with three different options for how Vera can interact with NPC’s: one that reinforces her analytical side, one that hones her empathetic demeanor, and one that brings to light her assertive streak.

What’s novel about this approach is that Vera’s responses shape the course of the game. If, for example, players have Vera respond analytically to any given situation she encounters, they will later unlock augmentations that they would not have if they had Vera maintain a more empathetic disposition. In the same vein, players can solve puzzles the game throws at them in different manners, which further sends Vera down one of the three attitudinal paths and ultimately influences which of the game’s endings they will receive.

The branching dialogue options and multiple answers for most in-game problems definitely help to make Whispers of a Machine a game that players will want to run through multiple times, which is a rarity in the murder-mystery genre. But, more powerfully, they make players’ individual choices feel meaningful in a way that most other point-and-click games on the market fail to.

The city of Nordsund itself also contributes immensely to how players will perceive Whispers of a Machine. Even though it is categorically dark and gloomy, the city is rendered wonderfully; from detailed locations filled with a plethora of usable items and memorable characters to music that amplifies tensions, Nordsund feels imbued with life. The world building is done exceptionally well, as players are forced to interact with the inhabitants of Nordsund and piece together the state of Vera’s world.

While some additional in-game tutorials that stress the nuances of the augmentations at Vera’s disposal would be welcome, Whispers of a Machine is a game worth delving into. For those in search a more cerebral title that will have them working through complex criminal cases and terrorist schemes, there may currently be no better option than Whispers of a Machine.

Rating: 9.4/10

Check Out the Whispers of a Machine Trailer:

Whispers of a Machine is available for Windows PC and Mac via Steam and on the App Store and Google Play for mobile.