As an interactive medium, video games are uniquely effective at providing morally challenging experiences that encourage players to be introspective. Games achieve this by embracing a number of design choices, such as dialogue trees, situations that require players to pick a side, or by just telling a story that is clear about its intentions. [I] Doesn't Exist is one of few games that not only seeks to utilize all of those options and more, but does so masterfully and succinctly.

In its brief runtime, just under two hours for one playthrough, [I] Doesn't Exist shows off an impressive variety in its gameplay. It does so by taking familiar design choices, such as text-based gameplay, and manipulating them until they become something else entirely. With its smart writing and unique game design, [I] Doesn't Exist provides players with a fun, creative, and cathartic experience.

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A Story Based On Morality And Choices

[I] Doesn't Exist explores several complex themes and ideas in a short amount of time, with the most prevalent one being the arguably under-explored relationship between control and trust. Most stories about control put an emphasis on whether characters have free-will or not, be it through the divine or the manipulation of others. While that is certainly present in this story, [I] Doesn't Exist is clear about being less concerned with free-will and more concerned about if it can trust how the player intends to exercise their control.

The game quickly establishes two opposing forces, that being the game's avatar and its programming; with the player being stuck in the middle. The avatar is the centerpiece of the story, as it has only lives to be controlled, but it's never sure what decisions will be made for it and that fear has caused it to lose trust in the world around it. Players are tasked with gaining that trust back, but this doesn't mean players have to provide the avatar with the things they want.

This is a game where every choice matters and players are given a surprising amount of freedom in those choices. One part of that freedom lies in the player's intentions. They can work with the avatar in achieving the life they want, or work with the game's programming in bringing the avatar back under its control. The other part of that freedom lies in how the player communicates their choices to the game.

Uniquely Immersive And Intelligent Game Design

[I] Doesn't Exist is a mostly text-based game, meaning all the dialogue and player input is achieved through text. Developer LUAL Games has stated that this choice was inspired by classic text-based adventures like Zork, which is an important series when it comes to immersion in video games. Like Zork, [I] Doesn't Exist achieved a new level of immersion thanks to the developer's implementation of Natural Language Processing technology.

As an important aside, LUAL Games has made a point to clarify that they value human-made stories and that this A.I. has nothing to do with the game's text. Instead, it is a tool designed to read and interpret text. This means that instead of choosing from a list of choices that may be worded in a way that doesn't clearly reflect the player's intention, this tool allows the player to type what they want and get an appropriate pre-written response.

By using this tool, [I] Doesn't Exist engages in a literal conversation with the player and the level of immersion this creates cannot be understated. The opposing forces in this game are nuanced and have complex emotions and ideas, so being able to actively "communicate" with them drastically elevates one's own emotional investment. While this system has its limits, which players will likely encounter many times, it successfully allows players to get fully invested in these characters and experience a dense and emotional journey in a short amount of time.

Final Thoughts And Review Score

There's plenty more to be said about this game, but due to the brevity of the experience, almost anything more would be a spoiler. While the length may be off-putting to some players, considering the game must be purchased, it's actually one of the game's strong suits. It says everything it needs to without waxing poetic or losing the plot, while also allowing players to replay it multiple times without worrying about syncing tens or hundreds of hours into each playthrough.

[I] Doesn't Exist is a phenomenal display of how modern technology and nuanced writing can make video games incredibly immersive and emotionally potent, regardless of their size or budget. It's a game that is intelligent, kind, and generous in the variety of experiences a player can have. This is easily one of the most unique games available right now and is an experience that shouldn't be missed.

Source: DreadXP/YouTube

[I] Doesn't Exist is available September 12 on Steam for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Screen Rant was provided with a Steam digital for Windows for the purpose of this review.