You Are Empty certainly has its critics, but it has its fans too. I'm one of them. I haven't gotten around to writing my own review of the game yet, but I did (in fanboyish fashion) conduct an interview yesterday with designer/writer Yaroslav Singaevskiy.

For those who are interested, here it is (I've also submitted it as a related link):

http://www.devisraad.com/YaE/

Great! You can submit this as a related website for the developer himself as well.

Edit: read it now and it very, very informative. As a fan of Eastern European themes in games, he also mentions some titles I need to keep an eye on.

Alright, I will :)

Nice work. I think I will have to check this game out. But I am still in shock after my experience with Pathologic and him calling the game "philosophical" doesn't make it any easier. It slipped by me thanks to a very negative reception in these parts.

The same applied to Ex Machina (not a great title, yet much better than that known to Western public) you mentioned earlier, which turned out to be a great game despite all the bad I heard of it. So..

I am glad that you all like this Soviet aesthetics so much. It's an integral part of my history and my family. But don't forget that we really try to break those stereotypes and we don't actually live in abandoned industrial complexes. I know that you don't actually believe it. I just find it disturbing that many of our (Russian, Ukraine) developers consider our Soviet history and view from our windows to be the only two things worthy of export to Western countries.

I really want this to stop being something like a "quaint gimmick". I am not speaking of STALKER and You Are EMPTY, but there are far worse examples of abusing this understandable interest of Western countries in Eastern Europe.

At least, it's great that those unrealistic desires from local emergent studios trying to create "our" Fallout or "our" Need For Speed are gone for good.

Glad you liked Ex Machina (yep, agreed - much better title than the one applied in the West). What did you mean about being 'shocked' about Pathologic though? Did you like it or (hopefully not) hate it? ;)

People are always going to be interested in cultures, architecture and history that are different from their own. Plenty of people are fascinated by the little they know (or think they know) of my own (British) culture - and of course, this can lead to terrible stereotypes and a narrow point of view. Taking England as an example, a hell of a lot of people seem to think it's either a gritty gangland (ala 'Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels) or it's full of stuck-up gentry and quaint village idiots. And when British films do little to change the cliches, it doesn't help, really :)

But anyway... I agree that stereotypes need to be broken down and shouldn't be encouraged. I will admit a fascination for rusted industrial complexes, but that's been something that's interested me ever since I was a kid, taking photos of places like that in my local area. It just so happens that with games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R., that kind of attractive decay is finally being portrayed nicely in videogame form. Meanwhile, though, Kiev looks beautiful...

Ok, let's keep it civil. And no illegal moves! ;-)

No, I didn't like Pathologic. I wouldn't say I hated it, because I hate no game.

During playing I always felt like I owe this game something. As if it was I who was there to entertain it. After day five all characters melded into one schizophrenic art student, presumably the game's writer. All the locations blurred into one yellowly-brownish blob. The music - piercing noise in my ears. Controls - pain in my limbs

Every work of fiction, be it game, book, movie, requires some investment from their audience. Investment of time, attention, thought. I just considered the price this game asked from me to invest in it too big to cover the payoff it promised.

In other words, it sucked. ;-)

Disregard that. I really, really respect Ice-Pick for being different, for trying things and for learning from their mistakes. A lot of people enjoyed it, and I am glad for them. It just didn't struck any chords in me.

So, right now, everything "philosophical" and "from Russian developers" is very suspicious to me. Nothing serious.

Well, thanks for explaining :)

No, it's fair enough, and I understand. It's definitely not a game for everyone and it does ask a lot of the player. Trudging backwards and forwards across town at slow speed for 40 hours is not everyone's idea of fun - In fact, it grated on my nerves quite often - but for me, the rest of the game made up for the annoyances.

Btw, every time I saw your icon I can't help thinking that you're typing all these messages while laughing and blowing smoke out of your mouth :)

Yeah, there is no Zovni and Oleg, I'm not Irish and St.Martyne is actually a cool black man who has perfected the art of smoking cigarettes in the coolest way possible. That's Mobygames for you. He is probably cooler than anyone of us.

*HA-HA*

Should I really tell you what things I am thinking of when I see your avatar? ;-)

No, I quited smoking and I am not black and I can't play guitar like this one. But I do laugh for no apparent reason all the time. *HA-HA*

It's my favorite photo of Hendrix because it perfectly captures who the man was and *HA-HA* reminds me to be openminded and not to take *HA-HA* everything close to heart.

And, yeah, *HA-HA* it communicates tons of coolness in the art of smoking. I am sure you can do it too, DI. Just try it when you're sober. ;-)*HA-HA*

*HA-HA*

Derailing the thread! Sorry. Kyiv is my second best favorite city!

Lviv is the first one. If you ever decide to visit either Ukraine or Russia. Lviv must be you number one choice. It's small and it's big, it's quiet and loud, it's European and Slavic, it's Catholic and Orthodox. It's something like a Big Apple of Europe, but without all the noisy civilization markings like skyscrapers and flashing neon. It's on the border of two Europes, if not exactly geographically then at least culturally. A one of its kind city.

Now, that we're on topic of my favorite Russian/Ukraine towns and cities, I just can't stop. ;-)

The third place would go to Saint Petersburg. A marvelous city, but has already been Moscowfied in the last decades. You won't notice that in the center, but it gets worse in the rural areas. Otherwise it's full of past glory and has a great majestic appearance. The painted alleyways of the 80's also speak of a interesting period of rebuilding.

And the fourth place takes Odessa. A true capital of humor and cosmopolitan way of life. It's full of salt, hot sea sun and easy life full of compassionate, friendly and witty folk. That's of course a stereotype, but a very good one. So Odessits don't really care to disprove it.

But, the most beloved town of mine is Mariupol. I wouldn't recommend coming here though. It's the dirtiest town in whole Eastern Europe. It has no particular landmarks. It's small and insignificant. But, it's my home.

A better guide than Fodor's or Frommer's!

DJP Mom wrote:
A better guide than Fodor's or Frommer's!

Have to agree :) Fantastic guide - I'll try to remember your advice if I ever do visit. I have a couple of friends who visited Kiev, and had nothing but nice things to say about it. They found Moscow very depressing, in contrast.

St_Martyne wrote:
*HA-HA*
Should I really tell you what things I am thinking of when I see your avatar? ;-)

Ah, probably not ;) It *is* a picture of a slimy spacefish being born (source) so I guess it's actually rather explicit :D I have a hard time picking icons...

[EDIT: Changed my icon since writing this ;)]

That is an awesome photo of Hendrix. I'd like to be that laid-back...

That is true. Moscow is a wonderful city, but it will take a lot of time to peel off the ugly "modernized" exterior.

--scratch-- :$

--scratch-- :$

Just so we're all on the same page: You do know that, regardless of developer's pretentiousness and the unexplainable chemistry-type love some of us felt for YaE, it's nothing but a shooter, right? And not the best one at that either; in fact, it screams "amateur" on pretty much every aspect that can be objectively analyzed (AI, map design, implementation of dx9 effects, et cetera --except for the soundtrack, maybe).

The best thing of the game is this ethereal, unexplainable, je ne sais quoi (?) that either gets you in a way that you can't explain why you love it so much (like it did with Sam here and myself) or just flies above your head and you loathe it for all its faults (like it happened with 98.7% of reviewers out there, apparently). The story does have an interesting twist, but you won't know it until the very end. For the most of the game, in fact, you're bound to frequently forget there is a story at all; if not for the outstanding cutscenes every now and then.

Just wanted to point this out so you don't go with too high hopes, as it can be a nasty fall.



Then again, when the game does get to you, it's an outstanding experience that few other games can make you go through; I can tell you that.

Yep, I think the doc's right there.

As for philosophy, I *can* see a certain philosophical point in the game. I think it's probably summed up by this note you find about halfway through:

Click here to see the note

That's it, people. I'm getting You Are Empty. It's decided. And by the way - aren't you guys ashamed? You keep posting detailed opinions about this game in forums, keep telling everyone how much you like it, and at the same time the game has an average rank of 40 and 2 negative MG reviews.

Really, if it were a game I liked, I would've written a huge positive review and would dig out sites with positive reviews to crank up the rank as soon as I've finished it.

Get to work, you lazy bastards!

There's been a post-it note on my desk for the last 2 weeks, reminding me to write the review. In the meantime, another negative review has popped up.

Btw, you're not going to like the game ;)

Btw, you're not going to like the game ;)

What makes you think so? I have an overwhelmingly positive impression from your opinions, descriptions, and screenshots.

Probably because it's a basic (and clunky) FPS :)

Probably because it's a basic (and clunky) FPS :)

I have nothing against FPSs. I just like them atmospheric and set in an interesting world. Which is what You Are Empty seems to deliver :)