A mostly chill (and seldom chilling) conversation with Ellie, or at least her AI counterpart, within the VR social media platform E-ON. The game's narrative is led by two mysteries: 1) Why is E-ON's new user verification system down? 2) Where is the real Ellie, and why has she been offline for so long? IMMERSION: This game reminded me a lot of UnearthU, an interactive experience where you also spend the whole time talking to an AI character. Except, instead of navigating a new social media platform, UnearthU has you going through mindfulness activities and breathing exercises. I think both games are successful in their immersive components, since you the person sitting there playing are actually performing these activities, whether it be meditating at your chair for UnearthU or scrolling round the hoop to to understand the functions available in E-ON. STORY: I think my view of the story is best described by how often I used the "text bubble" feature (from now on referred to as T.B.)...
E-ON
- Release Date:
- Sep 7, 2022
- Developer:
- Frosted Window, Marcel Oyuela-Bonzani
- Publisher:
- Frosted Window
- Platforms:
- Windows
Game Tags
About This Game
In the near future, Earth Online (E-ON) is the world’s most popular social media metaverse. Users are able to log in with their verified E-ON headsets and Be Who They Really Are. Spend your entire day in E-ON- attending business meetings and working “on-site” in Business Zones, or hanging out with friends across Casual Zones built by other E-ON users. The fun doesn’t end when you go to sleep! E-ON’s patented Avatar Intelligence system analyzes how you behave when you’re logged in. Once you log off, your A.R., Artificial Replicae, will continue to chat, play games, and expand your E-ON presence.
For unverified guest users such as yourself, E-ON will match you with a random user to chat with. Develop a friendship, explore the platform, and find out why E-ON will be your new home away from home.
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E-ON is a narrative-focused “social media exploration” game, inspired by Serial Experiments Lain and the optimistic vision of the internet during the early 2000’s. Re-experience the thrill of navigating an unfamiliar platform for the first time as you learn the tricks and features of Earth Online. However, as an “unverified user”, players can only interact with a limited slice of the platform. By working together with Ellie, the A.R. you are matched with, players will stretch the limits of their account and learn about Ellie and the world she has made her home.
Features
- Experience a vision of our near future
- Connect with Ellie through hundreds of lines of dialogue.
- Uncover the truth around the world of E-ON, the company that made it, and the platform itself.
- Relax and rest to ambient music by independent musicians around the globe, featuring original music by Don Sonder.
- Unlock features that expand the platform and provide new avenues of discussion with Ellie.
E-ON is the first game by Marcel Oyuela-Bonzani. Estimated playtime of around 1 Hour 30 Minutes.
Screenshots
User Reviews
A quick dive (60-90 min) into a thoughtful & emotional story. There are some interesting and relevant ideas here, and we may find ourselves coming face to face with them as a society sooner than we think! Navigation is maybe a little confusing at first -- whatever. Stick with it for a few min & get immersed.
Let me preface this with, this isn't a BAD game. There's nothing that would make you say "wow, I don't like this". But what it is, is a bland and boring game. The plot is predictable, all of the interaction takes place entirely in a single interface, and nothing very interesting happens. You get some basic-level AI stuff that's already been gone over exhaustively in other media like the Chinese Room problem, and the game seems vaguely supportive of exploitative business models like TikTok and Meta. There's some very vague "might possibly be queer subtext but also might just be dysmorphia" subtext that could have been interesting but they don't go into it at all. In the end, the entire game is just you look at 50 journal posts and you talk to the AI girl about a dozen topics. That's all. It's definitely not worth $10. The music is nice though.
Major props to this developer for putting all of this together solo! Really cool concept. It will be cool to see these ideas of AI, digital representatives and the secret lives we lead on the internet developed more and more!
System Requirements
Minimum
- OS *: Windows 7, 8, 10, 11
- Processor: Intel i5-8250U or better
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVidia GTX1050 or equivalent
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 1 GB available space
Recommended
- OS *: Windows 7, 8, 10, 11
- Processor: Intel i7-8650U or better
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVidia GTX1050 or better
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 1 GB available space
FAQ
How much does E-ON cost?
E-ON costs $4.99.
What are the system requirements for E-ON?
Minimum: Minimum: OS *: Windows 7, 8, 10, 11 Processor: Intel i5-8250U or better Memory: 2 GB RAM Graphics: NVidia GTX1050 or equivalent DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 1 GB available space Recommended: Recommended: OS *: Windows 7, 8, 10, 11 Processor: Intel i7-8650U or better Memory: 2 GB RAM Graphics: NVidia GTX1050 or better DirectX: Version 12 Storage: 1 GB available space
What platforms is E-ON available on?
E-ON is available on Windows PC.
Is E-ON worth buying?
E-ON has 75% positive reviews from 4 players.
When was E-ON released?
E-ON was released on Sep 7, 2022.
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