So many people have already covered Receiver that I don’t think there’s anything else I can add to the discussion; I’d just end up repeating most of what people have already said. Don’t get me wrong; the game is amazing in its own way, and there are a lot of things to write about, but a lot of people have written about it. However, I do want to share a snippet - a microcosm, really - of this game that I just started playing yesterday. If you’re not familiar with Receiver, you can go watch this video and come back.
Ready? Okay.
I’m in a dark room. It’s in what looks like a pretty typical apartment building. Well, except for the floating bathtub in the bathroom upstairs - Receiver’s generation algorithm does some weird stuff. I can barely see, and I don’t have a flashlight, but I make do with what light I have. I do have my trusty glock; just to make sure, I pull out the magazine and make sure I have some bullets in it. Yep, it’s nearly full. I sigh in relief. I’ve already cleared the area, so I’ve got a bit of downtime. Really, I could just sit here forever, but the door to the next area’s just ahead. The game’s not going to finish itself, is it?
I walk through the threshold, and cross into the next area. This one’s outside, so it’s not nearly as dark out here. I tense up a bit, searching for danger, and slowly walk out into the open, gun at the ready. Nothing yet. There’s some stairs to my left, and on the wall directly opposite. The rest of the area’s pretty bare. There are some bullets waiting for me nearby, though, so I cross over and - beep.
I start running - don’t know where to. Somewhere, anywhere not here. I have no idea where this drone is or where it’s coming from. I cross through the doorway I came from, intending to use it as a shield and -
beep. beep.
Where the hell did those drones come from? I just cleared that place! Doesn’t matter, can’t go in there. I start running toward the doorway to the next area. Wait, I can’t run in unprepared, I’ll be screwed. But maybe I can pull this off… I quickly turn around, aim, shoot the stun drone that was following me; it goes down immediately, one bullet. I feel like an action hero for a moment, but it’s not over yet. I frantically look around. The other two bots are coming on fast. I start shooting madly at them - or, that’s what I try to do, anyway. Instead, all I hear is
clickclickclickclick
What!? Wait, but I checked that I had bullets - oh, wait, I’m still holding the magazine from back when I checked if I still had bullets. The bullet I shot the drone with was the chambered bullet.
Um…
Put it back in backinbackingobackin WHICH BUTTON IS IT
I panic and drop the magazine instead. Let me repeat that - I drop the magazine in a panic. That won’t happen in any other game.
Now, I won’t assert that moments like this happen all the time in Receiver, but it’s just what they’re talking about in this RPS article. Yes, there’s moments of peace, and moments of pure panic, but it’s more; it’s that it shows, in-game, through your character. You are tense, and you are the character. That’s what makes this game so notable.