The term “psychoanalysis” has been around since the era of Sigmund Freud, and has been a topic of heavy debate for as long as we can remember. State of Mind, the latest narrative adventure from the folks at Daedalic Entertainment, takes a closer look at the human mind and just how we come to terms with dilemmas that confront us on a daily basis. This powerful title analyzes various psychological issues pertaining to post traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, anger and just about every other mental illness that tend to plague our state of mind at any given time.

State of Mind isn’t a game about mental health but it sheds light on the issue as it’s becoming more prevalent in society, and looks at ways on how to prevent it. Much of it’s adventure takes place in the far distant future where human civilization is evolved exponentially in terms of technology, but still seem to fall prey to the effects of the mind. Anyone looking to dive deep into a psychological adventure and be captivated by a compelling narrative, then look no further than State of Mind.

Whether you’re a fan of the genre or not, State of Mind introduces players to a stellar cast of characters who all have their own motives, and it’s up to you to piece all of these clues together in order to find out the truth before it’s too late.

Most of your gameplay will be primarily focused on running from one point to the other, in hopes to gather clues to help provide more insight into the accidents that occured to each character you play. You star as both Richard Nolan, a journalist for The Voice, alongside Adam Newman, a loving father who owns a large corporation. Both live similar lives but have very contrasting situations that force them to make decisions that they may or may not like, but ultimately it’s for the future of their existence.

State of Mind is all about reading between the lines and listening very carefully to every discussion you have with the people you encounter. Much like real life itself, there are people out there who may come off as trusting at first, but then down the road new details pop up that exploit their weak points, leading you down a new path of discovery.

You’ll be doing a lot more reading than actual playing since the game requires that you do a lot of snooping around to gather the right evidence to prove your theory true. When you do get to run about it’s really all about observation, taking note of your surroundings, talking to strangers for extra details if possible, while gathering whatever you can from other outside sources... be it legal or going under the table. There’s controversy, drama, tempestuous family issues, and a plethora of other things that State of Mind challenges you with. The question is, will your own state of mind be able to handle it all?

One thing we really loved about State of Mind is that it uses a 3D polygon design, basically giving players this raw and uncut sort of design that shows just how much detail goes into actually creating 3D models. The characters aren’t fully flushed out but are still detailed enough that you can still see them interacting and moving around normally without any problems.

The level design is also spectacular, taking inspiration from the cyberpunk era to create this harmonious state of futuristic buildings and electronics, pairing it with modern day activities pertaining to work and travel. The use of vibrant colors is also another plus as everything tends to pop out more when running around, making the world feel all the more real. There’s no UI at all so all of your attention is placed solely within the game so that you’re absolutely absorbed in everything that’s happening. As we said earlier, this game is very detailed oriented and so, making sure to keep your attention situated entirely within the very serious moments is imperative. It’s simple yet effective and we totally dig that.

Not everyone will dig the polygon model effect but we actually found it to be quite endearing since it does place more emphasis on the emotions of the characters rather than their visual aesthetic, which we feel was the main driver behind making the game. Daedalic Entertainment want you to empathize with the characters and dive deep into their psychological tendencies to help decipher clues a lot more, and to also put you into the driver’s seat so to speak.

Another plus side to State of Mind is its great use of classical tunes to help embrace a more calm environment, which actually helps to stimulate the brain while playing. It doesn’t subdue you in any way but it creates a nice ambience, especially when you’re walking around in your apartment searching for whatever clues you can dig up. You do have the option of turning the music off in the apartment, but there are times when music cues do come up in cutscenes, probably just to drive home the emotional effect of what’s happening. There are moments of calm and then there are moments when you really feel the tension of what’s happening, and just how serious things are becoming for both main characters.

Voice acting is superb in our book as Richard Nolan’s character is the more dark and gloomy type who seeks revenge, while Adam Newman’s archetype is the more sensible and carefree, but still deals with severe emotional trauma from past events. Most of the characters you interact with are all fully voiced as well which is a huge plus because it truly gives the game more life, and once again draws you into the world. Did we mention you can play with the piano in the game? Oh, we didn’t? Well then, yes you can!

State of Mind is a game that deals with a lot of serious world-related issues pertaining to things like illness, pollution, war, criminal syndicates and more. All of this takes place in Berlin, 2048, a city plagued with dilemmas and you happen to be a part of it. Droids and Humanoids are becoming more of a norm, being placed in family households and workplaces as placeholders for actual humans, while everything around you is interconnected. This is somewhat of a grim reminder of just what may happen if we don’t seek out the right tools to create a more harmonious society in our current state. It’s a possible future that can easily be prevented if more of us could actually lend a helping hand and seek out better resources to help sustain a better economy.

The game kicks off with Richard Nolan finding himself in a hospital after being in an accident that left him without much of his memory intact. With the help of friends and colleagues, Richard seeks out to find out more information about his wife’s current whereabouts, along with his son James. Richard isn’t very keen on the way technology is advancing and is adamant on making sure that changes are made to better secure a safer environment for humans. With this dark past looming in the back of his mind, Richard must extend his hand beyond what’s legal in order to put everything together, save his marriage from disaster and come to terms with the reality that’s tearing him apart mentally.

On the other end of the spectrum you have Adam Newtown, who also experienced a serious accident which left him without much memory to work with or find out what happened before it all went down. At first their stories don’t seem to have any sort of connection but as you progress further you start to see a little bit more, and now need to start taking note as to what’s happening. There’s clearly some corruption and crime-related activity happening, and now it’s up to you to solve the case before you become another victim.

State of Mind allows you the freedom to roam around as you please but it does follow somewhat of a plot that you’ll need to follow, at least in this demo version that we played. You can’t talk just “everyone” around you but that doesn’t mean these NPC don’t have actual clues for you to jot down. Even those with no green highlight over their head may whisper some interesting things that may tickle your brain, and so those small details may just help to glue the scattered ideas together. You can examine items around you to get more information, use your Holograph Wall to take a look at different clues you’ve obtained, or you can call up a friend and persuade them to talk. All the options are there, but it’s all up to you on how to fully optimize them.

Though this was only a demo version of State of Mind, we actually had a lot of fun playing because you get so absorbed in everything around you. Perhaps it’s partly due to the fact that in the back of our minds, this could happen to just about anyone, even ourselves. There’s really no escaping the cold, grimy hands of reality, and at times it will wrap its hands around your neck to really test you. This is what State of Mind does so brilliantly. It’s by no means perfect but it certainly delivers the message quite succinctly, making you understand the fundamental truths that humanity has to deal with, and ways to overcome them.

Movement at times with the character were a bit questionable, such as not being able to run past someone standing directly in front of us or even slightly next to us, which was a little bit irritating. Other than that, nothing major stood out. With a good solid 15 hours to chew through, State of Mind will definitely keep you engaged for a while. Be sure to enjoy it while it lasts!

We had a lot of fun playing State of Mind and hope that with the full version we’ll be able to really dive deeper into the minds of both Richard and Adam, and see just where this adventure takes us. Until then, be sure to follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest gaming news from around the world, and of course hit us up Twitch to catch us playing all our most recent reviewed titles live!

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