If you’re a fan of the visual novel genre in gaming, you’ll be happy to know that Eliza is officially out now on Steam. This game created by Zachtronics is receiving a lot of positive reviews already, and this isn’t surprising based on this game’s uniqueness. It’s dripping with personality.
The central focus is very distinct. It’s about an AI counseling program called Eliza. It seems like people are moving away from the traditional forms of therapy in favor of something a little more convenient and cutting-edge. This begs the question: Just how effective is Eliza? Can she really counsel and help people with their problems?
That’s what you’ll get to find out as Evelyn Ishino-Aubrey, the visual novel’s main protagonist. She works as a proxy for this rising counseling-tech app. Her main role is reading a script given to her by an AI assistant. On the surface, this seems like an extremely convenient design. After spending substantial time with Eliza, though, Evelyn soon starts to question the purpose of her own existence.
If technology is able to perform this much-needed service, why is she there? Evelyn thus sets off on a grand journey to figure out which side of technology she’s on. Along the way, she’ll be forced to battle her own demons. Already, the story seems refreshing and should captivate your attention all the way until completion.
If you’ve never played a visual novel game before, it’s analogous to reading comics. You’ll have the chance to look at beautiful hand-painted art. They have a life of their own it seems judging by the visual examples provided on Steam’s description page of Eliza.
When you’re not assisting this AI app in counseling sessions, you’ll have the chance to play a unique version of solitaire. It certainly breaks up the intense conversations you’ll get to experience with various clients in the Seattle area.
Eliza does a phenomenal job at making you question the effectiveness of technology. Sure, there are aspects of life that wouldn’t be the same without it. Still, there are times when it can become too much. AI counseling is a perfect example. There’s something to be said about empathizing with the client, talking to them on a personal level. AI doesn’t seem capable of this.
You’ll get to find out for certain by picking up Eliza today. It’s reasonably priced and is a great change of pace from first-person shooters and RPGs.
