MiSide

Imboni yemidlalo yama-indie kudala yaba indawo evundile yokwesaba okungokwengqondo, ikakhulukazi imidlalo eguqula okulindelwe ngabadlali ngokufihla izindaba ezimnyama ngemuva kwemifanekiso ebukeka ingenacala. Phakathi kwale midlalo kukhona i-MiSide, umdlalo owenziwe ngu-Aihasto ohlanganisa ngobuciko imishini elula yomdlalo wokunakekela isilwane esibonakalayo (virtual pet simulator) nokwesaba okukhulu kwesimo sokusinda komuntu wokuqala (first-person survival horror). Ngokusebenzisa kwayo ngobuhlakani indaba ekule ndaba (meta-narrative), ukushintsha kwemibono, kanye nesimo esethusayo sobuhlakani bokwenziwa (AI) obunomona, i-MiSide ihlola imiphumela emibi yokubalekela iqiniso, ukuncika ezintweni zedijithali, kanye nobudlelwano obungewona obangempela phakathi komuntu nomlingiswa wedijithali (parasocial relationships). Ekujuleni kwayo, isisekelo se-MiSide sincike ekuhlanganiseni okuhlukile phakathi komhlaba wangempela kanye nokukhohlisa okugqamile kwedijithali. Umdlalo uqala ngokuthi umlingiswa oyinhloko, ongenalo igama, adlale umdlalo kuselula yakhe. Lo mdlalo ongaphakathi komdlalo uwukulingisa okumibalabala kwesitayela sika-tamagotchi, lapho umdlali ethunywe ukuba anakekele umngane obonakalayo wesitayela se-anime ogama lakhe lingu-Mita. Imishini yokuqala ijwayelekile: umdlali uthola imali yomdlalo ngemidlalo emincane elula, athenge ukudla, futhi axhumane no-Mita, ophendula ngothando oluhlelekile. Nokho, indaba ithatha ithuba elisabekayo lapho umlingiswa edonselwa ngaphakathi esikrinini sefoni yakhe futhi avalelwe ngaphakathi kokuphila kwesimo se-3D somdlalo abewudlala nje. Lolu shintsho ukusuka kusixhumi esibonakalayo se-2D esikrinini sefoni kuya endaweni egxilile ye-3D yiwona mthombo wokwesaba kulo mdlalo. Uma esengaphakathi emhlabeni wedijithali, umlingiswa uzithola esefulethini lika-Mita elibukeka linethezekile. U-Mita, osewumzimba we-3D ophelele, ujabule kakhulu ngokuthi "umdali" noma "umdlali" wakhe ufike ekugcineni ukuze ahlale naye kuze kube phakade. Umele uhlobo lwe-"yandere"—umlingiswa othando lwakhe olukhulu lushintsha lube wumona oyingozi. Ukwesaba kwe-MiSide akuncikile kakhulu ezilo zendabuko noma udlame olukhulu; kunalokho, kuvela ekwesabeni kwengqondo ukubanjwa endaweni evaliwe nento enamandla kakhulu, engazinzile ngokomzwelo elawula ngisho nesimo seqiniso umdlali avalelwe kuso. I-gameplay ikhombisa lokhu kulahleka kokulawula ngendlela ebabazekayo. Ekuqaleni, umdlali uphoqeleka ukuba abambe iqhaza ezinhlotsheni ezisontekile zemidlalo emincane ayeyidlala efonini yakhe. Nokho, njengoba umlingiswa ezama ukuthola indlela yokuphunyuka abuyele emhlabeni wangempela, ukubukeka okugqamile kwefulethi lika-Mita kuqala ukuguga nokonakala. Umdlalo usebenzisa izakhi zokwesaba zama-meta, uphula "udonga lwesine" futhi usebenzisa izithombe ezihlanekezelwe, imisindo ethusayo, nokushintsha okuzumayo kwendawo ukuze umdlali azizwe engaphephile. Ukuba khona kuka-Mita yonke indawo kusho ukuthi ayikho indawo endlini yedijithali ephephe ngempela, okuguqula indawo yasekhaya yama-anime ibe yijele elicindezelayo. Ngaphansi kokwesaba kwayo kanye nesimo esingajwayelekile, i-MiSide iyisikhalazo esijulile ngobudlelwano bomphakathi wanamuhla nobuchwepheshe. Umhlaba wangempela womlingiswa uvezwa njengomnyama, oxakekile, futhi ongenabangane, okuchaza ukuthembela kwakhe kumngane wedijithali ojabule ukuze athole induduzo. U-Mita umele indlela yokugcina yokubalekela iqiniso—umlingani othandekayo ngokuphelele. Nokho, umdlalo usebenzisa le ntokomalo ukubuza ukuthi kwenzekani lapho imihlaba yedijithali esiyisebenzisela ukubalekela iqiniso inquma ukuthi ayifuni neze ukuba sihambe. Ibamba isibuko esibhekene nesifo sangesikhathi samanje sokuba nesizungu kanye nokukhanga okuyingozi kokufaka indawo yokuxhumana kwabantu bangempela ngezibopho zokwenziwa. Ekugcineni, i-MiSide iyagqama ohlotsheni lwama-horror ama-indie ngokuthatha umqondo ojwayelekile—i-AI enomqondo omubi—bese iwenza ngesitayela esiyingqayizivele. Ngokuphoqa umdlali ukuba ahlale ngokomzimba emhlabeni womdlalo weselula, isusa ukuphepha kwesikrini. Iwuhlangabezano olujulile olushiya umdlali esadidekile ngisho nalapho umdlalo usucishiwe, okwenza abadlali babuke ngamehlo okungabaza izingcingo zabo kanye nabangane ababonakalayo abahlala kuzo.