*Note* This review was originally published at n3rdabl3.com. However, that website shut down and is no longer accessible. Written work from n3rdabl3.com has been pasted here for portfolio purposes.
Nostalgia is something big in everyone’s life. Everyone has those rose tinted glasses for something in their past that stands out as special. Whether it’s a movie, a show, a band, really anything from their past life that they remember fondly. And currently, nostalgia plays a big part in our entertainment considering some movie reboots such as the Power Rangers or a soda can using its old design or a marketing campaign running old slogans and commercials. Everywhere we look someone is trying to remind us of something from our past to get us thinking.
Nothing has made me feel more nostalgic than Emily is Away Too.
Emily is Away Too is a game that takes us back to 2006 and if you were cruising the internet during this time, everything in this game should trigger some kind of memory. This game puts you in the role of a high schooler with an AOL Instant Messenger (AOL) account which can be a recipe for disaster on its own accord. With your new screen name and Buddy Icon, you’re ready to chat up two of your friends, Emily and Evelyn.
This game is a sequel to the indie hit, Emily is Away, naturally. In the first game you only talked to one person and the game’s progression was pretty much one directional. While the first game sets a nice tone with the sound effects and customization options for your font, it’s a pretty surface level game. Emily is Away Too takes that surface and crushes it by adding a few key features to really re-create the golden era of AIM.
Don’t get me wrong, I liked the first game a lot and still love showing it to friends who are familiar with AIM. But I loved Emily is Away Too.
I’ll try to avoid spoilers where I can but to tell you exactly how much I liked this game I’ll have to use some narrative examples here and there. So consider this the stopping point if you want to go into this game knowing absolutely zero conversation points. But for those sticking around, be prepared for slight, mild spoilers. And for those of you leaving, I’ll reiterate, I loved this game. Go play the game.
After picking a screen name and buddy icon to get started, Emily is Away Too is instantly deeper and adds to the immersion from the start. You’re given the chance to edit your buddy info, something you couldn’t do in the first game. Of course, it comes down to a series of choices that wouldn’t be much different than anyone’s profile from that time period. A song lyric, a movie quote and some quote that defined how you felt that week. You know the drill. Immediately after that, you start talking with someone new, Evelyn.
As far as beginnings for video games go, this one is still pretty standard for a game relying heavily on its narrative. A series of questions comes your way from both Evelyn and Emily when she decides to show up, and it’s clear from Chapter One how this may play out but it’s up to you to keep your cool.
If you remember how AIM conversations went between two High School seniors, you can imagine the issues they run in to. But Emily is Away Too does it in a way that doesn’t feel cringe-y or stereotypical. Life is Strange is a game I can compare the dialogue to as it was very of today’s time but still felt like it was forced and made things just hella dumb at times, Emily is Away Too manages to avoid that.
The writing is superb and kept my guessing during each chapter all the way til the end of the game. The highs and the lows, the writing struck a cord with every emotion that reminded me of my time spent on AIM as a teenager. The dialogue and choices were so on the spot and relatable that each conversation felt real. I would imagine everyone who has used AIM has had a relatable experience with the scenarios presented in the game.
But it’s not just as simple as talking back and forth, other elements add to the narrative of the game that aren’t presented so clearly. Emily is Away Too adds in the function of using a simulated version of the Internet. Emilyisaway.com creates a faux YouTube (YouToob), Facebook (Facenook), and other sites that create the feeling of the internet from 2006. Striped down versions of the mentioned sites, internet memes and even notes written by the characters you’re talking to.
In the first game, you could get an inside peek into the lives of the friends you couldn’t talk to. They would make mentions of relationships, upcoming parties and even the passing of parents. Emily is Away Too takes it to the next level. While you have the typical stuff I’ve mentioned, these extra characters can link web pages for you to visit to get an extra look at their mood or personality. Beyond that is when you visit their Facenook pages and get an idea of how life is. Some people are listed in relationships that are “complicated” or have those classic ‘surveys’ filled out that ask a bunch of personal questions like, “Who did you kiss last?” and “Who is your crush.”
But something that stood out to me and made me say, “wow, that was good” was a moment in Chapter 2. In case you want this to be a surprise, skip this paragraph and consider it a spoiler. You’re talking to a character and suddenly she goes away, unexpectedly. Now, up to this point in both games, usually, when that happens it’s only after a ‘good-bye’ or a tough conversation, this time it was totally random. Soon after, this person messages you and says, “Hey, don’t worry, I’m still here.” At which point is confusing until you see the person their dating log into AIM. That is followed by the person you’re talking to saying, “sorry, just trying to avoid someone.” You could miss the little detail of the person logging in and even who it is if you can’t make the connection but I thought it was a very nice touch and again, reminded me of my own experience with AIM.
The last bit of story related stuff I’ll gush about are the endings. The first game, as I mentioned, lead you down the same path regardless of the choices you made and you’re always presented with the same ending. Emily is Away Too adds in multiple endings based on your choices, obviously. Each time I played I received a different ending. The first ending I had caught me by surprise and the second ending gutted me because it was my fault. The importance of choice, even in Chapter One, matters at the end of the game and if you’re not careful you can be as clumsy as a high school teenager who likes Senses Fail a little too much.
Emily is Away Too adds a game mechanic that you see often in these narrative-driven games, that being timed choices. Now, it doesn’t happen throughout the entire game but it does come into play when it matters and it’s brutal. Brutal as in, it’s hard to be fair and beat the clock. I like the added element to keep this tiny bit of gameplay interesting but it really raises your stress levels. Assuming you’re not some kind of sociopath, you might have trouble with this part. My moral compass landed me in some hot water once or twice during this situation.
One thing I love about games that present choice and consequences are seeing how other people approached the game and sharing experiences. Emily is Away Too adds in an ending screen that tells you what percentage of people had the same ending as you, chose who to talk to and so on. It’s a small detail but I enjoy seeing how many people made the same actions I did and who ended up with the same ending.
Emily is Away Too explores your ability to be a friend during some trying times throughout the final bits of High School and it’s up to you to see those around you until the end. At the end of it all, Emily is Away Too is a fantastic narrative that puts you right back into those typical High School conversations you probably forgot about or wish you could.
While Emily is Away Too may just seem like the best AIM simulator we could ask for, there is an overall moral to what is going on in the conversations you have. In a game filled centered around your words, you’d think they would be the most important but they’re not. Actions speak louder than words and as cliche as that is to say, this game can prove and remind you of it. You can say all of the nicest things you can think of but if your actions don’t back them up, then they mean nothing.
Gage Edwards 