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The 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, involving the misuse of 87 million Facebook users’ data, highlighted the ethical implications of unchecked influence in the digital age. Privacy, once a tacit understanding, has become increasingly elusive. Released in 2016, Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You explored this theme through the lens of information manipulation. Its sequel, Orwell: Ignorance Is Strength, delves deeper into the darker side of data exploitation, exposing its potential to fuel political division and even incite violence.

Monitoring The Nation

Like its predecessor, Orwell: Ignorance Is Strength draws inspiration from George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, depicting a dystopian world divided into “superstates” under constant government surveillance. The game’s tone, however, aligns more closely with the film The Lives of Others, focusing less on the protagonist’s personal struggles. Players assume the role of an agent authorized by The Office, a security organization, to operate the Orwell surveillance system. The mission: “ensure the safety of The Nation by any means necessary.” Initially, the task involves investigating Oleg Bakay, a missing Pargesian ex-officer, following a threatening message. This leads to Roban Vhart, a blogger behind the propaganda outlet The People’s Voices, who appears to be inciting dissent against the government.

Orwell: Ignorance Is Strength – Gameplay Screenshot

Orwell: Ignorance Is Strength avoids clear-cut morality. While maintaining a neutral stance, the game encourages players to form their own perspectives by presenting compelling arguments for both sides. This creates a fascinating dynamic as each faction attempts to expose the other’s flaws. Vhart excels at manipulating public opinion with misleading rhetoric, but his past indiscretions and family scandals create vulnerabilities that players can exploit.

The Tools of Surveillance

Gameplay revolves around gathering datachunks and uploading them to the Orwell system. This information populates a profile the player constructs, revealing the target’s activities and connections. The process is streamlined with a drag-and-drop interface, allowing players to quickly collect keywords like names, dates, locations, and text snippets. The sleek, user-friendly interface masks Orwell’s true purpose: to invade citizens’ privacy and sanitize any information that threatens the government’s image.

Orwell: Ignorance Is Strength – Data Interface

Datachunks range from publicly available website information to locked devices like phones and computers, accessible by cracking passwords. The Orwell system links this data, including messages, emails, and call recordings, presenting findings based on the player’s searches. Databases allow further investigation using aliases and locations. Information sources are categorized into Reader (public online information), Listener (audio data), and Insider (unlocked electronic devices).

The Weight of Information

The challenge lies in discerning relevant and beneficial information from a sea of irrelevant data. Conflicting datachunks, highlighted in yellow, force players to choose one while discarding the other, with no clear indication of which is correct. Incorrect choices don’t necessarily lead to failure but can significantly impact the narrative and potentially benefit Vhart.

Orwell: Ignorance Is Strength – Data Analysis

A time mechanic adds another layer of complexity. Uploading datachunks consumes 10 minutes, while activities like watching Vhart’s live streams take 30. This encourages strategic decision-making, forcing players to prioritize information and evaluate its credibility. The game is divided into three episodes, spanning three in-game days, allowing players to dismantle Vhart’s life piece by piece.

The Influencer Tool and Its Implications

Episode three introduces the Influencer tool, allowing players to craft propaganda messages by selectively using and omitting data, regardless of its veracity. This chilling mechanic highlights the potential for manipulating information to discredit individuals. Unfortunately, the game only offers limited opportunities to utilize this powerful tool.

Orwell: Ignorance Is Strength – Initial Investigation

A Premature Conclusion

Despite the compelling portrayal of conflicting relationships, the narrative feels underdeveloped. Vhart’s initial cunning in the first episode fades in subsequent episodes, his actions becoming increasingly transparent and less effective. The abrupt ending further diminishes the impact of the story, leaving the consequences of the Influencer tool and the overall narrative arc unexplored.

Conclusion

Orwell: Ignorance Is Strength raises important questions about surveillance, information manipulation, and the fragility of truth in the digital age. While the core gameplay mechanics and intriguing premise offer a compelling experience, the underdeveloped narrative and rushed ending prevent the game from fully realizing its potential. The game serves as a thought-provoking exploration of the power of information and the dangers of its misuse.