Phoenix really annoyed me with her incapability to understand sexual references. She's been raised at in a sexual-fixated society, she's been with several men, still she has no clue what people hint to? That tend to be a sign of poor people skills, but why should she do the interviews then?
Finished the game with 86 after 21 days. Asked for way to many warrants. What really annoyed me was that I was unable to fully explore the Pyramid until she "updated" her PA. She's grown up there, she doesn't need to update her map to visit the different parts..
I have mostly the same complaints as the others; the ending is unsatisfying, and the land of the renovators and her nightmares just leave a lot of unanswered questions.
I wasn't able to talk to Mata hari alone, which apparently is possible according to the guide, and nearing the end I only had one location left, the military base (and the metro) and she goes away for a day! Had to go around waisting time until she came back, and I was finally able to get the journalists name.
There are many similarities in the games story compared to "
Brave new world" by Aldous Huxley, most prominently the focus on sex and spending as a way to keep people happy, and unintelligent (and children are produced in laboratories and raised by experts).
Roger Arnett is a great person reader, therefore he can also see behind the lies the society is built upon. That's why they have a special deal with the "police". The image renewers help keep the public's focus on looking good/fit, buying new clothes and make-up, steering their thoughts away from more "intelligent" topics. But to be able to talk everybody around (also the old, rich with high HDI who don't feel a debt to society) you need to know how the society really is built up. The highest HDI's in the society know what's really going on, but play along to protect the society, and keep it as it is. After all, no violence and no critical thinking, coupled with mass spending, isn't really bad for those who've gained their wealth and rep on those values.
Roger Arnett is reminiscent of Mustapha Mond, leader in Brave new world. He's fully aware of how the society treats it's people, completely removing critical thinking, and appreciation of art and nature, but sees this as unfortunate side-effects of creating a perfect society.
Recommend reading brave new world, and 1984 by George Orwell if you haven't read that.
Edit: Oh, I think the reason for the crash was that the pilot was using the device, after all, if they where smuggling it in, why only one? The fact that both Bogdanov and the pilot had the same mood changes suggested that they where both using the device, and being affected by it..
Edit 2: oh, yeah, the story also made me think of the movie "demolition man". Perfect society on top, the real human society underneath the ground..
