Speaking Simulator from Affable Games is a game in which you control a robot that is trying to take over the world. Find out more in our Speaking Simulator review!
Affable Games have given us a bizarre, weird, and clever game in the “Simulator” range of games – from different developers – that have made many an activity feel just as bizarre and weird, all wrapped up in a fun package. Office work, tricky surgery procedures, goats (so much full-on goat), going on a vacation, sentient pieces of bread – and one would even say a particular octopus dad – all fall into this “category.” And just like that octopus one, for Speaking Simulator, you will have to do your best to convince the world that you are, in fact, very much a human and not a robot.
Being a robot – with the equally bizarre name of one Blank Textsfield – means that the action of speaking is a bizarre concept: why is a tongue needed for this? Why is the tongue moist for this process? Are lips really that important for the emancipation of words? How does Speaking Simulator expect you, as a robot, to manage to blend in with humans, who are clearly so beneath you it’s not even funny? Well, the control mechanics are certainly something you will need to get used to!
You will not only need to control your speaking patterns but also your reaction to different scenarios. Because of this, you will control your left eyebrow with the L button and the left analog stick, while your right eyebrow will be triggered with the R button and the right analog stick. Your tongue will move up, down, left, and right with the left analog stick, while the right one will open and close your mouth while also controlling how it stretches and allows you to pucker up. Your eyes are controlled with the D-Pad, and the X and Y buttons will make you smile and frown – that is, once you’ve unlocked this. All of this will be presented to you in a short tutorial section so that you can get used to things.
To help you feel in tune with how you will be portraying as a robot disguised as a human, you will be able to select from the different melanin options for your character. You can also pick out from all three of the different hair colors, as well as decide on what type of junk your robot will be rocking – be that a male or a female variant. Thanks to all of this, you will be able to blend in as s perfect human replica, completely indistinguishable from a meatbag.
Once you’re ready, you will go over different scenarios to show that you can totally fit in as a fellow human. As to not spoil all scenarios, I will talk a bit about the first one in the game: the date. For this scenario, you will learn that Karen, the manager for human resources, has asked to meet you at the human dispensary, for reasons unknown. What if she suspects you have a plan to destroy all of humanity? You will need to be cautious and remain on high alert as you interact with her!
Based on your performance and how well you are at opening and closing your mouth at the right time while using your tongue to hit the different buttons inside of your mouth – for which you will need to keep your attention on the tongue cam -, you will manage to carry on with the conversation without raising the suspicion bar at the top of the screen. Make mistakes, or take too long to articulate your words, and the bar will start to fill up, making other humans start to doubt that you are, in fact, a real human. The better you are at keeping this up, the better your overall score.
At the end of the scenario, you will learn if your interaction with the other fellow human beings was good enough to warrant an improvement to your overall social level. With each social level that you gain, you will be given a small point, Smile points can be used between scenarios to upgrade your human – who is most certainly not a robot. Each upgrade will allow you to boost things such as your linguistic hydraulics so that you can move your tongue faster, your socio-optic dynamics, so that you can use your eyes to look at many things, or your emotive display system, for which you can manifest feelings as if they actually existed.
Speaking Simulator is a weird and quirky game, with a premise that certainly helps it stand out on Nintendo’s console. It’s gameplay and control mechanics do get a bit of time for you to get used to them, but in the end, they make it possible to have a good time with this weird simulator for the speaking activity presented by humans during social interactivity scenarios. Speaking Simulator is out on Nintendo Switch for a $20.00 asking price, and it’s one you should definitely check out!
Disclaimer
This Speaking Simulator review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Affable Games.
