“You let me down down down down down down down down down…”
I was raised on the internet from a pretty young age, arguably too young, and a lot of my more fond experiences are from browning the web. Whether it be browning old forum threads and reading up on new Minecraft updates or messing around with Sonic Scene Creators, making my own dumb fantasies that I’d spend class daydreaming about. The internet is a part of me, especially nowadays, where most of my connections come from people I’ve met online, whether it be my closest friend of 8 years Caitlin, or most of my online relationships that I’ve had over the years, even right now. I don’t know where I’d be without my online presence, and it’s something that I value a lot everyday. Hypnospace Outlaw is a game that caught my attention when I heard about the premise, having you play as an Internet Cop, browning old forum threads and keeping up with people on the Worldwide Web. Considering my history with the Internet, this game seemed right up my alley, and I bought it immediately. I’ve replayed this game many many times throughout the years, each replay having me discover new things, and it is a game that I can confidently call one of my favorite games of all time.
As I mentioned before, you play as an Internet Cop on this game’s version of the Web Hypnspace, which is accessed via a headset that you put on before going to sleep. Instead of dreaming, you browse the Web until you get bored and wake up the next day, life continuing on like normal after. There is a lot more to discover here story wise, especially by the finale, but this is one of those games where explaining it won’t really serve it any justice, as the entire ending hinges on how deeply connected you grow to the people online. You can call it a cop-out sure, but I think this is a super important aspect of the game, and you’d lose a lot of the experience just knowing about it, so I’m gonna let you discover how the game ends yourself. The main gameplay loop is you being handed various cases that you have to solve by exploring each forum hub, solving puzzles and utilizing underground knowledge of the Internet in order to make your way deeper in, as the cases start to get more and more complex. It’s a rather simple gameplay loop, and the formula doesn't really change much, with the puzzles only getting more complex instead of any huge gameplay changes, but I find that the puzzles in Hypnospace aren’t really the main focus here. No, Hypnospace’s big appeal here is the interactivity and connections the game gives you. There are hundreds of different pages to discover here, each with their own blurbs and texts to read that tell a story about that specific user. These forum pages update as time passes by, creating their own tiny little stories that you can keep track of as you progress through, forming a sort of bond with each of the people behind the screen, despite never really getting to see them in person. It’s an addicting loop, I find time slips by fast as I browse the various pages, buying different cursors and backgrounds, searching different tags and webpages to find the more hidden places, Hypnospace is very authentic to the Internet browsing experience, and it manages to transport you to a whole other world without you really noticing. The game doesn't really get that complex, it’s really just browsing, and as someone who’s deepest connections are all online based it hits a special place in my heart, creating a game experience that nothing else has really been able to recreate.
Playing Hypnospace has me reflect a lot on my connections and the people that I’ve met that got me to where I am today. I was a rather lonely child growing up, people deemed me too strange to want to hang around with in person, so I had to make a majority of my connections behind the screen. These connections linger today, and while a part of me will always miss the more in person connections I had back in High School, I've come to realize just how important online relationships can equally be. I’ve met so so many people in my life online at this point, so many people that stay in my heart, people that I’ve wronged, people who’ve wronged me, people who I just fell out of contact with, people I’m still in contact with today, these connections are so so dear to me, and it’s something that I will never be able to forget. Meeting my sister Caitlin, my closest friend of 8 years at this point, being able to just send a message to each other anytime, talking about the dumbest stuff with no fear of judgment from the other. I met my ex-wife online, a woman who hurt me in a lot of ways sure, but helped me to better appreciate love as a whole, and someone who shaped a big part of my life growing forward, helping me become more confident in myself as a woman. There’s my current friend group with the Shack, a place that I was initially weary of, but grew to love and hold dear to my heart, with multiple people in there now being some of my closest, like Ashley or Octavia. There’s the discord server I joined back in December that I was able to adore instantly, immediately fitting in with people that I enjoy spending time with everyday, people who I can discuss similar interests too without fear of judgment, people who match my taste in ways no other person has been able to match. There’s the Susiecule, an emotional experience that I never thought was possible for me, deeming myself too weird to deserve love such as this, but obtaining it all the same, slowly making me realize that maybe there is something about me worth loving. I even met Sammi online, one of the most important people ever to me, a love I lost that I reflect on everyday through the internet, and I can’t imagine a world where I just never met her. Every person I’ve met, every memory in my heart, every echo of a love lost, these experiences are dear to me in ways you can’t even imagine, and without the Internet, I wouldn’t be able to have these experiences that make up a majority of my daily life. I have these connections, these bonds, these feelings due to the online world, and I think back on all of the people that I lost online even to this day, holding them all so near and dear in my heart. We’ll meet again, not in person, but in everything you and I loved. It’s all thanks to my time online that I can have these emotions, and no other piece of media has been able to capture a similar feeling then Hypnospace Outlaw, a game that truly feels like something special.
Hypnospace is an important memory to me, it’s a game that I find myself replaying time and time again, holding onto more and more memories with each passing playthrough. It brings me back to simpler times, calmer experiences, more peaceful emotions, reminding me of days long past, connections long lost, and experiences left lingered. It’s a gem that feels specifically crafted for me and my experiences, a game that I hold near and dear to my heart, and an experience that nothing else will ever be able to recreate. I love Hypnospace and the memories it left in my heart, and I always look forward to every single replay I do, as my love grows deeper and deeper. If you’ve had any of these kinds of experiences, please play Hypnospace Outlaw. It truly is something special, and my love for this game will only grow. Thank you so much for the emotions you put in me Hypnospace, I’ll always adore the times I spent with you. I love all of you so much. I’ll cherish these memories that you all left in my heart for as long as I love, and I’ll never forget the times we spent together. To all the people I’ve lost to the passage of time, to the connections I have now, I love you all more then you’ll ever know. Here’s to forming brand new connections in the future. Thank you for everything. Goodbye.
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