PAX East 2017: State Of Mind Touches More Abstract Ideas

When first seeing State Of Mind, I assumed it to be a simple indie narrative. But after the short demo and interview with Martin Ganteföhr, I found out that there is a greater meaning to the game than just from what I guess at first looks.
Ganteföhr along with Daedalic Entertainment have teamed up together to give Martin the creative freedom he needed for State Of Mind to happen. Set in the near future where AI play a role in modern society, you are Richard Nolan who has recently been in an accident and you play in his eyes as you find out what really happened to him. Torn apart in reality and virtually, lost with incomplete memories with an objective to bring both his family and his memories back together. When talking with Ganteföhr I asked him where he got his influences and ideas for State Of Mind’s setting, and he responded that he’s got it from transhumanists with the advancement of technology for mankind. With the development of AI and even the idea of downloading your mind into virtual reality, something that sounded to be a myth or an ideological theory decades before are now something that can happen in reality. Ganteföhr added on stating:

“It’s frightening thinking that these things are ideas now. Giving you the questions of “what could go wrong?” or “what if it goes wrong?” with what’s happening. With companies willing to look into these projects could change humanity greatly, even immortality being an idea and that’s worrying. This is the sort of world that State Of Mind is currently in and experience it as someone who’s greatly effected by it.”

Following with me wanting to know where he got the idea for the games geometric look in a world with so much technological advancement. He got the idea reflecting back to the plot of the game about Richard and how he’s not fully together. That the low poly, shard look gives the appearance of pieces that need to be put back together. With his mission to bring himself together, what is keeping him from doing it? What are the enemies in State Of Mind? Physically, there aren’t any, it’s the confusion of what ACTUALLY happened to Richard is an incessant problem you go against as you play. And what about the other half if Richard isn’t fully there? In the world of virtual reality. That we’ll have to find out for ourselves when State Of Mind is ready. For any chance of DLC, it doesn’t seem likely to happen. But for a sequel, there is a chance for one in the same world.

State Of Mind will be available later this year for the Xbox One, Playstation 4, PC and Nintendo Switch.