Reviews / 24 August 2023

VIDEOVERSE: A Homage To 2000s Internet Culture

VIDEOVERSE is a text-based narrative adventure game that throws you back to the early 2000s era of the internet, video games and social media networks. In this game you play as Emmett, who loves video games and art.

During the game you find that Emmett’s interactions with his friends, which are primarily via the Videoverse social network, is at risk because the social media platform has announced it will soon be shutting down.

Relive the days of past social gaming networks and dive into this fictional video game era, where the ‘Kinmoku Shark’ gaming system and its online social network ‘Videoverse’ were still popular…

Playing VIDEOVERSE can definitely make you feel nostalgic, especially if you grew up during this era of the internet. The pixel art style is very pretty and reminiscent of early video games, alongside the games that Emmett and other characters play, such as Feudal Fantasy (a nod to Final Fantasy). But VIDEOVERSE is far more than just a quick nostalgia trip. At its core is a story about the friendships and bonds within communities that video games can create and form.

A real highlight for me personally was seeing how the community and characters engage within the Videoverse social media. Over your time within VIDEOVERSE, you really get to see the community grow together, while also celebrating their differences and video games! It is honestly really refreshing to see a game celebrate all the positivity that video games can bring to people.

Overall, VIDEOVERSE is a wonderful tribute to retro gaming and social media platforms. Everything that VIDEOVERSE has to offer such as the music, references, and overall design combine are beautifully crafted and that can invoke a strong feeling of nostalgia. Even if you aren’t a fan of visual novel styled games, if you love heart-warming stories about friendship with nostalgic aspects, then you should give VIDEOVERSE a look!

I played VIDEOVERSE on Steam with a review copy. The game is available now on Steam.