The Operator [PC] | REVIEW

Ever seen one of those crime TV shows where a detective or agent calls into a support team to assist with evidence? Well, The Operator puts you in the role of the person on the other end of the call, with players tasked with studying evidence and analysing data to give their colleagues the information that they need.

Ok, that might not actually sound too exciting, but believe me, The Operator makes for a mighty enjoyable experience that’ll keep players hooked in right until the very end.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The Operator sees players taking on the role of Evan Tanner as he begins his new job working for a government organisation known as the Federal Department of Intelligence (or the FDI for short) as an operator, which means working from a computer to provide support to the field agents out in duty. With the FDI specialising in solving crimes, this means you’ll be doing things like analysing video and photo evidence, running chemical tests on materials, searching up the information on suspects via a database… that sort of thing. It’s a pretty cool gig, but when a hacker known as HAL infiltrates your system and involves you in a conspiracy that runs deep within the FDI, you find yourself wrapped up in something a lot more sinister.

I really enjoyed the storytelling of The Operator, and whilst it can be guilty of having a few predictable turns, it brought with it plenty of intriguing twists and cool moments to ensure I was completely invested in Evan Tanner’s unexpected start to life in his role in the FDI. It’s complemented by a well-written script and some good voice work that makes it even easier to immerse yourself within the narrative, whilst the accurate and believable presentation of the computer you work from makes everything all the more engaging.

The only sour point? The game gives off an illusion of free will in some of the choices you make across the story, but there’s only one real path to follow. That’s completely fine, especially since The Operator has a story that it wants to tell, but it might be a little disappointing to some given that the game makes it feel like your choices carry more weight.

“I found the gameplay loop captivating, with each item of evidence you assess putting you in puzzle-like situations where you’ll really have to get your brain in gear if you want to piece everything together.”

Gameplay takes place from your in-game computer, with players moving the cursor around a desktop and accessing a variety of files and applications to go about their job. You’ll also share interactions with your colleagues via your desktop, with players choosing how they want to respond and receiving the necessary files from them in order to provide support.

I found the gameplay loop captivating, with each item of evidence you assess putting you in puzzle-like situations where you’ll really have to get your brain in gear if you want to piece everything together. Whilst things start off simple when scouring through some video evidence to identify a criminal or spot the differences within a crime scene across two moments of time, you’ll soon find yourself having to perform the likes of cross-referencing timestamps to pinpoint a witness’ location or work to figure out mathematical equations to analyse a chemical substance.

You’ll often have to cross-reference with evidence you’d have accessed in other cases too, which adds a clever twist to the gameplay that encourages players to keep track of everything they’ve uncovered so far. And when there’s a sense of urgency to your actions when one of your colleagues finds themselves in a perilous position? It’s genuinely exciting, with one instance later on in the game bringing with it a surprising amount of tension given that I was just providing instructions from behind a computer screen. I won’t spoil anything here, but just know that the game is full of these cool little moments that lean into your role as a support operator perfectly.

Check out some screenshots down below:

It’s those surprises that make games like The Operator a little difficult to review. There were a lot of exciting moments and creative puzzles in the game that I really want to talk about, but if you’re planning on actually playing the game, it’ll be a lot more satisfying to uncover them yourself. The game does a really good job of introducing new and creative mechanics as you play to keep the puzzle-solving fresh and interesting, but it’d be a shame to give any of that away here. Just know two things: one, The Operator is VERY immersive and does a great job of making players really feel like they’re providing support from a computer, and two, you’ll feel really, really, REALLY clever when you solve one of the game’s trickier puzzles.

The Operator really does get a lot right then, so much so that I was a little disappointed when I got to the end of my roughly four-hour playthrough… I wanted more. And, as mentioned, whilst it feels like there are multiple routes you can take through the story with the decisions you make, it seems like the narrative and gameplay follow the same path (with the exception of a few differences in the dialogue). I’m midway through a second playthrough to see just how many changes there might be, but honestly? It hasn’t really felt worth it so far, especially since the puzzles aren’t so satisfying to solve the second time around.

Still, with its conspiracy-laden storytelling and genuinely engaging plot, it’s easy to understand why the narrative doesn’t spin off into different directions based upon your actions. And, given that it’s designed as an immersive experience, it makes sense why you’re given some freedom in how you respond in certain interactions – even if they might not affect how the story unfolds. It just means that there’s not a whole lot of replayability to The Operator, with it very much feeling like a ‘one and done’ kind of experience. But hey, when that ‘one’ playthrough is so enjoyable, it’s hard to complain too much.

Developer: Bureau 81
Publisher: Bureau 81, indienova
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed)
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1771980/The_Operator/