The idea of a video game acting like a documentary is intriguing to say the least. Though there is no real footage used and the voice work was done by actors, We Are Chicago was developed as a first-person narrative with stories and incidents based on multiple interviews of actual people who grew up on the South Side of Chicago. The goal of Culture Shock Games is to put players in an environment that’s full of compelling individuals and situations, but steeped in "reality."
Aaron is a typical teen only a week away from high-school graduation. He lives with his mom and little sister in one of the lower income areas on the South Side. When his best friend Robert stops showing up at school, Aaron’s world begins to unravel around him.
Even a dinner with family can get dangerous, as gunshots are heard just outside. We never see Aaron, but we do see worried looks on the face of his mom and one of confusion from his little sister. Normal life can be more harrowing than fiction.
The gameplay feels like Shenmue, which is to say accurate, but also a tad clunky. We can’t see any part of Aaron, not even his hands, so opening doors or picking up plates to set the table is very floaty. Seeing Aaron’s apparently invisible appendages move such items around takes some getting used to.
The idea, says founder of Culture Shock Games Michael Block, was to make players feel like they are Aaron, and hopefully, the lack of a body strips away any racial biases that a player might have. It’s a solid idea for a title that highlights the inequalities of class and race that still exist in 2016, but on the other hand, Aaron’s family is black so it’s probably no secret that he is too, so why not just see him as such?
The demo is in two parts: the family dinner and a walk to school with his friend Robert. As a native Chicagoan, I was impressed with the tiny details of my hometown. Even the CTA bus signs are spot on. You feel like you're in a city, but away from the noise of downtown. The demo ends with Aaron and his friend getting jumped by five guys. You can’t fight back so pulling out a gun à la San Andreas is simply out of the question. Aaron is just a normal teen. Things don’t go well.
The full game will, fingers crossed, show players a side of Chicago or, really, any lower class urban area that many might have never experienced—outside of the more fantastic GTA: San Andreas types in a video game. Like a Telltale experience, player choice will be key with dialogue options popping up. Music from local artists who live and/or grew up on Chicago's South and West Side will complement the game as well.
The main thing, the emphasis on reality, is quite impressive. I definitely like seeing this version of Chicago more than the gorgeous but hard-to-relate metropolis in Watch Dogs. The closest I can think of to compare it to is Gone Home, but this is more in the moment. Both can trigger something in players' minds beyond escapism.
The game’s creators hope to create a “deeper understanding, motivate and inspire change” to make We Are Chicago part of a larger conversation surrounding issues of violence and income disparity. Even the name “We Are Chicago” already does that. It’s not about just the South Side… or West or even North. Every citizen counts. Interactivity can be a great way show another’s life, to literally walk in their shoes, so I’m pulling for We Are Chicago to be great when it releases on PC, Mac, and Linux at a later time.
