It was a human.

About

It was a human. is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Loser/s and was released on July 26, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

In "It was a human," players step into the role of a military lieutenant colonel interrogating a woman, Okoze Isana, suspected of a dismemberment murder. Through dialogue choices, players must uncover the truth behind the crime while navigating Isana's manipulative and flirtatious tactics. The game features a psychedelic SF setting and a short, immersive adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 61 reviews

story12 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

The game features a touching story that explores heavy themes such as self-punishment and loneliness, resonating deeply with players.
The choices in the game matter, leading to different routes and endings, which adds replay value.
The writing is praised for its philosophical depth and emotional impact, making it an engaging experience despite its flaws.

The use of AI-generated art leads to visual inconsistency, with some players finding it detracts from the overall experience.
The game lacks essential quality-of-life features such as manual saves and text skipping, making it tedious for some players.
Many players found the game's description misleading, as it does not align with their expectations of a murder mystery.

story
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
59%
8%
The story of the game is described as touching and introspective, exploring heavy themes such as self-punishment and loneliness, with a surreal and psychological narrative that encourages multiple playthroughs to fully appreciate its twists. While some reviewers noted issues with typos and bugs affecting coherence, many found the storytelling profound and well-executed, making it a worthwhile experience despite its brevity. Overall, the narrative is seen as a highlight, with potential for greater impact if expanded in future remasters.
- “The themes of self-punishment and loneliness really hit close to home, and the surreal storytelling is executed perfectly.”
- “The way the story progresses and how the hints and pieces came together at the end is well executed.”
- “All in all, a beautiful story.”
- “It's a major flaw, but I am willing to overlook it because it's an indie studio grappling with telling a larger than life story that borders on the pretentious.”
- “Too many typos and bugs made it not worth the effort to get through the incohesive story.”
- “While I love when a story subverts my expectations, this game did not do that.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The game's graphics feature a dark, strange, and gory aesthetic that effectively complements its deep themes, with many users praising the visuals as surprisingly good for the price. However, the reliance on AI-generated artwork has led to inconsistencies in quality, with some images standing out while others fall flat. Overall, while the art style shifts are appreciated, the use of generative AI is seen as a significant flaw.
- “It attempts to get into some deep topics, using dark, strange, and gory aesthetics, which I enjoy.”
- “I liked the visuals, and it really is better than it looks. You should buy it right now; it's pretty good for $5 and not too short or unfinished like a lot of these games.”
- “However, it does fit the atmosphere of the game, and the art-style shift parts are very cool in my opinion, so credit where credit is due.”
- “I will definitely say that the use of generative AI for visuals is the biggest flaw - it makes visuals inconsistent (some images, though, are great).”
- “I also do not like how a lot of the artwork is AI-generated.”
- “The graphics are generated by AI and then fixed by humans.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its surreal quality, enhanced by the AI art and deliberate writing style, which effectively supports the game's themes. While some players express dissatisfaction with the art, many appreciate how it contributes to a unique and thought-provoking experience, particularly in relation to the philosophical exploration of humanity. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong aspect of the game, with notable shifts in art style adding to its appeal.
- “It can make the atmosphere quite surreal (together with the art) and the writing style chosen is also very deliberate.”
- “I also liked the main characters, general atmosphere, and some philosophical takes on what it means to be a human being.”
- “The atmosphere is sometimes very well done.”
- “It can make the atmosphere quite surreal (together with the art) and the writing style chosen is also very deliberate (it goes to spoiler territory, so I won't elaborate).”
- “However, it does fit the atmosphere of the game and the art-style shift parts are very cool in my opinion, so credit where credit is due.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its touching story and emotional depth, offering players an emotional rollercoaster experience if they fully immerse themselves. However, technical issues and repetitive text interactions can detract from the overall emotional engagement, leading to frustration during gameplay.
- “Okay, this game has some problems, but this is such a touching story.”
- “Emotional rollercoaster if you let yourself get immersed.”
- “Some of the lines were quite touching.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The gameplay is deeply interconnected with the narratives of previous titles like Usamimi Boukentan and Mechanica, suggesting that familiarity with these games enhances the experience. While there are concerns about translation quality, the potential for this game to be a standout in its genre is strongly anticipated by fans.
- “Some sections may not make sense without having played Usamimi Boukentan and Mechanica, two previous games by the circle.”
- “I haven't checked the translation quality for it was a human, but the Mechanica one was pretty bad, so hopefully it's better here.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviews indicate a mixed reception regarding character development, with some players expressing dissatisfaction with the use of AI-generated art for character designs, finding them unappealing and out of place. However, there is appreciation for specific character designs, such as that of Okoze, highlighting that while some elements may falter, others resonate positively with players.
- “I also just don't think AI art should have been used for any of the character designs; they look really bad and out of place.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game has received mixed feedback, with some users noting that while the overall soundtrack is enjoyable, the ending song feels out of place and detracts from the overall experience.
- “Additionally, it's a minor detail, but the ending song just feels so out of place.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The game is widely criticized for its lack of optimization, with multiple users expressing the need for improvements in this area.
- “The game needs more optimization.”
- “The game needs more optimization.”
- “The game needs more optimization.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the visual novel frustrating due to the absence of manual save options and dialogue skipping, which can make repetitive sections feel tedious. However, utilizing quick restart and auto-save features can alleviate some of the time-consuming elements.
- “For a visual novel game, the lack of manual save and dialogue skipping can be a bit tedious at times. Using F5 to quick restart and then loading an auto-save saved me some time.”