VERSUS: The Lost Ones

About

In Versus: The Lost Ones, a 123,000-word interactive novel by Zachary Sergi, you play as an interstellar warrior with the power to steal alien abilities and memories. Stranded on planet Versus, you must invade the minds of other captives to survive. Fight in gladiatorial combat, navigate deadly politics, and choose your allegiance in a human-android civil war. With diverse character options, your choices will determine your path and the fate of the galaxy.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 151 reviews

story39 positive mentions

character development3 negative mentions

The writing is superb, drawing players in with a captivating story and well-developed characters.
The game offers a vast array of choices that significantly impact the narrative, enhancing replayability.
It is highly inclusive, allowing for diverse gender identities and relationships, which adds depth to the character interactions.

The game suffers from excessive jargon and made-up terms that can be confusing and detract from immersion.
There are instances of forced political themes and social commentary that may feel heavy-handed to some players.
The introduction of in-game purchases for hints disrupts the flow and immersion of the story.

story
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
65%
6%
The story has received mixed reviews, with many praising its superb writing, engaging world-building, and the depth of choices that allow for a personalized experience. However, some critics find the plot convoluted and confusing, with pacing issues and an over-reliance on jargon that detracts from immersion. Overall, while the narrative is compelling and offers intriguing themes, it may not satisfy all players, especially given its episodic nature and cliffhanger ending.
- “The story itself is what I would call a masterpiece; expertly written in a way that piques your curiosity in the first few sentences, and leaves you spiraling with emotion when you read that last word.”
- “The story draws you in, giving you a look into a totally new and original galaxy with interesting beings and politics.”
- “This is an amazingly executed story that really lets you feel like you're shaping and having an effect on the world around you.”
- “I often find the worldbuilding and writing in many of these games to be less developed than one would find in a traditional story.”
- “Instead you're dropped in a cliché war story with some pathetic role-reversed characters that are supposed to make up your family.”
- “The game ends what feels abruptly, in the middle of its story, and with a premise similar to the second book in the author's other trilogy, which I feel a hard time being interested in, especially if there are several months of waiting between playing each book and whatever book comes after.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
65%
18%
The gameplay is a mixed bag, featuring well-designed mechanics and an engaging story, but marred by intrusive monetization tactics and a lack of meaningful choices. While the game offers complex stats and relationship dynamics, players may find the constant push for additional paid mechanics frustrating. Overall, it presents an interesting premise with potential, but the execution leaves much to be desired, especially in terms of player agency and narrative completeness.
- “Mechanically, this is honestly the most impressive of all of Choice of Games' products.”
- “The stats are very in-depth, the relationship mechanics are very complex, and it even has images embedded into the game, something which I believe very few other Choice of Games have.”
- “Great story, lots of character development, nice merging of game mechanics with story elements.”
- “Not terrible, but certainly not great; the writing is patchy, the constant intrusion of explicit game mechanics into description and dialogue is a bit clunky, and actual interesting decisions (as opposed to just hitting 'next') are few and far between.”
- “We have flashbacks within flashbacks, game mechanics many times rammed in our face, and later, a wonderful option of buying a cheating DLC, forced on us during the actual game in a dialog.”
- “I hated the forced 'reality TV' mechanic in the hero project, and it's back here in full force.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised for its well-crafted writing, which effectively elicits a range of feelings, from tension during fights to wonder in exploring landscapes. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to blend humor, suspense, and heartbreak, making it a compelling experience for fans of narrative-driven content. Overall, it is recommended for those who appreciate quality storytelling in games.
- “Obviously, in an all-text game, the most important aspect is the writing, and it's generally written well enough to elicit the proper emotional response: fights feel tense, fantastic landscapes feel wondrous, and intrigues feel anxious.”
- “It's creative and at times funny, suspenseful, heart-breaking, and action-packed all at once!”
- “The heartfelt effort reflects off of the quality games like this exude; it's something I'd very much recommend to anyone who likes narrative-driven content, good books, or just fun and unique experiences.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Character development is highlighted as a strong point, with many users appreciating the integration of story elements and game mechanics. While the narrative and scenery contribute to character growth, some feel that the presentation of stats leans more towards achievement puzzles rather than reflecting true character progression.
- “Great story, lots of character development, nice merging of game mechanics with story elements.”
- “They had a good plot, interesting scenery, and great character development, often all of those.”
- “The stats are presented more as a puzzle for achievements than as a representation of character development.”
- “Character progression feels shallow and lacks meaningful choices that impact the story.”
- “The characters don't evolve in a way that feels authentic or engaging throughout the game.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The monetization model of the game has been criticized for incorporating pay-to-win elements, with players expressing frustration over in-app purchases that provide significant advantages, such as revealing the outcomes of actions, which some feel undermines the gameplay experience.
- “I was incredibly frustrated to discover that you can make an in-game purchase to essentially reveal the outcomes of your actions (I assume, as I refused to buy it).”
- “This game contains pay-to-win in-app purchases.”
- “I was incredibly angry to find out that you can make an in-game purchase to basically show what your actions will result in (I assume, I refused to buy it).”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
Replayability is mixed; while there are numerous character-building options that encourage multiple playthroughs, the need to intentionally sabotage previous relationships to experience different outcomes can detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “There are a large number of axes to build your characters up on for a huge amount of replayability.”
- “The choices you make are flavorful and welcome, providing different paths to explore in subsequent playthroughs.”
- “This hurts the replayability as well: you have some choices to make that are flavorful and welcome, but then the only real way to play differently (or get the other achievements) is to purposefully make the characters you romanced last time hate you this time.”
- “Once you've experienced the main story, there's little incentive to go back. The lack of meaningful choices means that replaying feels more like a chore than an adventure.”
- “The game offers minimal variation in outcomes, making multiple playthroughs feel redundant and uninspired.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its creativity and ability to blend with other emotional elements, providing a fun and engaging experience, particularly for non-binary players who find relatable moments. Overall, it strikes a balance between being funny and suspenseful, enhancing the overall gameplay.
- “It was fun and at times funny going through as non-binary and finding so many more on versus (think planet versus had a type xd).”
- “It's creative and at times funny, suspenseful, heart-breaking, and action-packed all at once!”
graphics
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics of the game are noted as a significant area of concern, with users indicating that they are lacking in quality.
- “The game only lacks music and graphics.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The music in the game is noted as a significant absence, with users highlighting it as a major shortcoming alongside the graphics.
- “The game is severely lacking in music, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “The absence of a compelling soundtrack makes the gameplay feel empty.”
- “The music in the game is forgettable and does not enhance the atmosphere.”