In the deeply textured, pixel art cyberpunk world of All Our Broken Parts, players step into the role of a robot doctor tasked with tending to other automatons. The game presents a stark future where humanity has vanished, the oceans are gone, and the player character operates from a small clinic following a medical mishap.
The narrative quickly introduces players to their first patient: a robot artist whose manager has mandated a checkup. This patient harbors a secondary consciousness within its eye, dedicated solely to drawing, a feature that symbolizes generative AI by separating the act of creation from the main unit's processing. This artificial consciousness is intended to boost efficiency. The core issue arises when this drawing consciousness fails to accurately perceive colors, necessitating a diagnosis from the player.
Diagnosing Digital Ailments
The game employs a tactile interface for diagnosis, where players access the robot's mind by opening the back of its head and connecting via a wirejack. Upon plugging into the patient's eye, it's revealed that while the main unit can recall colors, the drawing consciousness perceives everything in black and white. The player must then delve into the robot's memories, represented as strips of perforated paper and film reels, to pinpoint the source of the color deficiency. The solution involves severing the main unit's memory bridge, effectively erasing its ability to recall color, all in the name of improved work performance.
This scenario leads to a poignant encounter outside the clinic, where the robot expresses regret over its compromised artistic abilities, yet acknowledges the necessity of its work. The narrative powerfully intertwines themes of memory, artistic ambition versus employer demands, and the role of a healthcare system that prioritizes material needs—like avoiding recycling or paying rent—over an individual's emotional well-being.
Despite its compelling themes and atmospheric presentation, All Our Broken Parts has minor areas for refinement. Some dialogue could benefit from further polish, the non-diegetic user interface feels less developed than its in-world counterparts, and the repair processes can occasionally feel slow. Nevertheless, the demo's strengths significantly outweigh these drawbacks, creating anticipation for the full release. All Our Broken Parts is available to try on Steam.