Orwell: Ignorance is Strength

Steam Reviews

Read all reviews on Steam

• Not recommended Posted July 17, 2025 on Steam The second game in the Orwell universe. The premise remains the same - we need to search for relevant information on our targets through any means necessary. We will browse the internet and check out their social sites, work-related documents, medical records, etc., eavesdrop on their conversations, or take control of their private PC/phones. This time, though, we won't be doing it to stop some terrorists but to save the image of The Nation by discrediting our target, thus turning the public opinion against him. The sequel takes place during the same three days as the first game, and if you submit your saves at the beginning, the news will reflect your previous decisions accordingly. We will also come across a few names from the first game, albeit briefly. The interface remains the same. One half of our screen shows information to browse, the other half serves as a drop point for the found data. This time, we have a time limit within which we need to collect all of the required information for us to release a manipulating post on social media. One uploaded information costs 10 minutes, so we need to be careful which data we decide to use. If we are unable to make it within the time limit, the suspect will release his inflammatory articles against The Nation, and our advisor, Ampleford, will be disappointed in us… oh, and we will miss related achievements. Otherwise, there is no real penalty. The day will end after we submit enough data for Ampleford to come up with enough catchy lines, one way or another. Another big change is the voice acting - our target persons are all voiced, and we can actually listen to their phone conversations. It's a nice addition on one hand, as the emotions hidden behind the lines become even clearer; on the other hand, if it wasn't there, nothing much would have changed. The phone calls drag on, voiced or not. Also, our main target, Raban Vhart, is a rather unsympathetic fellow (at least for me), and his voice just deepened the animosity. Sadly, the thing that bothered me in the first game - the inability to skip the phone calls - remains. Going for the rest of the achievements was even more painful, as some of them are influenced by decisions made across the chapters… which means more playthroughs, especially if you make some mistake. There is also an unpleasant feature when uploading selected info - when the uploading happens, half of your screen (the one for the drop) gets locked for a few seconds, and nothing else can be added during that time. Another thing that irritated me a little is the fact that when you decide to listen to the phone conversation right away, you can't upload any information because your screen is locked. But if you select the archive option, you can freely roam around, upload info, and listen to the talk. That's what I call efficient time management. Also, there isn't any situation that requires your immediate reaction during the calls, as in the first game - well, there can't be any, as you can't upload anything during it! Gah. Somehow, the sequel felt more restraining and linear than the first game. You spent most of the time waiting… for data to upload, for a call to end… for something to happen. I didn't care for the characters, nor for what my decisions would cause them. The new "influencer" mechanic is basically useless - you can't use it on your own, you don't create the lines, you just wait for the order that it's ready to use. The endings are… without any impact? Not sure if it's because I played both games in close succession, but the sequel left me unimpressed. [hr][/hr] My review of the first game - [url=https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198036297204/recommended/491950/]Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You[/url]
• Not recommended Posted April 23, 2026 on Steam Unlike its predecessor, this game is a letdown. It's cool there have been a few tweaks to the gameplay and added social media. Sadly, the story is shorter and trash. On top of that, I was constantly getting stuck on the second chapter, not knowing what I missed or what to search for.
• Recommended Posted August 14, 2025 on Steam Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 332: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ (7/10) [i]Orwell: Ignorance is Strength [/i]is a follow-up that unfortunately fails to capture the punch of the original. While it experiments with new mechanics and a more politically-charged premise, the result is a shorter, less engaging, and less impactful experience. I liked it, but I can’t say it ever came close to the highs of the first game. 🖱️[b] Pros:[/b] [list] [*]Stronger thematic focus on media manipulation. The sequel shifts from personal privacy to the weaponization of information, disinformation campaigns, and how governments can shape public opinion. The focus feels timely and eerily relevant to real-world events. [*]Moral ambiguity in decision-making. Like the first game, your “right” choice is rarely clear. The consequences of twisting or omitting facts feel heavier because you’re not just ruining lives. You’re influencing national stability. [*]Multiple story paths and endings. Your approach to gathering and manipulating data can lead to significantly different outcomes, giving the game replay value and encouraging experimentation with ethical boundaries. [*]Sharp, unsettling writing. Dialogue and news pieces are crafted to sound plausible, which makes the propaganda elements all the more chilling when you realize you’ve influenced them. Little to no typos. The quality of the game is something I can never complain about. [/list] 💽[b] Cons:[/b] [list] [*]Shorter overall length. The game is pretty short, about 3 hours for one playthrough. There is some replay value, and I appreciate the broad number of endings. [*]Less personal emotional hook. The original’s stakes felt intimate because you were dealing with individual lives; here, the focus on large-scale politics means you sometimes lose that personal connection. I also found the cast unsympathetic and unlikeable. [*]Repetitive core loop. Even with new mechanics, most of the gameplay still revolves around dragging and dropping datachunks, which can feel samey after a while. [*]Abrupt pacing in later episodes. The final chapter escalates quickly, giving you less breathing room to process the fallout of your earlier decisions. [*] More stress, less fun. The timer mechanic can create tension, but it often just feels stressful and restrictive rather than exciting. [*] Late introduction of the Influencer mechanic. This supposedly headline feature is only available in the final chapter and is so limited that it feels like an afterthought. It works very well—be the "fake news," but again, it's used only sparingly. [/list] [hr] If you enjoyed this review, please check out my curator page to find more: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45814768-Verdict-Play-or-Pass/]Verdict: Play or Pass. [/url] Also, please leave a like and visit [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/Indie_Gems]IndieGems[/url] and our YouTube channel for more reviews like this one. [/hr]
• Not recommended Posted March 1, 2026 on Steam Just a mess. It's been a while since I played the first one but I don't remember the document panel being this difficult to navigate. The story wasn't as interesting and was more about family drama. Doesn't feel like I'm investigating anything. It's basically a word search. You just scroll documents until you find a highlight phrase you drop into a profile. Whatever, putting too much into a review of a game I didn't like. Bye.
• Not recommended Posted September 15, 2025 on Steam I liked the first game, but this one is much weaker. It felt shallow and boring. It's also much more restrictive and linear than the first game. You can't upload data while a call is running anymore. You have to wait long enough for something to happen so the story continues. You also have to wait for data to upload. This game just makes you sit around and wait. I also couldn't connect with the characters, so I didn't care about what happened to them. Can't really recommend this one.
• Not recommended Posted April 6, 2026 on Steam Weaker than the first entry, way shorter and the stakes seems much less significant, feels more like a DLC than a full game. It builds on the first one and throws in a few elements like social media and fake news in a very clumsy way that feels like overkill; certain plotlines and consequences seem to lead nowhere, and ultimately, I don’t think it adds anything particularly innovative to the franchise.