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Like all previous games in the Alawar Premium franchise, Beholder 3 is dedicated to the dark theme of survival in a totalitarian state. This is a political game that touches on and at times satirizes many topics and uses some interesting game mechanics. However, it was not without flaws in the form of technical malfunctions.
In Beholder 3, players immediately fall into the thick of things. The protagonist is Frank Schwartz, an employee of a government organization involved in paperwork. Frank's work computer is attacked by an unknown hacker, infected with a virus, while the authorities, not trying to figure out the essence of what is happening, put the hero into custody. Now he has two options: work in a coal mine for the rest of his life or become a secret government informant. Unsurprisingly, Frank chooses the latter option, and subsequently gets a job as an apartment building manager.
As a house manager, you have to perform various tasks: pay utility bills on time, repair and maintain the laundry, oven, and get rid of garbage. But most importantly, you have to spy on tenants, monitor their activities using various tools and tricks. If you find anything suspicious, you can report it to the authorities.
The story cannot be called original, although the developers managed to create the right image of a totalitarian state, where in order to survive you need to follow all the rules exactly. It is interesting to watch how locals hide forbidden jeans in closets - a symbol of modernism. However, most of these interesting concepts are intertwined with tedious and sometimes uninteresting dialogue.
The story focuses on how Frank rises through the ranks in the Ministry, along the way making a number of important decisions. The mechanics of choice and consequences are well developed, and many decisions change the relationship between characters. For example, you can cater to far-sighted revolutionary officials or carry out the orders of the Great Leader with the utmost sincerity. However, Frank's life is at stake, so he will constantly have to face a moral choice, directing his activities to survive and climb the career ladder as soon as possible. Perhaps this is the strongest side of the game.
The gameplay of Beholder 3 is standard point and click without puzzles. Most of the time you will be running around locations, the same places, interacting with various objects, talking to NPCs and completing quests. Your espionage tools include a surveillance camera that can be installed in a rented apartment or Ministry office, lock picks that allow you to pick locks to search the premises, find or plant evidence, and then use them in reports or even blackmail.
The most valuable resources of Beholder 3 are money and time. A large number of tasks have a time limit, and failure to complete them almost always leads to a game over. In addition, players must manage their money wisely: if you go bankrupt, you will again see the Game Over screen. To earn money, complete side quests, do your chores, and send villager reports to the Ministry.
On the other hand, if you do not fulfill the duties assigned to you or you are caught in the process of surveillance, you will have to pay a fine (along with the usual bills). You can load previous saves without any problems, but the consequences of many decisions become clear much later. A kind of domino effect is created, and the choice made in a hurry to complete the task within the allotted time will affect events, possible decisions and quests in the future.
Beholder 3 takes everything that worked successfully in previous games in the series and combines it into something not entirely new, but certainly worthy of attention. And he continues the traditions of narration, not being afraid to plunge into the dark spaces of the political structure and depict a totalitarian state. The mechanics of choice and consequences work well in tandem with the rising tension. However, many interesting ideas fall apart due to boring design and tedious dialogues, not to mention numerous technical blots. However, the latter are gradually being corrected. Beholder 3 won't be for everyone, but if you're into Beholder 1 and Beholder 2, be sure to check out the third installment in the series!
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