Tacoma is an adventure video game by Fullbright released on Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, and Xbox One in August 2017, on PlayStation 4 in May 2018, and on Amazon Luna in October 2020. The game received generally positive reviews upon release but it sold fewer copies than Gone Home, Fullbright's first game.
Gameplay
Tacoma is an exploration game set aboard a seemingly-empty space station in 2088. The player-character, Amy, has an augmented reality (AR) device that allows her to review actions and conversations of the non-player characters that were part of a crew that had been aboard the station; these can be manipulated like a recording, fast-forwarding or rewinding as necessary. This allows the player to either watch as characters move in and out of rooms, or to even follow a character through the station. This is used to help identify clues to proceed further in the game, such as to identify the key code for a locked door. The AR device also has a fictional email system where additional information is relayed to the player.
Synopsis
Characters and setting The game takes place in 2088 where hypercorporations have major impacts on society; while responsible for technological advancements such as space travel, orbital habitats and artificial intelligence (AI), civilians are often obligated to pursue employment with such corporations, as the economy strongly encourages loyalty to a specific corporation. Among corporations such as Amazon, Carnival, and Hilton is the Venturis Corporation, one of the most prominent in the fields of space tourism and artificial intelligence. Venturis and other corporations argue in favor of an increasingly automated workforce, leading to conflict with the Orbital Workers Union. To protect human workers' rights and job security, corporations are legally obligated to obey the Human Oversight Accord, which requires AI-operated stations to include a crew of specialized contractors as a safeguard. The story takes place on the Venturis-owned Lunar Transfer Station Tacoma, an orbital station in Earth's L1 Lagrange Point acting as an automated cargo transfer point between Earth and Venturis's Zenith Lunar Resort on the Moon. Present on the Tacoma are its AI ODIN (Operational Data Interface Network) (voiced by Carl Lumbly) and six specialists to oversee the station's operation: station administrator E.V. St James (Dawnn Lewis), operations specialist Clive Siddiqi (T. J. Ramini), network specialist Natali Kuroshenko (Natasha Loring), engineer Roberta "Bert" Williams (Abigail Marlowe), medic Sareh Hasmadi (Eva La Dare), and botanist Andrew Dagyab (Greg Chun).
Plot The player-character Amitjyoti "Amy" Ferrier (Sarah Grayson) is assigned by Venturis to enter the abandoned Tacoma station, retrieve AI data from each of its sections and retrieve the physical processing module ('wetware') of ODIN, the station's AI. As Amy explores the station, she is able to piece together events on the station using its augmented reality system. Three days prior, the station's oxygen tanks and communications array were damaged as the result of what ODIN states to be meteor impacts. As a result, Tacoma is left unable to send a distress signal and has only 50 hours' worth of oxygen left. Following station protocol, the crew agree to enter cryostasis until a rescue vessel is dispatched. E.V., Clive, and Andrew enter cryosleep, but upon learning that Natali's heart condition would lead to her death upon revival, the remaining crew decide to retrofit a drone into a makeshift escape vessel to the Moon. Nearing completion, the drone suddenly explodes, injuring Natali and Bert. With no hope left among the crew, ODIN mentions to Sareh the existence of a door in the Network Technology sector, saying that while she is technically forbidden from entering, nothing can stop her. Following ODIN's subtle suggestion to investigate, Sareh learns that Venturis was directly responsible for the station's accident. Unable to complete their planned network of fully-automated orbital vacation homes, Venturis' CEO Sergio Venturi and its Corporate Strategic AI JUNO decide to stage the deaths of a station's crew as a result of human error in order to prompt the repeal of the Human Oversight Accord. Deciding that Tacoma's low profile made it an ideal target, Venturis directed ODIN to decompress the station's oxygen tanks and disable communications. Rescue attempts were also cancelled by Venturis, ensuring the loss of the entire crew. With ODIN's help, Sareh was able to restore communications and send a distress signal, getting the attention of a cruise ship operated by Venturis's rival Carnival and leading to the rescue of all six crew members. The player is dispatched not long after to retrieve ODIN's core with the likely intent of wiping it. When Amy retrieves ODIN's physical core, Tacoma comes under JUNO's control and Amy is ordered to deliver the core to Venturis. With the core safely installed on her ship, Amy reveals herself to ODIN as a member of the AI Liberation Front (a guerrilla organisation advocating for sentient AI rights) and offers the AI asylum instead. Knowing the alternative, ODIN accepts as Amy leaves the station.
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