A Girls Nightmare
Missing: not just a game
It's no surprise this game is R18. It's definitely not for the weak-hearted or people who cannot stomach ugly truths. Playing this game left me empathetic,uncomfortable and very emotional. This masterpiece created by Missing link trust shows awareness of prostitution and the tragic life of young girls and women forced into this profession.
You play as a young girl who is kidnapped and sold as a prostitute. You get so attached to the girl that you actually step into her shoes and experience her fear and disgust. The words discomfort and disgust are not enough to describe what you feel while you play - rape isn't exactly an everyday topic. Everything feels real and there were moments I considered ending the game without reaching completion - it was that hard to handle. However the story, value and graphics are flawless, it was definitely worth the discomfort I went through.
This short mobile game lasted longer than it actually was. It required a lot of brain-work and courage and breaks to actually survive the entire game. The story was clear and easy to follow - it really pulls players into the world of these young girls and reminded that everything that happens is real - not meeting the quota for money means you get punished/assaulted by men and you be become a different person - the woman in charge of the girls gives you a new name and persona just for business.
The goal of the game is to explore and memorize the town's layout, then find a way to escape back to your hometown. Along the way, you do meet decent people who try to help you out but they can only do so much, everything relies on your own choices. to be able to explore and seek help, you have to meet the quota. Each man that you come across has a different level of lust and wealth - those who are more wealthy pay more but may be more unwilling as the are not desperate for you services. Alcohol can boost their lust therefore making them more willing to pay a higher price. As disgusting and immoral selling yourself is, you get to the point where you're so desperate for money so you can escape that the idea doesn't bother you as much anymore. This fact of getting used to selling oneself is a truth in the real world.
Despite being a mobile game, the graphics and art style is stunning and detailed giving a sense of realism. They even put in small details like grunge on the concrete and walls. The setting is beautiful despite what happens behind closed doors. The night light and grey tones give a somber and cold mood - adding to the discomfort of the game.
The story and graphics are flawless but the gameplay isn't as smooth as everything else. Maneuvering the girl through the streets is a challenge. To move her you tap on the screen where you want her to go but sometimes the screen doesn't detect the touch - this may just be a problem with my phone only as I have not seen others comment on this problem. However controlling her movements is difficult in general - you either run too fast therefore hitting walls and or too slow - both causing you to get caught by people working with the prostitute organisation.
There are sections of the game where it proves to be too difficult or unclear. Many have found this a problem - we were tasked to find the phone number of a helpline and we have found it but the game doesn't realize we found it. Later, after a few readings of walkthroughs (yes I had to cheat a little) we found out that you had to walk right up close to the poster with the phone number. However these challenges and difficulties made completing each chapter more satisfying.
As the game progresses, the quota for each day increases. Each day has limited time therefore the people you chose as your target has to be well thought out, you can no longer pluck any poor, desperate man from the street. At first alcohol and food that can be purchased deemed useless however later on when you get accustomed to the game and how it operates, you learn to utilize everything you have for survival.
Like most games there is a point system, in this case it's money. Everyday more than half of your income is taken by the woman in charge which means every morning you have to make up for what you lost and extra so you don't have to start from zero the next morning.
This is a beautifully ugly game which exposes the life of prostitutes. Keep this away from children but share with people over 18 as it is definitely an informative game. Yes, it is hard to stomach but the emotion and pain you go through and the life you learn about is worth your time.