Korsakovia
Encyclopedia
Korsakovia is a single-player mod for Valve Corporation's
Half-Life 2
. It was developed by thechineseroom, known for the mod "Dear Esther
," and released for download free of charge on September 20, 2009.
Music and sound design were by Jessica Curry, who also provided the music for "Dear Esther
".
. The player hears the voices of Christopher and a doctor as they try to work out what is wrong with Christopher.
flashlight, but it often runs out of electricity and must be turned off to recharge. The overall ambiance is nightmarishly grim, grimy, and depressing, an effect that is amplified considerably by atmospheric music and sound effects.
The narrator's words imply that the player is under treatment in a hospital while he is having the delusions that constitute the game. Before the beginning of the game, Christopher was found in his living room with copper wire around his hands. He had punched the television and the wires caught fire, which is the cause of the damage to his hands. He also seems to have ripped his own eyeballs out and eaten them as reported by the paramedics. These injuries and their rationale are referenced repeatedly in the narration and by objects the player finds in his illusory landscape.
, the player explores the environment while listening to narration. However, this time the player can move far more freely and is sometimes armed with a crowbar, which he uses to smash through obstacles or ward off monsters composed of black smoke. The player can also pick up health packs to repair damage, the existence and extent of which is indicated by cracks spreading inward from the edges of his screen. If the player "dies" as a result of too much damage, he is returned to the last previous save point.
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
. It was developed by thechineseroom, known for the mod "Dear Esther
Dear Esther
Dear Esther is an experimental "ghost story" PC game created as a research project at the University of Portsmouth. It was first released on July 29, 2008 as a free Source engine mod, and is currently being remade for a commercial release in early 2012....
," and released for download free of charge on September 20, 2009.
Music and sound design were by Jessica Curry, who also provided the music for "Dear Esther
Dear Esther
Dear Esther is an experimental "ghost story" PC game created as a research project at the University of Portsmouth. It was first released on July 29, 2008 as a free Source engine mod, and is currently being remade for a commercial release in early 2012....
".
Plot
In Korsakovia, the player travels through the delusions of Christopher, a man suffering from Korsakoff's SyndromeKorsakoff's syndrome
Korsakoff's syndrome is a neurological disorder caused by the lack of thiamine in the brain. Its onset is linked to chronic alcohol abuse and/or severe malnutrition...
. The player hears the voices of Christopher and a doctor as they try to work out what is wrong with Christopher.
Location
The game the player can see takes place in numerous presumably illusory locations, ranging from an asylum to a factory. Objects sometimes float or otherwise defy the ordinary laws of physics. The player has the standard Half-Life 2Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
flashlight, but it often runs out of electricity and must be turned off to recharge. The overall ambiance is nightmarishly grim, grimy, and depressing, an effect that is amplified considerably by atmospheric music and sound effects.
The narrator's words imply that the player is under treatment in a hospital while he is having the delusions that constitute the game. Before the beginning of the game, Christopher was found in his living room with copper wire around his hands. He had punched the television and the wires caught fire, which is the cause of the damage to his hands. He also seems to have ripped his own eyeballs out and eaten them as reported by the paramedics. These injuries and their rationale are referenced repeatedly in the narration and by objects the player finds in his illusory landscape.
Gameplay
Like thechineseroom's previous mod, Dear EstherDear Esther
Dear Esther is an experimental "ghost story" PC game created as a research project at the University of Portsmouth. It was first released on July 29, 2008 as a free Source engine mod, and is currently being remade for a commercial release in early 2012....
, the player explores the environment while listening to narration. However, this time the player can move far more freely and is sometimes armed with a crowbar, which he uses to smash through obstacles or ward off monsters composed of black smoke. The player can also pick up health packs to repair damage, the existence and extent of which is indicated by cracks spreading inward from the edges of his screen. If the player "dies" as a result of too much damage, he is returned to the last previous save point.