I played the demo for MIRO by the developer Lost Saved Data_, a self-described very small indie team. I played on a PC with a controller. The demo is available on Steam.
What is MIRO About?
MIRO is a very atmospheric science fiction adventure. It’s an open-world game with a really distinct look and feel. The lore is that you are exploring star clusters, aboard the scientific spacecraft MIRO, looking for habitable places. But something malicious has deleted all the data the spacecraft had, and now you need to rebuild the database. You do this by exploring (on foot in the demo) the terrains of star clusters, looking for “samples”. There’s also a reference to a crew that has been lost, and you are told that if enough of the database has been rebuilt, they can be found. That’s a heavy burden!
The Feel of MIRO
The game opens with some computer outputs on the screen, just a bunch of text. That sets the mood. The graphics are purposely grainy and made to look like perhaps they were filmed with a very low-quality camera.
Next, you are in a dingy, dimly lit room. After some looking around, you find the door and enter a series of hallways. After some wandering around, you find “samples” which you collect. They are brighter than the background graphics and pretty easy to spot. I felt that picking them up with a controller was a bit fiddly, but I’m sure I’d get used to it.
Then you find a door that takes you outside, where you find some more samples. I am a player who requires a lot of hand-holding at first, and I found this game very easy to understand. The basic functions were explained in the computer text, right on the screen, as shown in the screenshot.
Outdoors, you learn how to run and jump. You are also given some instructions by an unknown person, I’ll assume it’s your mission commander. Basically, you are told to explore and find more samples. I’d say this game fits the definition of a walking sim. MIRO has a varied soundtrack depending on what’s happening. Sometimes it’s very calm and quiet, while at other times it’s very appropriately tense.
Settings Which Some Players Will Really Appreciate
I was able to toggle off “aggressive creatures” since I don’t like games with combat. I’ve read that the combat is not too difficult for those of you who do enjoy it. There was also a toggle to turn on “arachnophobia” for players who do not want spiders in their games. I saw in a Steam comment that the arachnophobia setting was a player’s request, and the developer was happy to oblige. I like to see when game devs really listened to players. It shows a commitment to the quality of the game, in my opinion.
The Control Room
You soon find your base where there is access to the MIRO control room. There are many computers and doorways there. This is where you are told the actual mission – to replace the lost data. There is one computer that allows you to combine the samples you’ve found to make new items. Some of these items are very helpful to you, such as an upgrade to your compass. There’s another computer screen which allows you to choose which star cluster you want to explore next. There are 3-star clusters in the demo.
The full game has 10 star clusters plus many more areas to explore on the spaceship. Each star cluster has procedurally generated terrain features, flora and fauna, which should give you great replay value.
Also in the control room, you are given a lot more details about the gameplay. You are told that you are wearing a special suit to protect you from the elements. You are told it can be damaged, and you need to watch out for that. It can be upgraded through gameplay, but in the meantime, it can be repaired by resting and/or applying bandages to it. That’s a bit of foreshadowing of the dangers you face. Maybe MIRO is not an innocuous walking sim after all?
I walked around in the control room, entering all the hallways and doors that I could. Some were labelled but not accessible to me. I expect they will be usable in the full game. You are given a taser, I’ll assume I won’t need that since I toggled off “aggressive creatures”.
My First Star Cluster Experience
I used one of the computers to arrange a trip to a star cluster. Before I walked out the door, there was a black screen. I put on my protective suit and heard the zipper zipping. Then I heard the door open. All with a black screen. Nice touch! However, the first star cluster I chose to explore was a bit dangerous!! I encountered thunder, lightning and things flying by me very fast. I’m not sure what they were. I utilized my compass and found a building to enter and explore. It had some samples that I could take, but before I could grab them, something damaged my suit. I got a message to rest and recover, but before I could do that, my suit was further damaged, and I ended up back at the command center. I had lost the samples I gathered. Boo.
I chose to explore a different star cluster the next time. It was full of roaming animals, both large and small. Since I had toggled off “aggressive creatures”, they did not bother me. Phew. I found a tower and climbed to the top using a ladder. I could hear my foot contact every step which was really neat. It made for a really immersive experience.
I made my way to another building and found some more samples there. According to the screen, all my activity was being recorded using that grainy camera. I found it very haunting. Everywhere I went was desolate and gritty. I also went inside this abandoned building and found more samples.
Fortunately, I can always use my compass and follow the red dot to go back to my spaceship. When I pull the lever there, I am transported back to my main base.
Final Thoughts
I played the demo of MIRO for an hour. I found the storyline compelling and the gameplay very intriguing. What items will I find in these star clusters? Will I find the missing crewmates? Will I find a habitable spot? What caused all these star clusters to be abandoned? How does it all conclude?
If MIRO sounds interesting to you, I’d definitely recommend trying the demo. The full version of MIRO is available now, and your demo save will carry over. Good luck, space explorer!
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