The Beholder series is so damn bleak, so when I saw a spin-off titled Beholder: Conductor was en route for the PS5, I thought, ‘My week’s been challenging, why not give this ray of sunshine a stab?’. Yes, it is very bleak, but I also recall my first time purchasing Beholder on the Switch and being captivated by it. No, it’s not Papers, Please, though your decision-making prowess is crucial and will impact the lives of many.
Beholder: Conductor, from Alawar, is different. You’ve been hired upon the B-class train, Determination Bringer, having been injected with an experimental drug that suppresses sleep so you can serve your country well, comrade, and are heading towards the capital, Helmer. Note that you haven’t been kidnapped and experimented on, for this is the norm in the fictitious Great State – a land of dystopian proportions.
As the conductor, you aren’t responsible for the whole train, as it’s part of a class system where, naturally, you’re on the lower end. Upon arrival, you meet with your predecessor, whose own ‘mission’ is ominous to begin with. They clue you in on how none of the passenger arrivals is booked, so it is your job to organise and allocate or face the risk of a complaint. Even with the best customer service, you have to have an eagle eye, as there are ticket dodgers and those with incorrect papers. The enemy of the people is continually a risk, so you have to complete suspicions via the Conductor Console.
The latter is your connection to your employers and ensures you are sharing vital information. It’s also the location where you get your orders. A Batman-like red phone must be answered, as that’s effectively where instructions stem from. Sure, you can think you’re in control and managing your tasks well, yet everything is controlled, and if you hate the micro management at your work, you’re going to struggle with Beholder: Conductor as you are continually scrutinised and the nature of the game. There is an easier mode, which I encourage you to start with if you’re unfamiliar with the series, as it’s initially tough and you need to be in multiple places at the same time to get the bigger picture. Expect multiple attempts!
Anyway, the passengers start boarding, and you have to cross-check their tickets with the facts from HQ. Anything untoward must be reported, and you’ll earn money for this. Money is important for purchasing supplies and decorating the compartments as, by default, they’re locked, and you have to prepare them for new passengers in an Unpacking manner – placing posters, cushions and vases. Money is important for buying supplies for numerous fetch quests for passengers, stowaways and your crew, and equally important for you, Winston, as you have a past you’re on the run from. With it established early on that Winston is a widow, he also has debt, and there’s a countdown to earn enough money to pay back those whom he owes.
Naturally, the core part of gameplay comes from attention to detail and your decision-making. Everything you do has an impact. Having a heart can be detrimental, while at the same time, doing your job is something that can make you massively unpopular and morally questionable. Especially when you can blackmail passengers for extra cash. However, it’s Beholder: Conductor’s human connections that hooked me. As you progress, so too do the links between all passengers; somehow, the underlying evil corporation vibe that pulls the strings deepens, and ultimately, Winston’s past is revealed. Despite the disclaimer that this is a bleak experience, it’s very engaging and, quite frankly, one of my better experiences in a train. Worth the commute.
