The Operator’s biggest problem is that it doesn’t have plot holes. I know that sounds strange, but it’s not that its narrative is tied together so tightly and flawlessly that everything makes sense – it’s more that it feels like some specific lines of dialogue and writing were thrown in specifically to explain away plot holes that arise from narrative inconsistency. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

This is the kind of game where plot holes matter. I’m not nitpicking – the story being fed to you is the entire experience. You play as Evan Tanner, a brand new employee of the Federal Department of Intelligence, or the FDI. It’s your first day at work, and as an Operator, your job is to assist agents in the field by analysing evidence with cutting-edge technology, fact checking, and even doing lab work remotely.

The game is adept at making you feel like you’re actually doing this work by simulating a PC interface with a desktop complete with pre-installed applications. As you’re connected with agents, their portrait, name, ID number, and other details will pop up in a sidebar, and your conversation with them will be transcribed. The interface, icons, and applications all feel sufficiently retro that the ‘90s setting is convincing, but the time period feels at odds with the futuristic media analysis technology you interact with.