First Customer

First Customer is a first-person horror shooter game released in 2019 for Windows. Players navigate through a tense and eerie environment, facing off against unknown threats in a narrative-driven experience. Developed by Sonic-Alpha and published by NS, the game offers a chilling atmosphere and direct control gameplay, emphasizing survival and quick reflexes.

First Customer: A Microcosm of Ambition and Compromise in Indie Horror

Introduction

In the saturated landscape of video games, where AAA blockbusters and critically acclaimed indies dominate headlines, First Customer (2019) emerges as a fascinating, if flawed, artifact of developer Sonic-Alpha’s ambition. Released on June 25, 2019 for Windows at the modest price of $0.99 on Steam, this first-person shooter positions itself as a concise, intense experience blending action, infiltration, and psychological horror. Its premise—hacking into a secret corporate base to retrieve documents with the aid of an AI companion or relying solely on close-quarters combat—offers a stark alternative to the sprawling narratives of its contemporaries. Yet, its obscurity and technical limitations raise critical questions about the viability of micro-budget projects in an era defined by cinematic scale. This review will dissect First Customer through the lenses of its development context, narrative density, mechanical innovation, artistic execution, and historical significance, ultimately arguing that while it fails to achieve greatness, it serves as a compelling case study in the challenges and creative constraints of solo and small-team game development.

Development History & Context

Sonic-Alpha, a virtually unknown studio, spearheaded First Customer’s development, releasing it on Unity—a engine choice that democratized game creation but also imposed technical boundaries typical of mid-tier 2019 projects. The game’s release coincided with a pivotal moment for the industry: the rise of narrative-driven RPGs like The Outer Worlds (2019), which emphasized branching stories and player agency, and the continued dominance of live-service titles. Against this backdrop, First Customer’s focus on raw, mechanical gameplay with minimalistic storytelling felt deliberately retrograde, a conscious rejection of AAA trends.

The developer’s vision, as outlined in the Steam description, was twofold: to deliver a “focused” FPS experience and to experiment with dual gameplay modes. The inclusion of an AI companion (Risa) in “Normal Mode” and a shield/sword-focused “Hard Mode” suggests Sonic-Alpha aimed to cater to both tactical and action-oriented players. However, Unity’s limitations—particularly in optimizing performance and visual fidelity—were evident. The required “graphics board” specification and in-game settings adjustments for model quality highlight the compromises inherent in developing low-budget titles. This technical context is crucial: First Customer operates within the constraints of accessible tools, where ambition often collides with execution, resulting in a game that feels like a technical demo dressed as a full product.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

First Customer’s narrative is a masterclass in economy. Set within a “secret association’s home base,” the player assumes the role of a government agent tasked with retrieving documents. The plot unfolds through minimalist cutscenes and environmental cues, avoiding exposition dumps in favor of context. The dual modes implicitly expand the lore: Normal Mode introduces Risa, a colleague with an auto-recharging shield, hinting at a world where AI partners are standard-issue. Hard Mode strips away this support, framing the mission as a desperate, last-resort infiltration, amplifying themes of isolation and vulnerability.

Thematic resonance arises from the juxtaposition of corporate espionage and horror. The “secret association” evokes conspiratorial dread, while the absence of health packs and reliance on shield management in combat create a constant tension between safety and risk. The narrative’s ambiguity is its greatest strength: Is the association a rogue corporation, a terrorist cell, or something more paranormal? The game’s horror elements—enhanced by the oppressive atmosphere of the base—suggest psychological unraveling, where the player’s monolithic quest for documents becomes a descent into paranoia.

Characters are skeletal but functional. The player is a blank slate, a vessel for agency, while Risa exists as a gameplay mechanic first and a character second. Her dialogue, inferred from the description, likely serves tactical purposes, reinforcing the game’s functional approach to storytelling. This aligns with broader trends in indie FPS titles, where narrative often takes a backseat to environmental storytelling and player-driven tension. While not as thematically rich as Bloodborne’s cosmic horror or The Outer Worlds’ satirical corporate critique, First Customer succeeds in using minimalism to foster immersion through implication.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

First Customer’s core gameplay loop revolves around document collection, but its execution varies dramatically between modes. Normal Mode introduces Risa, an AI companion who acts as a mobile shield, allowing for tactical positioning. The auto-recovering shield encourages aggressive play, while the absence of health packs emphasizes strategic resource management. This creates a unique rhythm: players must balance offensive firepower, bullet conservation, and Risa’s shield to progress, turning encounters into spatial puzzles. The ability to lean (Z/X keys) and roll (F) adds tactical depth, rewarding players who exploit cover and positioning.

Hard Mode dismantles this framework, replacing Risa with a sword and shield. Here, combat becomes a brutal dance of parrying and dodging, as the shield blocks frontal melee damage but not projectiles. This shift transforms the game into a souls-like experience, demanding precise timing and risk assessment. The absence of ranged weapons forces players to master close-quarters combat, making encounters with gun-toting enemies exceptionally punishing. Both modes share a unifying goal: collect all documents to progress, with “100 achievements” requiring near-total enemy elimination—a nod to completionist culture.

The UI and controls feel rudimentary but functional. Key bindings (e.g., Q/E for weapon switching, Right Click for targeting) are standard, but the lack of a dedicated minimap or objective marker relies on environmental memory, heightening tension. The inclusion of controller support (with customizable layouts) demonstrates Sonic-Alpha’s awareness of diverse playstyles. Yet, the game’s systems are not without flaws: enemy AI is likely simplistic, and the lack of a “pause” menu in combat (ESC only brings up options) disrupts immersion. These issues underscore the developer’s limitations but also their ingenuity—First Customer maximizes its mechanical potential within tight constraints.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Sonic-Alpha’s world-building is confined to the claustrophobic interiors of the secret base, a deliberate choice that amplifies the game’s horror and tension. The setting is a labyrinth of corridors, server rooms, and archives, designed to evoke a sense of oppressive mystery. Unity’s graphics, while unremarkable by 2019 standards, are serviceable: industrial textures (rust, metal, concrete) and dim lighting create a cohesive, foreboding atmosphere. The lack of color diversity reinforces the base’s sterile, inhuman quality, contrasting with the vibrant, art-nouveau-inspired worlds of games like The Outer Worlds.

Visual storytelling is key to immersion. Document descriptions and environmental details (e.g., discarded equipment, security logs) hint at the association’s activities, encouraging exploration over brute force. The “PLUG-IN” full-screen option suggests a focus on immersion, though the technical limitations—such as potential pop-in or low-resolution assets—hinder this ambition. Still, the game’s art direction prioritizes mood over fidelity, successfully leveraging darkness and disorientation to unsettle.

Sound design is the game’s most distinctive element. The developer composed all music, and the description implies a reliance on ambient drones and industrial noise to heighten tension. Gunfire and melee impacts are likely stark and percussive, contrasting with the oppressive silence. While no audio examples are provided, the emphasis on sound aligns with classic horror FPS titles, where audio cues heighten vulnerability. This synergy of minimalist art and sound creates a cohesive, albeit limited, sensory experience that compensates for graphical shortcomings.

Reception & Legacy

First Customer’s reception is a testament to its obscurity. MobyGames lists no critic reviews, and the Steam page (as of the source data) lacks user reviews, suggesting minimal commercial impact. Its $0.99 price point and niche appeal likely limited its reach, and technical issues (e.g., model quality adjustments, controller quirks) may have deterred players. However, its inclusion on platforms like MobyGames preserves its place in gaming history, albeit as a footnote.

Legacy-wise, First Customer reflects broader trends in indie development: the rise of micro-budget games on Unity, the popularity of dual-mode experiences (e.g., Hades’ approach to accessibility), and the endurance of classic FPS tropes. It predates the 2020 boom in immersive sim indies but shares their ethos of player-driven tension. Thematically, it echoes Cyberpunk 2077’s corporate horror and Alan Wake’s psychological dread, albeit on a micro-scale. While unlikely to influence future titles directly, it exemplifies the “garage game” ethos—where passion triumphs over polish—and serves as a reminder that compelling experiences can emerge from the most constrained projects.

Conclusion

First Customer is a paradox: a game ambitious in its design yet limited by its execution. Sonic-Alpha’s dual-mode system and focus on mechanical tension demonstrate a clear vision, but Unity’s constraints and budgetary shortcomings result in an experience that feels more like a prototype than a finished product. The narrative’s ambiguity and thematic resonance are commendable, while the gameplay’s stark contrast between Normal and Hard Modes offers genuine variety. Artistically, the game leverages minimalism effectively, creating a cohesive atmosphere despite technical flaws.

In the grand tapestry of video game history, First Customer occupies a humble space. It does not revolutionize storytelling or mechanics, but it stands as a testament to the persistence of solo developers in an industry increasingly dominated by giants. For players seeking a brief, intense horror FPS experience, it offers value at $0.99; for historians, it is a curiosity—a snapshot of 2019’s indie landscape. While it fails to join the pantheon of greats, First Customer deserves recognition for its courage to be small, its focus on core gameplay, and its unapologetic embrace of constraint. In a medium often chasing scale, its microcosmic ambition is, in itself, a kind of victory.