When I searched for the title “Idea is You,” which was recommended to me via DM, I found a flood of reviews and impressions. Every one of them was praising the graphics and the AI of the in-game NPCs. People were raving about how it left all previous games in the dust, claiming it was on a level that would only be possible with hardware from a few generations ahead.
The graphics, in particular, were said to be meticulously detailed, capturing everything from the viscosity of the air to the cracks in the stone, the rust on the iron, and even the way moss roots itself into the ground.
The game boasts around 300,000 active users domestically and internationally—a rather high number considering it had only been out for two weeks. The high praise for the graphics and system must be driving that.
But these elements are only surface-level aspects of the game’s appeal. What truly turns “Idea is You” into a technological singularity of our time is its extraordinary brainwave scanning precision.
Apparently, this game can read the mind of the person playing it.
Thinking about logging out soon, noticing the volume is a bit loud, wanting to switch weapons, or deciding to heal—the game picks up on every one of these actions. As a result, the inventory or UI will appear the moment you want it, and even if you change your mind, it will disappear just as quickly.
This allows for fluid combat, as if you had an extra arm, even during flashy battles. You can log out seamlessly while living a laid-back in-game life. And if you don’t like that feature, you can manually switch to traditional controls in the settings—or so the official site says.
Due to this system, only people 20 years and older are allowed to play. Additionally, players must electronically sign their consent to have their brainwaves read.
The precision of this brainwave scan is far beyond that of other games, and it’s said to even prevent violations of in-game rules—like cheating, exploiting glitches, or harassment—before they happen.
The game further applies this technology into one of its core systems:
Astral Convergence Gear
This game can read the player’s heart—not their thoughts, but their deep-seated emotions. It understands what the player truly desires and what brings them joy.
At the start of the game, every player is given an Astral Gear, and no two are alike.
At first, it’s just a special effect or buff. As the player levels up, they gain skills, then weapons, armor… and finally, the gear transforms into the player’s true self—their “Idea.”
“A game where you fight with your heart, fight against your heart, and search for yourself…”
Quite the grandiose tagline. But now I think I understand why Lact recommended this game to me. He must want me to literally search for myself.
I still don’t know what he wants from me after that, but I can vaguely sense why he suggested this game over the others.
After a moment of contemplation, I pulled my gaze away from my phone. What I saw next was my room, cluttered and chaotic. With the curtains drawn, it was as dark as the bottom of a deep pit.
Since that defeat that night, I’ve sunk deeper and deeper, until I somehow ended up here.
Is there something to be found at the bottom of this pit? Can I really “find myself,” as the game puts it?
I can’t see anything from this hole anymore. All I’ve done is pretend to search for whatever is missing within me, and now I’ve lost the will to stand up. Yet here I am, holding my phone, staring at strategy guides for “Idea is You.”
“…No point in overthinking it. I should just buy it, download the data… oh, where did I put the hardware?”
Forcing myself to cut off my negative thoughts, which had become a bad habit, I got out of bed. Avoiding the stuff scattered on the floor, I opened and closed the drawers in my room, tilting my head in confusion as I searched for my VR headset. It was a custom-made, top-of-the-line piece of equipment that I had ordered back then… but I couldn’t find it anywhere.
I couldn’t even remember where I last put it… last, last, huh? Following my intuition, I left my bedroom and looked into the trash bin in the living room.
“…My instincts are surprisingly sharp.”
With a sigh, I fished out the all-black headset from the trash. At first glance, it didn’t seem too dirty. Naturally, it smelled a little, but it was still within acceptable limits.
I hadn’t had the energy to throw anything into the trash recently, so it wasn’t too bad, after all. Muttering “A blessing in disguise, a blessing in disguise” like a mantra, I returned to the bedroom, lay down on my bed, and lifted my heavy hands. Then, I shoved the headset onto my head.
―――――
When I opened my eyes, all I saw was darkness. I couldn’t tell up from down, but I could feel something hard against my back, so I was probably lying down somewhere.
I tried to move my body, but I couldn’t budge. Although I couldn’t see anything, I could sense it—this was likely a small, coffin-like box.
“Stuffed in a box right after the game starts, huh…”
Since this game assumes players are adults, it seems they don’t hold back when it comes to kids. With a deep sigh, more out of habit than frustration, I tested if I could move.
…Well, no luck. I figured I should try opening the system with that EEG scan they boasted about, but before I could, a voice echoed.
“Welcome, visitor… Orbiter.”
The voice had a quality that was neither distinctly male nor female, whispering right behind my right ear. It tickled, but just like before, I couldn’t move or speak. With no response from me, the voice continued on, almost as if speaking to itself.
“It seems you have no memory of yourself. Nor any knowledge of this world, either.”
There was a hint of loneliness in the voice. I had no recollection of what it was talking about. Until a moment ago, I’d just been reading this game’s reviews, so I didn’t know much about the world or story, except that “you can ditch the main scenario and go adventuring without a problem.”
“It’s unfortunate, but… if you don’t remember, then there’s nothing to be done. Just tell me what you do know. Tell me about yourself, about your memories.”
Who are you? The voice asked that, and at the same time, a sound like fabric brushing together signaled the appearance of a window. In the dark, a window floated, displaying options like “Avatar,” “Status,” and “Game Settings.” I tried focusing on “Avatar,” and a stranger’s face appeared on the screen.
Next to the man’s image were options like “Gender,” “Hairstyle,” “Bone Structure,” “Face,” “Scars,” and “Race.” Basically, a character creation screen.
I’ve seen screens like this in many games, but this was the first time I’d seen one where the character customization was presented as a conversation with a mysterious voice.
…Oh. The moment I thought about seeing the avatar from behind, it moved as if on its own. What is this feeling? There’s no need to manually operate windows with hand movements like in older games.
All I did was “imagine” how I wanted it to move, and the system responded accordingly. It was almost instantaneous with my thoughts. As I spun the camera around the avatar and moved it fluidly, it followed my imagination perfectly.
When I “imagined” the hairstyle I wanted without opening the appearance options, the avatar’s hair changed accordingly.
This is pretty incredible. It’s like I’ve always known how to operate this system. I changed the hair color, adjusted the length in sections, and made the avatar jump around a bit. Everything worked exactly as I imagined it.
I even thought of an anime character from my memory, and the screen immediately rendered them in that form.
Then I realized something meta. Why am I starting the game unable to move? Why start in a cramped box instead of in a bustling town? It must be to let the player experience this unique control system firsthand.
With a sense of wonder, I started crafting the avatar. I’ve always recreated the same look in every game, but…
“…!”
Maybe because I imagined it for just a second, the avatar’s appearance began to change. The avatar’s body grew to match my real height and build, with dark brown skin that looked distinctly un-Japanese. The hair was a nearly black shade of purple, tied in a long samurai-like ponytail.
The eyes were a deep indigo, reminiscent of the sky after sunset. Two stripes of paint marked the right cheek, and a crescent-moon earring dangled from the left ear.
“Good Knight”… In any game, this character had racked up a record of 147 consecutive wins, an undefeated legend.
Just seeing that form made cold sweat break out all over me. It was the brightest, most glorious image of myself, and at the same time, the darkest, most shameful one.
――Whoa!? Good Knight suddenly falters…?
――Ohh!? FamilyA presses the attack! Attacking hard! What a turn of events!?
――Unbelievable! A stunning reversal! Good Knight crumbles just before victory once again!!!
My avatar collapsed onto the ground, fading away as the endless stream of comments scrolled over it. I couldn’t do it. There’s no way I could handle playing again with this form.
Following my scrambled thoughts, the avatar’s appearance quickly transformed. Within seconds, an unfamiliar figure stood in the window.
Golden honey-colored eyes, hair that was fluffy and wildly white, about average Japanese height, maybe a bit shorter. The skin was so pale it almost looked bloodless.
…Looks like trying to push my old appearance away ended up with this completely opposite output. If I try customizing it again, I might end up with another “accident,” so I guess I’ll just stick with this avatar.
Feeling like I’d wipe the sweat off my forehead if I could move, I closed the avatar screen and opened the “Status” screen. A series of text lines and empty slots filled the window.
――――――――
『Status』
Name: Title: Visitor (Orbiter)
Race: Human Race 『People of Halfas』 Race Lv: 1
Occupation: Occupation Lv:
HP: 120
MP: 200
Strength (STR): 60
Endurance (VIT): 40
Magic (MAG): 120
Willpower (CON): 100
Base Speed: 105
《Equipment Effects》: None
【Basic Skills】:
【Race-Specific Skills】
Merits:
『Tribe of Wind Readers』『Dexterous』『Archery Bonus: Small』『Wind Magic Power Boost: Medium』『Poison Resistance: Small』
Demerits:
『Foreign Race』『Abandoned by the Gods』『Faith Decay Bonus: Medium』『Weakness: Small』
【Astral Gear (Astral Conversion)】
『Mind Insight: Aveda』
Can unlock Mind Insight.1
『Heart Core: Insrit』
Unlocked at Race Level ■■
『Mind Fusion: Aslavarna』
Unlocked at Race Level ■■
――――――――
…What is this? I understand the word “status,” but the information that comes with it makes no sense to me. Since I didn’t do much prior research on this game, I can somewhat comprehend things like titles, races, and jobs, but I have no clue what “Mind Insight” or “Heart Core” are supposed to mean.
Also, the race isn’t clear to me, but… I vaguely recall selecting a race from the avatar customization screen. I probably picked something randomly due to my scattered thoughts. Is this unnaturally pale skin a trait of the race?
As I’m lost in thought, another soft fabric-like sound occurs, and a new window opens up titled “Help Window.”
Upon reading its contents, one by one, all the things I didn’t understand are explained.
It covers topics like races, jobs, how they affect your stats, and the race-specific skills that come with choosing a race. There’s even a section about the relationship between the avatar’s appearance and the race you pick.
The explanations are quite thorough, though for some aspects like Astral Gear, it says, “There is no available description.” I guess they want you to figure it out for yourself. At least I won’t have to constantly look up the wiki, which is a real blessing.
I keep switching between the help and status windows as I try to understand.
The system seems flexible. Races influence your avatar’s appearance, starting stats, and racial skills, while the job primarily affects your skillset and how your stats will develop.
By sheer chance, I seem to have picked “People of Halfas,” which apparently is akin to a nomadic tribe—or to put it bluntly, a refugee race.
From the skill composition, it seems designed for long-range combat, but based on the system descriptions, it appears that the game is highly flexible in how you can build your character.
It seems that the game doesn’t impose strict limitations based on job choice. You can acquire skills from various places—training grounds in towns, combat rewards, or quest prizes—regardless of your job.
In other words, it’s possible for a mage to learn sword skills, and vice versa.
As for the stats, they’re similarly flexible. Your initial stats are determined by the race you choose, and as you level up, racial levels will automatically increase specific stats. However, unlike racial levels, when your job level increases, you can freely assign points to any stat.
So, if you want to, you can build a close-combat fighter out of a race designed for long-range combat.
With that in mind, even if everyone ends up with similar skillsets in the end, the presence of “Astral Gear” ensures that players’ builds won’t be too similar. Each player can build around their own unique Astral Gear, which guarantees some individuality in the final build.
It seems that the game’s balance is well thought out. I glance over the available job list, and it’s smaller than I expected—twelve in total. Warrior, Shield Bearer, Mage, Beast Tamer, Spirit User, Hunter, Scout, Seeker, Priest, Martial Artist… Farmer and Bard are a bit niche. They don’t seem to have any combat-related skills. From what I’ve seen in gameplay videos, it seems like Lact is playing as a Bard, but how is he even surviving in battle with a skillset focused on “performance” and “negotiation”?
As I ponder this, I focus on the window again. …Now, what should I choose? I need a job that can hold its own if I want to back up my claim of being stronger than Lact.
But I’m not exactly a pro at MMOs, and it’s been a while since I played any game. I haven’t done any research, so I don’t know the standard strategies.
After a moment of indecision, I get an idea. The UI of this game is pretty flexible, as I’ve already seen. So, I stare at the scrollbar for the job list… and I give it a wild spin. Watching the list blur and shake, I pick one at random.
――Mage, huh? I don’t know what kind of combat style that’ll entail, but I guess the other jobs would be more or less the same. I’ll go with this.
As soon as I select Mage, my stats shift.
――――――――
『Status』
- Name: Mitsukumo
- Title: Visitor “Orbiter”
- Race: Human Tribe ‘People of Halphas’ (Race Lv: 1)
- Class: Mage (Class Lv: 1)
- HP: 120 + 10
- MP: 200 + 80
- Strength (STR): 60
- Vitality (VIT): 40 + 30
- Magic Power (MAG): 120 + 50
- Willpower (CON): 100 + 30
- Basic Speed: 105
《Equipment Effects》
None
Basic Skills
- Beginner Wind Magic 1
- Magic Sight 1
- Magic Understanding 1
- Mental Concentration 1
- Chant Acceleration 1
Racial Unique Skills
Merits:
- People of the Wind
- Dexterity
- Bow Mastery: Small
- Wind Magic Power Enhancement: Medium
- Poison Resistance: Small
Demerits:
- Foreign Race
- People Forsaken by the Gods
- Faith Attenuation: Medium
- Frailty: Small
Astral Conversion
- ‘Heart Cognition: Aveda’ (Heart Cognition 1 can be unlocked)
- ‘Inner Thought: Insrith’ (Unlocked at Race Level: ■■)
- ‘Fusion of Heart: Asravalna’ (Unlocked at Race Level: ■■)
――――――――
The last thing remaining is the name… The game surprisingly accepts hiragana and katakana, even allowing duplicate names.
That’s rare these days, but I guess it makes sense. The games I’ve played before didn’t involve NPCs with their own awareness.
If you used a weird name like ‘ /\2/\L3/\Azalea’, the NPCs would probably just freeze up when trying to pronounce it.
A name, huh…
I closed the status screen and briefly looked at the avatar I’d made, then reopened the screen and typed in a name.
Name: Mitsukumo
The name comes from my avatar’s honey-colored eyes and cloud-like hair, translating to ‘Honey Cloud’. It’s so simplistic, it’s almost laughable. But I think this level of carelessness is necessary to enjoy the game without overthinking it.
Before I let sentimentality sink in, I closed the status screen.
The remaining settings are under ‘Game Settings’, which are adjustable later. Options like volume, brightness, blood effects, manual system operations, and UI display configurations all appeared.
As I scrolled through, I noticed that one setting caught my attention—pain feedback, which was set to 30% by default.
I opened the setting and raised the feedback bar to 100%, only for a warning to pop up:
‘Pain feedback exceeds 50%.’ A help window explained the feedback system, but as usual, I set it to 100%.
If I don’t, it affects the sense of control. When feedback falls below 40%, everything feels slightly dull—like you’re wearing an extra layer of clothing. That kind of sensitivity can be critical in PvP situations where every millisecond counts.
But wait…
I’m not entering any tournaments in this game. This is just an MMO, and I’m just Mitsukumo.
I thought it over for a moment, then pressed ‘Reset to Default’ on the settings screen.
――――――――
“Settings complete,” a message popped up, and once again, I heard that whispering voice.
“Is that so, Visitor ‘Orbiter’… Your name is Mitsukumo, the Mage of Halphas, I see. How unfortunate.”
“Huh?”
The surprise hit me twice. First, I could suddenly speak, and second, there was something off about the voice’s tone.
It wasn’t just cold and mechanical—it sounded genuinely disappointed.
“You still don’t remember, do you? Or perhaps you believed there was no need to?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“…I have been waiting, for so long. No matter how many times the sky falls or the earth rises.”
The voice droned on, ignoring my confusion. I could now move my body, so I began fidgeting inside the box I was in.
“Please, I beg you… just once more—”
Suddenly, the voice cut off. Reflexively, I glanced toward my right ear, but of course, there was nothing there.
After waiting for a moment, I realized the whisper wasn’t coming back.
Instead, I heard a dull thud from above, and a blinding white light seeped into the dark box.
I squinted from the sudden brightness as sensory information flooded my brain all at once.
――――――――
The musty air of the box, the distant sound of birds and footsteps, voices in the background, the cool surface pressing against my back, and the slight dampness of sweat on my skin.
Everything felt eerily real, almost like I was physically there.
Impressed by the level of realism, I reached toward the light, pushing the lid of the box aside.
After a brief moment of dazzling light, a vast blue sky spreads out before me. Floating in it is the sun, with wisps of white clouds stretching thinly around it. If that were all, perhaps I could have simply raised my body.
However, something floating in the sky prevented me from doing so. No, that’s not right. It wasn’t floating in the sky.
“It’s not the sky… It’s a city, mountains… no, maybe the ground.”
The sky was translucent blue. As I squinted at it, I could see something far, very far away—a distant land. A troubling thought crossed my mind, questioning whether I had finally lost my sanity. But no matter how many times I looked, the land remained.
Stretching endlessly across the sky, even at the edge of my vision obscured by clouds, there was land.
On that land beyond the sky, there were mountains, rivers, lakes, seas… and clearly, artificial cities and nations. Though I couldn’t gauge the distance, there was only one comparable object in real life.
The moon. It was as if there were another Earth placed in the location of the moon.
“If this were a stationary PC game, it’d make sense. But in VR? This level of detail is insane… no lag, no stuttering at all.”
Of course, I understood that this was a game. But all the sensory information flooding in since earlier was so vivid that I reflexively opened the system console to confirm.
Are games these days always like this? Based on online reviews, that didn’t seem to be the case… Normally, rendering objects of this scale in view would cause a noticeable drop in frame rate and introduce lag, but this game had none of that.
Maybe they were using an incredibly advanced engine, or perhaps they’d managed to optimize the textures in some ingenious way.
I gazed up at the sky while slowly lifting myself to my feet. After getting up, I took a good look around. What lay around me resembled a cemetery you’d find overseas. Stone coffins wrapped in ivy and moss were lined up at regular intervals. The ground was carefully maintained with fresh grass, and newly laid stone paths formed walkways.
On these paths, people with brightly colored hair—blue, red, and more—of various ages and genders walked about, looking around as I was.
“Are they all players?”
I was well aware this was a trending MMO, but I didn’t expect so many people. It was like a parade of avatars heading toward the grandstands of a world championship.
As I marveled at the sight, I habitually reached for the tied-up hair at the back of my head, only to feel the fabric of my sleeve move softly.
“My outfit… because I’m a mage, huh?”
I was dressed in a baggy white robe. Its design was more Eastern than Western, resembling a traditional garment you wear draped over your shoulders. The long hem extended down to my calves.
What stood out the most was the excess fabric from my elbows down to my wrists, giving it a distinctly ceremonial appearance.
As I absentmindedly swung the loose sleeves, a loud thunk sounded from my left. Instinctively, I dropped to one knee atop the stone coffin, ready for action. But upon closer inspection, I noticed that the lid of the coffin next to mine was slightly open.
Another player? After a moment, the coffin lid was pushed fully open, revealing the figure within.
It was a man with sleek black hair tied back neatly, his face unusually well-groomed. I could barely make out black earrings on both ears. He was dressed in a faded blue cloth outfit, similar to what you’d see in the Middle East, with a simple leather vest worn over it.
The man squinted at the sight before him, then widened his eyes in shock.
“…No way!”
“Hm?”
“Ah, wait, wh-what!?”
The man looked up at the sky and let out a voice unmistakably belonging to a woman. I was startled, and in turn, my surprise startled him, creating an awkward chain reaction that filled the air with silence.
“…Ahem, uh, uh—um.”
After an overly dramatic cough, the man’s voice suddenly changed. From a delicate, flower-like woman’s voice, it dropped into a calm, deep male voice.
With a flustered expression, the man quickly composed himself and spoke.
“…Should I say ‘nice to meet you’?”
“It’s pretty tough to maintain a character right now… don’t you think?”
“Ugh…”
At my comment, the man stiffened his shoulders, and once again, silence filled the cemetery.
