Before you start Citizen Sleeper’s Purge DLC you are faced with a warning. Once you start there is no going back. All over drives and endings are locked out as Purge leads to the final events of the Eye. The events of Flux and Refuge have led to this point, so if you have not played those pieces of DLC it is best not to read on as there will be some minor spoilers ahead.
The events of Purge pick right up after the events of Refuge, once Peake has discovered the secret of the mysterious Flux which has been spreading and taking down systems. This story is more than about a virus spreading among systems, it’s about refugees looking for safe haven and some inhabitants blaming those refugees for bringing the problem with them. Much like other stories in Citizen Sleeper, Purge is influenced by what happens in the real world, mixing in people desperate to survive and politicians who will use that fear for their own ambitions no matter the cost.
The desperation of the events of Purge translates into the gameplay. Unlike the previous Refuge DLC, Purge has a time limit. Just 12 cycles to save as much as you can, and sometimes the choices will be tough. This not just a story of determining the future of the Eye, but it is also about saying goodbye to the past. Characters from throughout your life on The Eye will pop up as the time runs out, and with each you will make a choice that will see them stay in your life or see you go your separate ways.
Purge does not introduce any new gameplay elements but is essentially a test for everything you have learned up until this point. Have you got the resources to keep yourself going so you do not fall apart at the final hurdle? Will you know what to prioritise when making choices? The same questions that have followed you throughout Citizen Sleeper. This is why the DLC is set to be played late game, because if you start it early you will find it tougher to get through without all of the upgrades and having unlocked the different ways that can help with your character’s survival. Of course, you can do most of this while playing through the first two DLC episodes, but once you start Purge you are locked out of getting those ways that can make things easier.
As a finale Purge is an excellent way to finish the tale of Citizen Sleeper. It ties up so many loose ends and gives fitting finales to many of the influential characters that you have met. There is one loose end regarding a particular character that I feel was not properly resolved, but at the same time it ties into the confusion of the events in the final stages. Yet, the door remains open for more stories set within this universe be it on The Eye or by following what happens out in the cosmos. This may be the end of the Sleeper’s story, but there are so many more characters who embark on new beginnings that offer worlds of narrative possibilities.
Citizen Sleeper was our best narrative title of 2022, and Purge just reinforces that fact. It is, quite simply, essential.
