Tag: Environmental Storytelling

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Season 1 – Shared Story Mode – Ranked

The Dark Pictures Anthology offer a rare and unique experience. I find the series as a whole to be underrated, not for their narrative or quality, but because they created Shared Story Mode.

Shared Story is a game mode that I don’t see talked about very often but feels revolutionary in the realm of narrative co-op gaming. Admittedly this is potentially a niche that couldn’t actually quantify a realm, but is the audience really that small? or do they just not realise the super interesting and fun play experience that this unique mode can provide.

So, Shared Story Mode is the ability to play these game via online co-op. This differs to the couch co-op option, because rather than passing the controller, you will each be playing different characters at the same time. Sometimes you will be in the same scene, exploring together and talking to characters – sometimes on either side of the same conversation, picking up clues and discussing the story. Other times, you will split up, taking charge of different characters in their own scenes, sometimes completely separate and sometimes affecting each others experience.

There is no right or wrong way to play this, but I believe the best way is to play with a friend that has similar values to you (e.g. explores a similar amount, investment in story, same intentions for characters etc) in a voice chat. When you’re characters are exploring together, you are free to chat away, but as soon as you are alone then you both mute yourselves, in a pact not to talk again until your characters have reunited (if they are so lucky). At that point, you can tell each other about what you did, what you found and what you learned. 

Now, I am not saying Shared Story is THE definitive way to play. There are pros and cons. For example, in Shared Story you accept from the start that you aren’t personally going to get to play/see every scene. This is probably the biggest factor against playing this way. This also means that you may miss out on some context as you won’t get to see all of the clues that your parner saw, and therefore can’t make your own complete theories. Depending on your situation you may be rushing, unsure what your partner is doing and whether they are waiting for you. However, the game does a really good job of accounting for that.

While some of the edits can be a little janky, I am always impressed with how they manage to seamlessly tie the two playthroughs together. You never end up stuck waiting around, not knowing what to do. Also, in our experience, the gameplay is divided well, ensuring that both parties each get to play some key scenes. There are even some moments that you wouldn’t see in single player mode as you can only ever have one point of view. It is always fun to have the potential unpredictability that a friend can bring to a simple conversation between two characters, and it is always funny when it goes wrong.

Without further ado, here is my ranked list of Season 1 of The Dark Pictures Anthology, based on my Shared Story experiences.

4. House of Ashes [2021]

At the close of the Iraq War, Special Forces hunting for weapons of mass destruction unearth something far deadlier – a buried Sumerian temple containing a nest of unearthly creatures. To survive the night below, they must forge a brotherhood with their enemies from the world above.

House of Ashes seems to be quite widely regarded as the best of the bunch but for whatever reason, that was not my experience. The issue? I cannot remember most of what happened in this game. The intro was strong, and I remember something happening at the end. Other than that? I have no idea. I cannot decide which is more damning, a bad impression, or no impression at all.

3. Little Hope [2020]

Trapped and isolated in the abandoned town of Little Hope, 4 college students and their teacher must escape the nightmarish apparitions that relentlessly pursue them through an impenetrable fog.

Little Hope is one of the games that I have the most conflicted opinion on in my entire games catalogue. It should be number one on this list, easily. The time spent playing this game, getting to know the characters, making connections, having the wildest theories and being excited by the potential, all washes away because of one thing that I cannot specify without spoiling the game.

I was so into what this game was doing. The non-linear storytelling is surprisingly fun to experience as a duo and the intrigue surpassed the horror, urging us to discover every clue that we could possibly find. The entire experience was such a thrill and delight, and while my buddy Hajda did not have the same turning point as I did, I was so disappointed that 20 minutes of the game managed to colour the rest of my entire experience.

2. The Devil in Me [2022]

A group of documentary film makers receive a mysterious call inviting them to a modern-day replica of serial killer H.H. Holmes ‘Murder Castle’. But on arrival they soon discover they’re being watched, and even manipulated, and suddenly there is much more at stake than just their ratings…

The Devil in Me is the one out of all of the games that has the premise that interests me the most. The trailer gave very saw-esque vibes and that is the flavour of horror that I grew up with. I was disappointed to see upon release that the general reception was ‘meh’ at best. However this did lower my expectations enough to be thoroughly impressed with the time that I had.

I loved (and hated) walking around this claustrophobic, dingy, vintage environment, not knowing what was going to be around every corner. I loved that we were a documentary film crew, a classic but perfect reason to go to opt into traveling to a murder island. I loved the mysteries and isolation. This is the game that suffered the most from not being able to view all of the clues, as there were a lot of names and dates that got lost in communication. However, the experience of the story within the moment was a fun one, and I don’t think I could have handled this hotel alone.

1. Man of Medan [2019]

The Dark Pictures Anthology is a series of stand-alone, branching cinematic horror games that can also be played online with a friend. In Man of Medan, five friends set sail on a holiday diving trip that soon changes into something much more sinister.

Man of Medan – the first of the bunch – remains my favourite, not because I didn’t enjoy the others, but because the premise of the game lent itself so perfectly to the shared experience. Once again, it is difficult to express the particulars for spoiler reasons, but trust me when I say that if you are still blind on the series and are interested in Shared Story mode, try it out for this one at least.

The truth is, even the bottom of my list offered a super fun time with my friend where we got to discover a story in a way that no other game offers. Shared Story Mode – despite its flaws – is a gem of an experience and I really hope that Supermassive manage to succeed in their Season 2 goals. The only other studios that I can think of that play within in this space are Hazelight (A Way Out/It Takes Two), using the narrative but using a lot of split screen, and Total Mayhem Games (We Were Here) which is much further into the puzzle genre.

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A Noob’s Review – 1000xRESIST

There is a nearness and its gravity is echoing.

I already wrote at length about my first impressions of 1000xRESIST. Instead of rehashing that, I am going to talk about what I consider to be the games strengths. I would also talk about the weaknesses but I honestly have difficulty finding any beyond the slow start that I mentioned in those impressions.

The more you try to recommend this game to folk, the more you realise how difficult it is to define the genre. There is a surprising variety of touchpoints for comparison, but every similarity I point out is usually a specific tone or mechanic, rather that the game itself being similar to any other. Here, I want to talk about what this game does, and why it works for me.

+ Scope

I often wonder how people come up with stories like this. But then I read something from an AMA with the developers. This game is a fantastic example of using what you have to inform what you do.

A question was asked about what birthed the idea using clones. There were two answers, one we will get into later, but the second one stood out to me.

“The other thing was SCOPE. Yes, it meant we could focus on making the character model that we had, better!”

It’s fascinating how a creative decision so important can stem from such a technical, meta reason. I personally find that given all of the freedom in the world, my work will often be weaker than the work I had to do under restrictions, which could be why this resonates so much. Scope takes discipline, and while they could have decided to spend more time creating more characters, they made it a core part of the story, giving them more time to focus on the intricacies of the world they were building.

Thinking of it this way, it begins to dawn on me that there are a lot of reused environments too. Many of the places that you go, you will see again for one reason or another. However, there wasn’t a single visit to any of these locations that made me feel sick of them. It never got tiresome. Every revisit was repurposed so carefully that suddenly, fewer environments become a blessing, allowing me that familiarity that makes me feel more involved in the story.

+ Nature vs nurture / themes

Nature vs nurture is something that has always intrigued me. It’s not something that can ever be researched ethically, but the questions remain ever fascinating. How much of a person is in their genetics, and how much is their circumstance? What would the best of us be driven to under difficult circumstances? Could an evil person have been good? Is everyone capable of anything? Is anyone capable of everything? We will never know and it makes for an extremely rich setting for a narrative to explore. One thing that no one can deny is that we are influenced by the people around us, no matter how much we want to be, for better or worse, and that is explored well here.

There are two reasons why we wanted to look at clones! One, was getting to explore the classic thematic of nature vs. nurture. How much of how we turn out as human beings is because of things we don’t understand?

The game also took on many tricky themes that could very easily have been too much. Generational trauma, oppressive regimes, faith, sacrifice, ends justifying means, intent, justice. It was a lot, but never too much. Everything was handled with care and in a world where everyone is waiting for the next thing to be outraged about, I found the game handled everything with class, giving no ammunition to the folk who try to drag things down. Equally, it felt like a safe space to consider these delicate topics without judgement.

+ The Writing

As I mentioned in my first impressions, I didn’t like the writing at first. However, once I got used to the rhythm of the speech of these characters, I was finishing their sentences. I when I finished the game, I couldn’t remember the specific lines in some important moments, but I could hear their rhythm like a melody stuck in my head. And it’s believable. No one talks like this, but they do. It is another one of those bold choices that went well because they rightfully have confidence in the excellent quality of their storytelling.

+ Everything Audio

The music goes a long way to setting the atmosphere of this game. Every time I sat down for a session, hearing the melancholic tones had me immersed immediately, whether it was light, sombre melodies or a little heavier.

The voice acting is another auditory factor that solidifies this games identity. There are so many characters, all so similar and yet so different. The hushed tones, words spoken so softly yet carrying so much weight. It is all so intentional and commendable. The voice acting also contributes to the rhythm of the speech as mentioned above. Without it, I am not sure the game would have bled into my thoughts the same way that it did.

+ Visuals

The game does not have ‘impressive’ graphics. As in, don’t come here for photorealism or next gen aesthetics ala Hellblade. It is stylized. Sometimes, particularly walking around the hub area, the textures felt a little PS3 to me. However, I think any reasonable gamer, and particularly indie enjoyers, can accept that photorealism is only one choice in a medium that can achieve anything, and beauty can be created in other ways.

What this game does have is very impressive art direction and cinematography. It is ambitious in its style in every way except perfection. Colour is already an in game concern, but the use in a creative sense, alongside lighting, can be striking. Whether you are walking around a corner into a set piece, or being guided by a cutscene to see something new, the developers clearly had a vision and they did everything they could to put that on screen, succeeding with flying… colours.

+ Balance

1000xRESIST contains a huge, winding story, the likes of which is very rare to be told so comprehensively within a 14 hour experience. The reason that it is done so well is the balance achieved in the conceptual phases as well as the execution. This story is about disaster. It is about eras. Civilisations. But it is also about people. Individuals. It is about things much bigger than we can possibly comprehend, and it is about the nuance of being human within that. It never loses sight of either of these things.

+ Attention to Detail

Just because the scope was kept in check, that doesn’t mean there is a lack of anything. In fact, that is most likely the very reason that the game contains the density of detail that it does. Again, I am not talking about the textures or foliage. I am talking about continuity, and the stories that are being told indirectly throughout the entire game. It is worth looking around and talking to everyone that you find. You never know who or what will make a huge difference down the line. While it isn’t the focus of the story, I find there to be a bit of butterfly effect between the lines and it is really neat to identify the triggers that may change the course of history, no matter how small they seem at the time.

+ Respecting the Player

Possibly the thing that I found the most impressive above all else is the way that I felt respected as a player. In my initial impressions I complained that I felt I was supposed to care about something I had no understanding of or context for. I understand that decision a lot more as I have made my way through the game. The developers trust that you will come to understand, without any clumsy exposition dumps or codexes. We learn through experience, exploring the environments we are in, and observation. It is no coincidence that our main character is called ‘Watcher’.

Of course, there is exposition, there has to be, but it is weaved into the game so well that I never begrudged it. In fact I welcomed it as the more that I found out, the more that I realised I still wanted to know. There is even an exposition device written into the story in the form of communions, allowing us to learn about the history of the game world alongside our main character.

I felt respected in another way too. Throughout this whirlwind of heavy hitting themes, I never once as the player felt that I HAD to feel a certain way. These characters are flawed. They make mistakes, mistakes that we are making with them, whether we believe it is a good idea or not. Never once did the game then shame you for what you have done. It provides opportunities to think, but it never does the ‘What have you done?! You, the player, you did something despicable’ thing that some other games do. It could easily have gone down that route but I am very grateful that it did not and as a result it is a richer experience.

1000xRESIST appeals to the part of me that loves YA dystopian fiction. There is nothing wrong with that, but it also somehow feels very reductive. I think what I ultimately mean is that this is not going to be for everyone. For me, it came out of the blue, infecting my thoughts both in and out of the game for a while, but not everyone will have that experience. I think it is important to temper expectations, especially if you aren’t going in as blind as I did.

If anything that I have wrote sounds interesting to you then there is a good chance you will enjoy the game, but be aware that this is an immersive, experimental, narrative based experience. If that isn’t your jam then I don’t necesserily think this is the game that could convert you. My recommendation to everyone is that if you aren’t feeling the beginning, just like I wasn’t, try finishing the first two chapters and see if it grabs you. If it hasn’t by then it probably wont but that is a good amount of time to see some of the variety of storytelling on display.

One thing I do know is that I am not finished with this game.

This is a game about breaking barriers. Some characters giving their all to destroy them and some giving their all to stop them. But also the developers, creating a game that I can’t ever imagine a large studio having the courage to try. It is unconventional, it nails what it is going for, it is a breath of fresh (and emotional) air, and as I said in my impressions post, this is what indie gaming is all about.

Hekki Grace.

TLDR:
+ Scope
+ Themes
+ The Writing
+ Everything Audio
+ Visuals
+ Balance
+ Attention to Detail
+ Respecting the Player

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Times & Galaxy – Demo Impressions

It is a pleasure to report that this game is stellar.

Times & Galaxy

Developer: Copychaser Games

Release Date: 2024

Embark on an interplanetary adventure as the first robo reporter for the Times & Galaxy, the solar system’s most trusted holopaper. You’re just an intern, but if you can get the scoop, write great stories, and impress your colleagues, maybe you’ll get to keep your job!

I am having a blast with all of the new ideas on display at LudoNarraCon 2024 and Times & Galaxy is no exception. In this demo we are an intern robo reporter, given the opportunity to take on 2 very different cases and explore our central hub.

I am not a stranger to adventure style games, particularly enjoying the detective type. In those games you generally hunt for clues, trying to get to the bottom of a mystery in order to deliver justice. Times & Galaxy takes that general concept but adds its own entirely new spin on it. We do get to inspect scenes, snooping around as we see fit and interviewing witnesses, professionals and suspects alike, but delivering justice isn’t necesserily the end goal, unless you want it to be.

Our actual goal is storytelling. Just because we have figured out the culprit of a crime it doesn’t mean we actually have to tell anyone, especially if it aligns with our own morals or interests (how morally right or wrong that is is a whole other discussion). It is up to us to choose the angle of the story that we present to our readers based on the information that we have collected. Writing about a spaceship crash.. Do we implicate the police, do we play it down due to the fact that it is not an infrequent occurrence in this area, or do we expose a huge scandal that we may or may not have discovered based on how much digging we did. Do we respect a persons wishes for anonymity at the cost of our reputability, or do we break their trust and tell everyone exactly who the are for our gain. We get to shape the identity of our cosmic newspaper one story at a time.

I already applauded the whole twist on the detective genre, but there was a second stroke of genius here – setting the game in space. I would have been happy enough trekking around our world reporting on global events, but the extra terrestrial setting allows for anything to happen. Anything. What a choice this was. You can give me the most mundane scoop to chase and there will be fun in it due to this funky universe we are scrutinizing. Of course, the cases available so far are anything but mundane. When my colleague scoffs at me for being delegated menial cases like the intergalactic cat show, all I can do is scoff back about the things I saw.

The excitement of space shines through the entire style of the game. Colourful, cute and creative, it is almost comic like which makes sense in this world because we are literally making holopapers. This runs through everything from the UI to the environments we are scouring. It is all so bold, smooth, and it just fits. The puzzle isn’t only about finding as much information as possible, but asking the right questions to get responses that fit your narrative.

If you are looking for a new take on the adventure genre where you value being learning about and being within a world as much as the play, then I do recommend checking this one out. It is charming, it is cosy as heck and it gave me a good laugh.

Demo Length – 1 hour 30mins+
At a glance
+ New take on detective genre.
+ Player has a lot of agency.
+ The reward for exploring is getting more data for you to decide how to use.
+ Creative cases.
+ The reveal in Chapter 2 got me good.
+ I really appreciate the commitment to the jokes.
+ Feels it will be easy to pick up and play a story at a time.
+ The bold and colourful aesthetic is energizing.
+ Only being able to ask a limited amount of questions makes you think about which questions are worth asking.
+/- Has a familiar, comfortable structure of hub, story, hub, story.

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1000xRESIST – First Impressions

Breaking the mould of the narrative experience.

1000xRESIST

Developer: sunset visitor 斜陽過客

Release Date: 09 May 2024

1000xRESIST is a thrilling sci-fi adventure. The year is unknown, and a disease spread by an alien invasion keeps you underground. You are Watcher. You dutifully fulfil your purpose in serving the ALLMOTHER, until the day you discover a shocking secret that changes everything.

This is a write up of my first impressions of 1000xRESIST having played through 2 chapters of the game. I intended to play around an hour or the first chapter – which ever came first – but this game got it’s hooks in me. I had to tear myself away otherwise my first impressions would become a full blown review. On one hand, I wouldn’t mind that but on the other, I have lots more games to try out during the fantastic LudoNarraCon.

*My first impression posts aren’t usually this long but I had a lot to say about this game!

First thing’s first, this is an experimental game. It does exactly what it wants to do and does so confidently. I will admit, I was not sold at first. I found the opening slightly off-putting, feeling like I was supposed to care about these characters that I had never met, having an experience that I don’t understand. However, with a little more patience the world was built, less through exposition and more through exploration and character interactions. Half way through chapter 1 I got into my groove and by the end of the chapter I was all in.

The steam description sets up an epic story about aliens and diseases and the ALLMOTHER, and while these are all certainly present, creating the entire setting for the game, it surprisingly feels very personal so far. Even more impressively, it remains personal and creates an investment despite incredibly flawed and some even dare I say unlikable characters.

The game splits between the present time and the past, parts of the chapter taking place in the form of what I would call long vignettes. The character who’s memories we are exploring, in my opinion, is down-right awful, but I am compelled to see what made her that way. What particularly shines are the relationships, personalities and actions of the people around her.

A common complaint in either cinematic narrative games or walking simulator style stories, is that there isn’t enough for us – the player – to do. I feel it is important to point out that I can personally enjoy a narrative game with very minimal mechanics. Having said that, I find 1000xRESIST to have struck a great balance of engaging gameplay so far. The primary verbs that I have experienced so far are walk around, interact, and a time hop mechanic.

The time hop mechanic alone warrants the existence of this game. Not to sell the other aspects short, but the way it weaves intricately with the environmental storytelling and level design has been fantastic to experience so far. Not to mention that in each chapter the mechanics have been used in their own way, leaving me eager to see what other ways the story is going to be told throughout the rest of the game.

An example of the impact of the aethetic contrast.

The presentation – particularly in chapter 1 – felt inspired. The lighting alongside fixed camera angles were super effective, I felt dread rounding every corner without it ever being too much. The design of the aliens that have literally plagued humanity and the effect that they have had on the world brings a fantastic contrast to the world of 2047, an unknown amount of years prior, right before the effects took hold. Switching between both of these times in the blink of an eye creates a jarring effect aesthetically and a devastating one emotionally.

It is hard to describe what to expect as this game is unique, but I felt influences or slight similarities every now and again from other media. The first being that the experience of Chapter 2 is exactly the experience that I wish I had from the game Virginia. A wonderfully executed montage experience that I can’t say I have seen many games try. Other looser and unexpected vibes I got lead me to think of set up and themes of stories like Signalis and Everything Everywhere All At Once. I am not saying that you will have the same experience in this game as you had from those other properties, but they felt worth mentioning none the less as if you enjoyed them, I think there could be something here for you.

1000xResist is an experimental narrative game that resonated with me in ways that other experimental narrative game sometimes have not. Both chapters that I played were strong and emotional. What is different about this game is that I don’t actually know what I am going to be doing next. Rather than being goals driven, I am being taken on a journey. A tour of a world entirely different to the world I know. And that is great too. I am excited to see what lies in store.

This game breaks the mould – this is what Indie Gaming is all about.

At a glance
+ All in on the experimental storytelling.
+ Enough input required from the player to keep it engaging.
+ Time hop mechanic.
+ Environmental storytelling.
+ Very intriguing concept all around leaving me hungry for more.
+ Not exposition heavy.
+ I feel invested in characters despite not agreeing with them or even liking some of them.
+ The Asian-Canadian perspective enriches the whole experience.
+ The aethetic – particularly in chapter 1 – is great.
+ What a cool idea for a disease.
+/- The characters are flawed, and I think the game is trusting player curiosity to carry on despite the player characters feelings on the situation.
+/- Took a while to understand what is happening.
+/- No indication about what is next, just this really interesting world.
– Disconnect in dialogue took me out of it occasionally e.g. Watcher talking as herself when people see her as Iris.

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Europa – Demo Impressions

Melancholic yet magical meandering.

Europa

Developer: Helder Pinto

Release Date: 2024

On the moon Europa, a lush terraformed paradise in Jupiter’s shadow, an android named Zee sets out in search of answers. Run, glide and fly across the landscape, solve mysteries in the ruins of a fallen utopia, and discover the story of the last human alive.

Playing the demo of Europa without context, I felt like I was exploring a beautiful land full of whimsy. There was a tinge of sadness but that was continually overridden by the joy of movement. There is a heavy sense of a thriving ecosystem that bustles in every biome, making the place feel alive, allowing an extremely important – and potentially disturbing thought – to hide in the back of your mind, buried but niggling. That question – where are the people?

Fast forward to writing my impressions which allows me to read the Steam description (see above). I did read it some time before but I also read about 40 others so I unfortunately don’t tend to remember the specific details. Upon a reread knowing what I know now, my reaction was one of confusion, shock and sadness. This additional context changes a lot of the mulling and theorising I was doing while playing. It takes away a lot of the hope that I had and makes me approach the story in a whole new way. The rug has been pulled, a plot twist without even being within the game.

Playing Europa felt reminiscent of Journey. It has more means of storytelling, for example the excellent journal that pages you pick up, but it is largely a game of cinematic exploration through kinetic means, soaring your way through seperate levels, taking in the environment and solving a puzzle to move onto the next one.

The game is full of neat little details. The way it guides you to areas of interest with the use of wildlife is lovely, along with being able to interact with mysterious creatures, which you will seemingly learn more about as you go. The use of particles and so many other wonders filling the air makes Europa feel like a slightly alien yet magical place. Surfing across water is always fun and methods of movement are introduced at a great pace, making exploring these areas much more of a pleasure than a chore.

I am definitely interested in playing the rest of Europa, although I wonder whether it will be one of those games that I need to be adequately emotionally prepared for, as under the colourful, perfect aesthetic, dark themes are being explored.

Demo Length – 35 mins.

At a glance
+ Movement is fun.
+ The abundance of nature (and evolution of it?).
+ Areas felt the perfect size to do a little exploring and then move on.
+ The colours, particles, effects and general art direction.
+ The book pages.
+ The teaser at the end showed lots more to come.

More demo impressions here…
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Jusant – Demo Impressions

Where did the tide go?

Jusant

Developer: DON’T NOD

Release Date: 31 October 2023

Jusant(n.): a French nautical term for a receding tide

Enjoy meditative vibes in Jusant, an action-puzzle climbing game. Scale an immeasurably tall tower and ascend to new heights alongside your watery companion. Master your climbing tools, find your way up through diverse biomes, and piece together the tower’s past

Jusant opens with an understated screen. It reads ‘Jusant(n.): a French nautical term for a receding tide’. This is followed by a wordless cutscene, setting the scene of a sprawling wasteland, a mass grave littered with the remains of sea vessels as far as the eye can see. Not a word was spoken, and it didn’t need to be.

Our protagonist appears over the horizon, seemingly not of our world, carrying what can only be presumed to be precious cargo. They approach a towering cliff, a grand spectacle so tall that it fades into the clouds above, and thus begins Jusant.

There is no shortage of wildlife, contrasting the eerie stillness of the abandoned cliff village with the bustle of nature, bringing the environment to life. But a question remains, where are the people? and that is just one question of many that I have from playing this stunning demo.

Was the receding tide expected in this clearly nautical nation, did it used to be stable, where did it go and who are we? These are things that I hope that we will find out along the way. All that we know about the world are the items surrounding us left behind by the former inhabitents, and the letters that we find along the way offering a window into a past life.

It may be clear that the world enraptured me so much that the gameplay felt secondary to me. So far it is simple and forgiving, and while that might not be up everyone’s alley, I personally find it complements the pensive tone by giving us the ability to keep pressing forward on our journey for answers.

I dont know whether the full game will deliver on the Journey or Brothers: Tale of Two Sons-esque feelings that I am getting, whether the difficulty will ramp up or whether all of my questions will be answered. But one thing that is for sure is that I am really looking forward to finding out.

Demo Length – 1 hour.

At a glance
+ Fascinating world.
+ Unique setting.
+ Stunning vistas.
+ Gets the imagination going.
+ The creatures in this world.
+ I was feeling emotions without being told to feel emotions.
+/- It isn’t difficult.
+/- I looked for secrets but I didn’t really find any. May be a dissapointing thing but it is good to know early how thoroughly you have to look into every nook and cranny.
– A little buggy.

More demo impressions here…
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A Noob’s [Mini] Review – SOMA

If you play one horror game in your life, I believe it should be this one.

Explaining in too much detail why you should play SOMA runs the risk of ruining the reason that you should play SOMA, but I am going to give it a shot.

SOMA is a narrative experience like no other I have ever had. While it isn’t gameplay heavy, it is a classic example of a story thats impact is amplified due to the medium and the player input that brings.

In this game we play as Simon Jarrett, an ordinary young man who has suffered the misfortune of a brain injury. Taking part in some experimental treatment, Simon arrives to get his brain scan but it does not go as expected. As he comes to, it rapidly becomes clear that all is not how it seems. 

This is a game of linear exploration. From a first person perspective, we guide Simon through an ordeal, moving forward through circumstances that are horrifying on a spectrum from deeply personal, to unfathomable.

If you are a person that does not enjoy playing horror games for reasons like jump scares, intensity and/or gore (like me), then all is not lost. While the atmosphere is indeed spooky, the most worthwhile aspects of the game come from the themes and events that can stay on your mind for weeks, as opposed to a cheap scare. To account for these people, the developers added a ‘Safe Mode’. This is how I played and it prevents any lose state, allowing you to be confident that you won’t lose any progress while you explore the environment (which I highly recommend doing to get all of the context).

SOMA is not a pleasant experience. It is haunting, dark and bleak. But, it is up there with the most thoughtful games I have ever played and I think about it on at least a monthly basis. It presents the player with choices that have no easy answer and deals with existentialism among other topics in very interesting ways. It is the only horror game that I would encourage anyone unsure to try to look past the genre, and if you are a horror fan? Turn off the lights, get fully immersed and enjoy.

Developer: Frictional Games
Publisher: Frictional Games
Release date: 22nd September 2015
Average play time: 10 hours
Available on: PC, PlayStation (4, 5) and Xbox (One, Series X/S, Game Pass)

If you would like to see my live playthrough, here it is!

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A Noob’s Review – Stray

This year I have been blessed with the amount of ‘me’ games that I have been able to play. Stray, I am pleased to admit, is one of them. Without playing it, it is easy to think of it as nothing more than ‘that cat game’. That is how I thought of it before. I had hope that it would be great but expected charm and not a lot more. However – for me at least – it was so much more than that.

+ The Protagonist

In Stray, we play as a ginger tabby cat. Not a talking cat. Not a person that has been transformed into a cat. Not a magical cat. Just your regular old, run-of-the-mill, carefree street cat. Other aspects of story and play get added as you go, but the cat is still a cat, if a very smart and loyal one.

Throughout this game we traverse through different environments of this fictional dystopia, exploring, learning and taking in the surroundings. We are a speechless outsider, observing and interacting as we go. We aren’t one of them, and my playable character also sharing these qualities with me (the player) created a uniquely immersive experience that hit me on a genius level. This would have been a different game if we were playing as one of the robots that inhabits the city. 

Then there is the cat itself. The animations are beautifully made and transition seamlessly. Everything, from the swagger and agility to the curiosity and behaviour scream ‘real cat’. The interactions with other cats, the scratching at objects and rubbing on peoples legs were things that didn’t need to be included, but do wonders for immersion. In some games, going off the beaten path feels strange because you are on a mission to save the world or on urgent business, and stopping to talk to someone or play a mini game breaks the narrative. You do it, because it’s a game, but it feel wrong. Here though, we are a cat. If we see a perfect nap spot, we are 100% going to take it. Because that’s what cats do. We are emotive and adorable without feeling like a caricature, and it is just a pleasure to control this excellent boi.

+ The World Building

Urban and Cyberpunk settings don’t often appeal to me that much. For that reason I was here for the cat, nothing more. To my surprise, it didn’t take long for me to be completely invested in this world, desperate to explore to learn more of what life is like here and why. While ignorant past Noob felt like rolling her eyes at the idea of there being robots in this game, present Noob was delighted to meow at every single one I happened upon. You can learn a lot by interacting with everything you can, exploring the areas, taking notice of the details and putting the pieces together. Although it is a story of robots, it is more relatable than expected. Dealing with issues like pollution and poverty, two very real things, the game managed to keep me in a state of melancholy while also making me think.

+ The Aesthetic

Like I mentioned above, I didn’t expect the setting to really jive with me. Although I haven’t experienced a lot of it, I felt like I was burning out of the dark, dreary cityscape with colorful neon lights. All I had to do was play to realize that I was wrong. This game is stunning and the use of colors kept my brain twinkling in awe. Moving onto a new area always brought something new and interesting, and the beauty within the damaged and broken parallels with the themes of hope that are scattered throughout. Robots are robots, and while they seem sentient, everything they learned is from the humans. The way this is creatively used brought me so much joy. Abandoned apartments layered in rugs, linens, books and plants, creating the most stylish shabby chic décor. It isn’t practical but it doesn’t need to be. Every robot adopting their own style based on what they can find. Lights, lights and more lights. From the intricate interiors, to the wide shots of places you are discovering and have been, there is a beauty to this game that is not only pleasing to the player but really adds to the world building. The biggest crime that there is no photo mode (although maybe that is for the best, I might still be playing to this day).

+ The Difficulty

This is a very easy game, and I think that decision suits it very well. It allows for the flow of exploration without the frustration that can come in other games. Having said that, if you aren’t into exploring as much as I am you don’t have to. It isn’t difficult to figure out what you have to do next so if you want to mainline the story that is also entirely fine. Any puzzling is very minor, which makes the game very accessible to experienced gamers and new players alike.

+/- The Controls

I am personally very happy with the controls but I know a lot of people were underwhelmed. This is no precision platformer and I am glad that it doesn’t try or pretend to be. You can’t jump freely, only where the game allows. One could see this as a lack of freedom, or you could see it as a time saving and quality preserving mechanic. I didn’t waste any time trying to make jumps that maybe, just maybe, I could make. And I wasn’t taken out of the experience by janky animations caused by jumping places that were never intended because I was never allowed to. The levels are hand crafted with verticality in mind and the simple but intuitive controls were additive for me. The fact that there is an on demand meow button is just icing on the cake. 

+ The Details

I talked about some of the details in the protagonist and aesthetic sections, but it deserves to be its own positive mark. My favorite detail is how every NPC has their own little personality. Most of them have their own hobbies and styles. When you meow at them, they all have their own reaction to you. It only flashes across their face for a second, but it is there and that was enough to ensure that I meowed at every single NPC that I met.

+ The Collectibles

There were no pointless collectibles. They took the form of memories, and every one that you found added some more context to the world. They weren’t too difficult to find (I think this is the first game ever that I found them all by myself) and they encouraged exploration which, to me, is the highlight of the game. Exploration, rewarded with story, which then encourages more exploration is a dream game loop for me and it was executed to perfection.

+ The Level Design

This game felt like a living and breathing city. I explained a lot of why it works in the Aesthetic and Controls sections above, but I want to give a shout out to the open world areas. I expected more of a linear game so arriving in the slums was a huge surprise. There is lots of exploring to be done and the entire level makes sense. It is unique, lived in, full of character, easy to maneuver and not too big to be overwhelming. And the same can be said for every other open world section in the game. There are nooks and crannies that you can only access due to being a cat. At first it can take a while to get used to the fact that bars aren’t a wall, you can walk through them or jump over them. It keeps things unusual and interesting. A different perspective.

+ The Pacing

I really enjoyed the pacing. Although I would have liked even more time in the open world sections, it would probably be to the detriment to the game. When you are ready to move on, the game is separated with chase/stealth/sort of combat sections that also do not feel like they last too long. The game in its entirety is relatively short, and throughout the entire game I was engaged enough to not put it down. 

+ The Surprises

There were things in this game that I did not expect to see at all, but it was all entertaining enough. Obviously this is very vague as to not ruin it, but I think you will know what I mean when you get there.

Overall, this is an awfully sad world with hidden havens dotted around that I couldn’t get enough of exploring. I loved my character and I loved my time with it. I don’t think there are any cheap emotional stabs which is something I always fear in games containing animals, and I couldn’t be happier with the time I spent with this game. In the end, everything in the game made sense and I was very satisfied with the conclusion. The game resonated with me, and not just because of the cat, which I would say is an achievement for ‘that cat game’. Pawsome all around (be grateful. I could have used so many more puns throughout this review).

+ The Protagonist

+ The World Building

+ The Aesthetic

+ The Difficulty

+/- The Controls

+ The Details

+ The Collectibles

+ The Level Design

+ The Pacing

+ The Surprises

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Let’s Chat About – What Remains of Edith Finch

When a game worms its way into your brain as much a What Remains of Edith Finch did there is only one thing you can do. Sit down and hash it out with yourself for half an hour.

This is one of the first Let’s Chat video/podcasts that I made, where I did a deep dive into the story and what it meant to me.

For context, I did a full play through of the game on my Youtube Channel, where I talked a little bit about my thoughts during the credits. This is a follow up from that, after having some time to think and get it all straight in my head.

A fantastic game that I enjoyed more and more the longer that I thought about it.

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