A New Beginning: Final Cut

The game is very well done. The story makes sense, the graphics are pretty decent, and the puzzles are logical. You shouldn't try to rush through this game: there will often be times where you just sit back, and watch the cinematic, and times where characters get a little chatty. I had concerns based on other reviews that the game might be a bit buggy, but after having played the first 4 chapters I've only had one crash, and nothing was lost. The only imperfection I could think of would be that you really have to scan the screen for items as the ones that are purely decorative may look just like the usable ones.

The controls are a bit wonky but the look of the game is unusual and the story intriguing enough. I'll give it a good try.

I played through the game a while about half year ago. It sat for months in my library and I decided to finally give it a try, since I had good experiences with Deadalic games before. Since the main idea of the plot revolves around the destruction of our ecosystem, I wen't in expecting a very preachy story. But to my suprise the game didn't go this route, atleast not as much as I had expected. (Not to say the game is wothout though) The whole way through the game I wanted to know how the story will continue, what will happen next. And when the credits were rolling down my screen I felt very glad for finally picking up this game. The backgrounds look great an the graphics style is appealing. Atleast the german voice acting was very good too, although I heard that the english voices were a bit of a let down. Another great thing is the exceptional Soundtrack, that really delivers the emotions. Many tracks evoke a melancholic feeling and really fit the scenes. Though for all the great things there is ofcourse a reason this is only a 4/5 rating. The game (I played the Humble Bundle version) was extremly unstable at launch and had some technical problems. Most of them got fixed with the Final Cut, but the game crashed 2-3 times for me. Some of the comic-style cutscene panels were in the wrong language, while the audio was correct. Though this only happened very rarely I think it is worth mentioning. The characters are not as great as the story itself, but not really a letdown either. I personally liked the male protagonist, but I really disliked the female counter-part at the beginning. Although I changed my opinion later down the line, she is not my favourite. The puzzles a bit of a mixed bag. Some were a bit far fetched and I encountered a bug in one of them. I have seen worse in other games, they are not the highlight though. In the end I can only say that I really enjoyed my journey and I would recommend, giving this game a try. =)

I'm a longtime GOG customer, having purchased and played 50+ games here, but this is actually the first review I've written for the site. I'm doing it because I found this game genuinely touching and encouraging, and I want it to get its due attention. Let me first say what you've probably read in other reviews, which is that (despite my rating) this is by no means a perfect or even near perfect game. It has many clear flaws, including a clunky interface, a poor English translation, uneven voice over work, choppy animation and some cliche story elements and plot holes. But trust me when I say you won't remember any of that after playing this game. What you will remember is a truly gripping, affecting and thoughtful gaming experience that just isn't that common these days. The environmental theme provides possibly the most high stakes scenario currently in existence, and while the game does lapse into preachiness on occasion, this is a serious problem that I frankly believe we don't do enough preaching about given the potential consequences. It's refreshing to see a game take up that mantle. The characters are fleshed out, nuanced and memorable. The scientist Bent Svennson is particularly fascinating, as he grapples with perceived failures in his life's work, in maintaining his family amid the tragic loss of his wife, and with the burden of the world being suddenly placed on his shoulders after so many years. The puzzles are truly inventive and challenging, without zany adventure-game leaps of logic that would be sorely out of place. And the ending manages to be cautiously optimistic instead of either bleak or maudlin. I play a lot of adventure games, and while this one isn't as technically accomplished as some of the heavy hitters, I can say unequivocally that I will remember it for just as long. If you love the genre, plus good storytelling with a message, you owe it to yourself to give this game a shot.

The New Beginning is a very good adventure game overall. Great visuals and a very creative use of graphics. Interesting story and good puzzles that fit within the flow of the story. I had a couple of problems with it, though. One is that the game was apparently written in Norwegian and the English translation was sometimes awkward. Another is that many of the characters were exceedingly mean, especially towards Fay, one of the main characters. Fay's passivity in the face of abusive language was frustrating.