I debated buying this game for an extremely long time because the premise sounded amazing, but I generally don't like "narrative" games. I like GAME, games. And exactly what I was afraid this game would be, it is. This game, like many "narrative adventure games" dresses itself in the trappings of being an actual adventure game. But in reality, you have VERY little choice and VERY little ability to interact. The premise of the game is phenomenal: You are on a quest to kill a princess. But the quest was given to you by someone who lacks candor, the the princess is said to be a liar and a deceiver. In short, you don't know WHAT to believe. What will you do? It doesn't matter, because this premise is thrown out the window in about 45 seconds in order to tell an existential surrealist narrative that doesn't really have anything to do with the premise. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE surrealism. And there are a lot of amazing surrealist gems in this script. But with the game so quickly abandoning the very concept of "characters", "setting" and even "having a point", I quickly became bored and was playing just to justify the money I spent. If you do buy this, you're buying it for better-than-average surrealist poetry and some occasionally good art. That's about it, in my opinion.
Within the first few hours of playing Thimbleweed Park, which lasts about a dozen hours on hard mode, I found myself feeling as though I was playing a new "classic" game. I expected the game to be pixel art, but I did not expect it to also be beautiful. The game definitely sells the concept that it's pixel based art style is a choice and not a limitation. I have seen many reviews saying that the game lacks a story. I feel like this isn't quite true. The game has a very compelling story that kept me engaged and propelled throughout the game's length. What the game does NOT have is a great deal of exposition. As with the best adventure games, the locus of the power in the story is with the player. It is up to YOU to figure out the clues and piece together what is going on. This is necessary because the game is largely non-linear. You can complete the puzzles and explore the town at your own discretion. (The power rests with YOU to propel the narrative.) I've also seen many complaints about the game's ultimate story. These are valid and to some extent I share them. But one has to remember that Thimbleweed Park is based on Twin Peaks. The core conceit of Twin Peaks is that the murder isn't the point. Thimbleweed Park DOES offer a conclusion to it's murder storyline, but just like Twin Peaks, it segues that mystery into a "Second season" that goes beyond the murder. And boy does it go beyond the murder. Ultimately, Thimbleweed park is a BLAST to play. And for me, that's the only thing that matters. The fun and engaging story is just icing on the cake. Any complaints are ancillary to the fact that you absolutely SHOULD play this new classic adventure game.
