I cannot wait to for the full game to come out. Some notes: - The graphics are quite nice, calming. I like the premise and the art style. - I'd prefer for the keyboard mappings to be configurable - I couldn't figure out how to quit to the main menu or access settings, short of Alt+F4 and relaunching the game
TL;DR: Play this for the story and/or the atmosphere. These are the strongest points of this game, and they ARE strong. Overall, this game earned its money from me. I wish I bought this when it wasn't on a promotion, just because I want the game devs to get more money for how enjoyable an experience this was. Worth every bit of cash. The bad: * the game is not very replayable, though I easily got two run-throughs out of it. I'll let you decide whether it's a good or a bad thing. It was a high-quality experience both times, getting a better ending the second time * the teen drama mentioned in other reviews - it's mostly OK and bearable. The good: * the sense of atmosphere is phenomenal * the game has a conversation mechanic that I've never seen. It's walk-and-talk, you literally pick the conversation options as you walk-and-talk across the landscape with your companion(s). It's quite fluid and a pleasant change from 1-to-1 "freeze the world" convos from Fallout etc. * extra-dimensional shenanigans and horror! What more could you possibly want? I mean it, kinda. This has some Gravity Falls vibes if you've watched that, but with more mature themes and older characters. * haven't expected to say this ever for a 2D adventure game, but the VFX are on-point and very satisfying * the central mystery is pretty cool, and with a plot twist I wasn't quite expecting. * the radio is fairly cool side-mechanic for solving puzzles and backstory exposure. The meh: * there is no ability to run, fast-travel, or otherwise accelerate your journey across the island. Sometimes you'll do a wrong turn, and have to endure long stretches of walking silently with your companions. Even with Syberia, where you CAN run, was annoying in this aspect. * convo replies are timed. You either say your bit, or the options fade away as you choose to say nothing. Might be bad if you can't make up your mind fast enough, or if it reminds you too much of IRL. Might be good if you wanna RP the silent type.
This game might be 12 years old (as of writing this comment), but the story and the concepts of the game world are timeless. I first played it as a demo back in 2002-2004 era, but the game is still great. A New York lawyer, Kate Walker, is sent to out by her firm to finalise the sale of an automaton factory currently owned by the Voralberg family, located in a town called Valadilene in French Alps, . Unfortunately, upon arriving she finds out that the last member of the Voralberg family passed away just before she arrived. The mission appeared to be a failure... Until Kate found out that there is one more, previously unknown member of the Voralberg family. He can finalise the sale, but first he requests that Kate fulfils his wish - his dream of finding the last surviving mammoths, something that he spent his entire life on. Of the game's concepts, the most intriguing one is the idea of automatons. Automatons are devices whose function is not based on electronics or electricity, but on sophisticated clockwork mechanics. This makes them distinct from the mainstream technology, but no less advanced. In fact, sometimes much more advanced than what has been achieved with mainstream technology, as you will find out. At the promo price currently, I definitely recommend buying this game. If you enjoy adventure games, get this one as well, plus the sequel Syberia 2.
