🍁FC🍁Mrs. Princess AuRAWRa tarafından yazılan son incelemeler

I picked up this little gem during the humble bundle ocean sale last summer--and I'm really glad I did. This game isn't just gorgeous to look at, it also has the rare virtue of being well *directed.* All of the action and progression sequences are purposeful and thoughtful, and do massive favors in both showing off the art and making important thematic points: that we're all made of the same stuff; that humanity should honor, preserve, and protect the systems that make life possible (one of which is the ocean); and that we can unlock wisdom and truths older than ourselves if we just take time to be still and listen.

TLDR: Beautiful art style, purposeful direction, fabulous message. Short, but worth buying on sale.

PROS:
- GORGEOUS art style. Slightly polygonal on the main character and its minions, but that contrast reads as intentional against the gorgeous, fluid environments and creature animations and reinforces the themes of the game. The colors are fabulous--you'll want to play this on ultra.
- Simple story and action and rewards thorough exploration. Take deep look at your environment and you'll find shells that count toward an achievement--a strong motivator for completionists like me.
- Strong storytelling even WITHOUT text and dialogue--which is really hard to do. Look at the murals throughout the game and pay attention at the short cut scenes.
- TONS of biodiversity. Most of the creatures are named, but some of the ones in the background aren't. But just like the real ocean, there's life everywhere you turn.
- At the end of the game, you can navigate by chapter to pick up any collectables you missed. Keeps you from having to do a full play through to round it out...but I liked this game enough that I'll probably do a second run!

CONS:
- Short! I'm glad I got this in sale, because it's only about 2 hours of gameplay (3 if you have to go back and round out the achievements).
- Controls are a *little* wonky. DEFINITELY use a controller, and don't try to control the camera with the right stick. You'll just end up looking at your own fins or grinding against a rock wall. Takes some getting used to, but not a huge hindrance.
- No manual save. i didn't experience any data loss on my playthrough because I stopped at what I would consider natural progression points, but there's no indicator of when your game has saved, so if you tend to get interrupted a lot, this may be an issue for you.

If you're looking for a gorgeous, atmospheric zen game, this one's for you!

I bought this game as a part of the Humble Bundle last summer, looking for something atmospheric and water-related to get in the summer mood. If you like sea creatures, conservation, and collection-based games (and I do!) this one is for you.

TLDR: Beautiful game, zen ocean vibes, fabulous message and educational payout, but shorter than expected. Get it when it's on sale.

PROs:
- Beautiful, diverse, atmospheric environments and accurate, well-styled animations. You see coastal, open ocean, and deep ocean biomes and the animal animations feel really authentic.
- Simple mechanics and easy-to-follow story--great when you're craving some zen or winding down.
- Conservation-focused. There are excerpts from the Blue Planet II documentary that are both informative and a nice break from the "scan all the things" gameplay. The story also provides valuable insight to how scientists observe, track, and measure the health of the ocean. This would be a fabulous choice for any young ocean lovers in your family (or part time mermaids like me).

CONS:
- Short! I finished this game in about 4 hours--I was expecting a little more from the gameplay and story, which I didn't get, but given what this game ended up being, this was the right length. Any more and I think it would have been too repetitive to finish.
- Some small rendering issues, mainly some groups of animals being stuck in terrain.
- "Biodiversity." I expected to see more animals. We get a good smattering of fish, mammals, and sharks, but I found myself wishing there were more unique finds, and a more robust library of critters to scan.

Alan Wake is Twin Peaks + Wayward Pines meets Stephen King--and I loved it. As a writer, I appreciated the meta commentary about creativity and creation: I think every artist feels like they create to deliver themselves from darkness (internal and external), and I've never encountered a creative work that has captured that battle as vividly and convincingly as this game. The writing is incredible from the plot, character, setting, and thematic perspectives. The subtext is both literal and figurative at the same time, and that takes a real master to pull off. For fans of Stephen King, there are Easter eggs galore--that even by their inclusion reinforce the metaphor of artist as light bringer, and the concept that artists are a part of an ecosystem of past and future works.

Normally I'm not a fan of the over-the-shoulder POV in a game that involves having to aim, but these controls were really smooth. I also appreciated that all of the enemies were technically killable--I'm not one of those people that likes to run away from things forever, and I like my safe spaces to actually be *safe* in horror games, and that was true here. I dig findables, and this game has a ton of them. I'm a completionist who will comb every inch of every map looking for goodies, and those tendencies were rewarded handsomely with more story and thematic context.

This game delivers on every single one of its promises and is easily one of the best games I've ever played. If you're looking for a kick-ass, story-driven, thought-provoking RPG that, despite it's age, holds up in the beauty department, this game is for you.