![]() ![]() ![]() It’s super chill (except at certain points, which I’ll cover later) and soothing. As one of the few people who actually loved Zelda Breath of the Wild’s soundtrack, Spiritfarer’s was just as enchanting. The soundtrack is just as deceptively fantastic. Remember how old videogames loved giving you seizures? Something similar occurs in this game during specific scenes, such as when you welcome a new character to your boat. And despite being a silent protagonist, Stella dynamically reacts to dialogue, which helps make her feel alive as well. They know that good animation comes down to subtle mannerisms and minute details. Like I said, games done in hand-drawn style are nothing new, but I daresay that Spiritfarer has phenomenal animation. What really surprised me was the animation. The character design is fantastic, with every person having a unique and creative look. The colors are striking and vibrant, with beautiful lighting effects. However, you can’t truly appreciate Spiritfarer’s visuals without actually playing the darn thing, and lemme tell you… this ended up being one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever looked at. Indie games with hand-drawn art styles are nothing new, and this one looks no better than an American graphic novel (and if you’ve read my review of The Witch Boy, you’ll know how much I don’t care for that artstyle). For reasons I’ll get to throughout the review, the gameplay and story rely on how the game looks and sounds.Īt a glance, Spiritfarer seems just alright visually. However, because of how Spiritfarer is, I’m actually going to discuss it in reverse, mostly because I want you to writhe in suspense over whether or not I-as the heartless machine I am-cried over the game’s story. Normally, I discuss story, gameplay, and audio-visuals in that order. When they’re ready, she is to take them to the Everdoor, where they will finally join Prince in the afterworld, a place of never-ending happiness, where the sun shines both day and night. Their task is to find any spirit who isn’t ready to pass on and help them to pass on (which, in terms of gameplay, is to spoil them rotten until they’re happy). Stella, and her cat Daffodil, are given Everlights, which make them the new Spiritfarers. This creepy hooded guy named Charon looms above her, and says that he’s retiring from his job as the Spiritfarer. In Spiritfarer, a girl named Stella suddenly awakens in the River Styx (or something). Well, that and the fact that you get to construct a cool boat in it. Basically, the crux of this long-winded preface is me thinking “What if it’s because I’m not playing these games myself? What if I need to be the one moving the character and pushing the buttons and looking at them from my own TV?” This is what’s led me to trying one of the latest emotional indie games, Spiritfarer. And honestly, it does kind of make me self-deprecate when I’m literally watching people break down in sobs and I… don’t. While those games definitely presented themselves really well, I never cried over them. I’ve watched people play a lot of the aforementioned titles, mostly from StephenPlays and his wife, Mal. ![]() From Journey, to What Remains of Edith Finch, Gris, and more, a lot of these are highly acclaimed and have brought tons of gamers to tears. Of course, indie games are just as well known for being more “video” than “game” as in, they fall into the realm of artistic and emotional experiences that have definitely turned the meaning of the word “videogame” on its head. I’ve definitely been getting a bit more into indie games lately (mostly because they’re relatively cheap), but most of the ones I’ve played are very much in the raw gameplay category.
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