In many cases, I have faced some pretty similar, yet a tad less fanciful decisions in my life. Even the fry cook that invited you to a seance. There wasn’t a single line of dialogue that didn’t seem plausible. The characters and the various struggles they go through with one another is just so real. Do I make choices based on how I think that character would make them? Or, do I make choices as I would make them being the character? I almost always go with the latter, and doing so worked great here. Be sure to talk to her as much as possible because she has some absolutely hilarious things to say along the way.Įvery single time I play a game where choice is a huge factor, I always have to fight with myself on how I should play. She certainly had her part to play, which is developed deeper as the story nears conclusion, but her best moments are those of levity. The interesting thing is just how many lines of dialogue she had when she wasn’t really a key cog in the main story. One that provides comedic relief in one set of dialogue, but also has wisdom well beyond anyone else in the story in another. Maddy Virginia: In story-oriented games, you absolutely have to have a Maddy Virginia. Her sturdiness and willful soul helped to pull the most out of all of the characters you’ll come across. As much as Whit is the main character, Rene is the spark that sets all important story beats in motion. Their shared struggles and personal triumphs drove this story home. Just the way the two would interact and grow together is my wife and I to a T. I think I attached to Whit and Rene’s relationship so much since it was a close reflection to the relationship I have with my wife. The character is the perfect inflection point for family drama which we’ve all experienced to some extent in our real lives. The writers so succinctly crafted him to be the “hurdle” character since he is the school-hating artist with some serious mommy and daddy issues. There is always that struggle between acting as a brother and giving him some tough brotherly love when needed but also to live out childhood dreams with him. Sege: It’s kind of a cop-out since Sege is your brother, but the growth between Sege and Whit is perfect. Of the 10+ characters, there are three key characters that absolutely deserve a spotlight. The only thing better than how well the characters were written, is just how well they interact with one another. Each character had a real part in that section of the story, and choices made within that section often carried to others. Coming from a small town, there were certainly parallels to people in my actual hometown. Throughout your 12+ hours, you’ll run across a large number of characters, and they are all so expertly crafted. Just an issue that would see your character sort of having to run around an NPC to trigger the conversation. Sometimes it was hard to trigger the indicator to begin speaking with characters. The only other navigation issue I found was when trying to initiate a conversation with NPCs. Luckily, the speed at which the player moves makes this a tiny (tiny!) complaint. There were a few times where the foreground elements obscure the player’s view and makes traversing an area slightly cumbersome. It never stood out on its own, but always worked to elevate the scene instead of detract from it. The orchestral soundtrack also did well to perfectly complement what was going on on-screen. Whether it be towns or the wilderness, every area is filled with life. Having the ability to zoom the camera in and out allows for you to really take it all in. It takes a sort of diorama approach and essentially removes a wall so you can see a cross-cut of the area. Where the graphics are truly gripping is when entering buildings. As you walk by NPCs you hear a sound of shuffling paper. As you build, things animate from the ether and splash down into place. Where The Heart Leads has a real painterly-papery feel to it. The starting sequence, while introducing the systems, does a huge disservice to just how deep and interconnected each decision is to the overarching narrative. This is where you will get your first taste of decision making in Where The Heart Leads It’s a pretty lite version to get you acquainted with the few systems that will carry you through the game. A sinkhole swallows up the family dog, and you must make a decision as to how to save him. There is no doubt that there has been an influx of narrative-based games, and great ones at that, but Where The Heart Leads effortlessly pieces together its weaving narrative. Where The Heart Leads is a narrative adventure unlike any other I’ve played through.
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