Dordogne

[h1]Dordogne[/h1] ☐ Loved it ☑ Liked it ☐ Not for me [b]Weighted rating[/b] out of 5 [h3]3.17[/h3] h2]Summary[/h2] [b]Dordogne[/b] is a gentle narrative adventure about Mimi returning to her late grandmother's house in the French countryside, piecing together fragmented memories of one childhood summer. [b]Best for:[/b] Fans of calm, story-driven games. [b]Skip if:[/b] You want real gameplay challenge or a gripping mystery. It's more an interactive story than a game. [h1]Review[/h1] This game follows an woman that returns to her late grandmother's house. First impression is that the art style is stunning. It consists of water paint aesthetics with some stylized objects around. Can't speak for the French version but the English one has some stellar voice acting. I fell in love with the depth of the characters, and their complicate relationships that [spoiler]aren't truly resolved[/spoiler]. The game treats the player like an adult. The soundtrack is distinct and bit repetitive but never to the degree where it's annoying. I really wanted to love this game. The first play-through was very nice indeed. But going back for the achievements made me really dislike the games' execution. Few things have made me want to rage quit as much. On consecutive play-throughs I could skip some of the cut scenes, but the achievements in this game are hidden behind miles of unskippable dialog and interactions. And I can't alt+tab to let the dialogue just continue without auto-pausing the game... And let me tell you; [spoiler]hunting for sounds in the attic, repairing the kayak, swimming for silverware, and the climbing the hill[/spoiler] for the third time in the hunt for a specific word at the very end is a deeply unpleasant experience. First time with the regular play-through. Second time I discovered that if I travel to far I cannot back up a bit. Third time I got the final word. Never understood why developers want to force-feed people their game through multiple play-throughs. Oh well, now it's uninstalled and I never have to look at this again. [spoiler]You need more paint, sweetie[/spoiler]. Sigh... [h1]Grading[/h1] [h3]Game Design & Game Play[/h3] [b]Core Game Loop[/b] ☐ Magnetic ☐ Engaging ☑ Solid ☐ Repetitive ☐ Tedious [b]Arc & Pacing[/b] ☐ Impeccable ☐ Well-judged ☑ Functional ☐ Uneven ☐ Ruinous [b]Narrative & Thematic Coherence[/b] ☐ Masterful ☑ Compelling ☐ Serviceable ☐ Weak ☐ Incoherent [b]Systems Breadth[/b] ☐ Vast ☐ Broad ☑ Adequate ☐ Sparse ☐ One-dimensional [b]Systems Depth[/b] ☐ Emergent ☐ Deep ☑ Qualified ☐ Exhaustible ☐ One-dimensional [h3]Sensory & Aesthetics[/h3] [b]Art[/b] ☐ Breathtaking ☑ Beautiful ☐ Good ☐ Fair ☐ Poor [b]Sound Design[/b] ☐ Seamless ☑ Immersive ☐ Fitting ☐ Muddy ☐ Grating [b]Soundtrack[/b] ☐ Transcendent ☑ Captivating ☐ Pleasant ☐ Forgettable ☐ Annoying [b]Controls & Interactions[/b] ☐ Intuitive ☐ Attentive ☑ Adequate ☐ Frustrating ☐ Unplayable [h3]Longevity & Value[/h3] [b]Longevity[/b] ☐ Enduring ☐ Substantial ☐ Adequate ☑ Meager ☐ Ephemeral [b]Replayability Structures[/b] ☐ Bottomless ☐ Plentiful ☐ Adequate ☐ Low ☑ None [b]Value Density[/b] (picked up for [b]2,54€[/b]) ☐ Exceptional ☐ Strong ☑ Proportional ☐ Vague ☐ Predatory