I loved the classics, but even Super Mario Bros. couldn't keep me engaged forever. No, what really drew me into gaming were the stories waiting to be told. I was already into books back then, and when Final Fantasy 7 came along, it was my first real RPG.
It was and still is an epic story, but there's also a lot of gameplay. You can follow the story well enough, even through busting your brain on how to beat the Materia Keeper, the Demon's Gate, and that robot-thingy down by the submarine.
But what if you, quite simply, remove the gameplay and focus only on the story?
It sounds silly to a gamer like me, but this concept brought us narrative games like Rue Valley, which I had the pleasure of playing recently. I honestly didn't think I'd enjoy a game with so little gameplay, but as a lover of great stories, I should probably have known better.
It's a game about a person who went to therapy in the desert, but instead got stuck in a timeloop. Now, taking Eugene Harrow's place, it's up to you to help face his inner demons and confront his messy past, all while trying to escape the 47-minute loop.
It's all about the story. There are no quick-time events, no gliders or health potions, no committing grand theft auto. Well, actually, scratch that last part... but still, you listen to voice lines and read for the vast majority of your time in the game.
The height of the gameplay is deciding which way to walk, what to click on, and how to respond to dialogue. It's basically an interactive book. Kinda like those old choose-your-own-adventure books that we so dang cool.
It's a whole different side of gaming, one I'd never really explored before now, but I think it's fair to say that Rue Valley does the genre a lot of justice. It shows that heavy themes can be handled gracefully and that you don't need fast-paced action gameplay when you have a strong enough story. You also don't need full 3D graphics with the latest in space-age gigapixel resolution madness.
But then, Rue Valley has a beautiful art style. It looks like a comic book come to life, and it somehow fits the themes at play perfectly. No superheroes here, only tired, heartbroken, defeated humans.
But everything would fall apart if the story weren't so well crafted, where even the most mundane things are painted in an interesting light. The passion behind the game is on full display in the delightful writing, dialogue, and art style, and there are some really powerful moments in this game.
There's also this oppressive sadness throughout the whole game, not overwhelming, but it's there. Themes of death and the afterlife follow you all the way through, and it just feels like more than just a simple story. It's almost like looking into a mirror of sorts, and facing much of what modern life throws at us - and yes, the fear of being replaced by AI features, as well.
It's all wrapped up in such a well-crafted package that I'd advise most people to play this game at least once. If you have any sort of love for deep stories with hidden meanings that present the opportunity for deep thought, you simply can't miss this one.
In the end, Rue Valley showed me this other side of gaming, and while I never thought I'd enjoy narrative games, it has left me wanting more.
So, over to you, Destructoid. Which narrative title that I've been keenly ignoring should I play next?
The post A genre I never thought I’d play now has me wanting more, all because of this one game appeared first on Destructoid.
