The end result is Whit at the bottom of this crevice and taking a stroll down memory lane. The logical solution is to hook a bathtub to a crane lift and lower yourself down. In any case, a giant hole opens up in your yard and your dog finds his way down it. The game kicks off with a storm, or earthquake, or land sink. It is these key relationships, and a handful of choices made, that dictate where the heart leads. I say “somewhat” because most choices seem to be, “act like a jerk” or, “be caring”. You see the relationships he has with his parents, brother, and his girlfriend while you get to somewhat guide his demeanor and outlook on key moments. You follow key moments of his childhood, teenage years, and young adulthood as he starts his own family. It is his journey and his memories that you are unraveling. Honestly, I preferred unraveling Mayo’s story more so than Whit’s. I felt like I was playing a slow, very slow, very very slow version of My Name is Mayo. With no talking and no natural ambient sounds, sound was little more background dressing.įinally, Where the Heart Leads is less “game” and more “isometric visual novel”.
#WHERE THE HEART LEADS REVIEWS PATCH#
A patch helped make the text bubble bigger, but it would still shrink in size the further the camera was from the talking person. The issue is even on a bigger TV, the text was so tiny, I had trouble reading it. Dialog is done graphically, with text bubbles. I hate this part… when you play a game you were intrigued by, from a studio you respect, and just not enjoy a single moment of it. While it isn’t complex, and mostly slightly distorted diorama pieces created in Dreams, it does a good job making everything feel ethereal and has a fragile surreality.įin. The art style is simple and has a watercolor or pastel feel. It is told in a unique way as you explore through levels of memories. My only worry is the potential bug I found may not be the only one, so I hope your experience was not ruined like mine.Let me lead with the good, Where the Heart Leads is a relaxing, intriguing, and emotional tale. This speaks volumes about how much I enjoyed the game, so it's an easy recommendation for those who value story above all else. Overall, WTHL is a game I'm very disappointed not to be able finish. This experience may have been unique to me so I'm not going to lambast the game completely for it, but it has prevented me completing an otherwise 4/5 star game. I may be missing something stupidly obvious, but the game does this a few times occasionally, leaving you adrift to figure things out. I went up to said sculptures and nothing would happen - no prompt or indication, no clue from other characters and despite extensive exploration and looking online, no solution could be found. In one mid-section of the game I was required to take down some sculptures. Now I talk about the specific problem I had. Some sections of the game did drag on a bit much, though. This is something I am careful not to spoil so it's tricky to review in a game where narrative is key.
I really enjoyed getting to know Whit's background and the development of him and other characters, influenced by your decisions. The story of WTHL is the core of the game and what you will remember. This may not be everyone's cup of tea but the story can really be compelling so I recommend it on that basis.
What we do see is the ability to make choices ala Life is Strange.
The gameplay here is only there to communicate the story. There's no jumping, fighting or much action other than that. Gameplay involves exploring your environment and interacting with objects and people. Some may argue there is almost no gameplay here and depending on how you define gameplay, then you could be right. The gameplay of WTHL makes for an interesting discussion. Other than that, the camera angles and lack of detail occasionally makes it tricky to traverse some areas but with the familiarity you build up this issue gets resolved quickly. This had me scratching my head at first but then became something I appreciated as it really places the emphasis on your character being central to the story. One key facet is that only your character is drawn and animated properly, while the rest of the cast takes on a ghostly ethereal appearance. They are not overly detailed or jaw-dropping, but they convey what the game is trying to achieve well. Unfortunately a critical flaw in the game design caused a score lower than I wanted to give it, but I must use my own experience since it's my review. Unfortunately a critical Where The Heart Leads (WTHL) is potentially an excellent hidden gem, so obscure that I came across it by accident. Where The Heart Leads (WTHL) is potentially an excellent hidden gem, so obscure that I came across it by accident.
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