Game news Journey, Spiritfarer, Bound … Poetic games not to be missed

Journey

We start this list with the obvious: Journey! First released in 2012 on PlayStation 3, thatgamecompany’s title left no one behind by unveiling one of our favorite media’s most beautiful journeys. From earth to sky, from birth to death, Journey offers a simply unforgettable initiatory journey where our nameless character, covered with a red veil, moves with ease in desert environments to die for. To be honest, this major video game production continuously aspires to deliver a feeling of fullness and it is for this reason that it has inspired many titles. Among them, we find the productions of Matt Nava (Abzû and The Pathless) or that of Jonas Manke, the creator of Omno.

Ico

In 2002, Fumito Ueda, offers players to share the journey of a young boy and a female entity who responds to the sweet name of Yorda. These two complementary beings are obviously the heroes of Ico, a game that will have seduced us with its exotic landscapes and its mysterious atmosphere. Thanks to Ico’s critical success, Fumito Ueda delivered the cutlery four years later to offer the player another timeless journey which, as a reminder, was entitled to a quality remake in 2018. We are obviously referring to Shadow here. of the Colossus, an adventure game that invites you to evolve in a dreamlike world alongside Wanda and Argo, his faithful steed, to face sixteen imposing colossi and thus wake up your loved one.

Rhyme

The world of video games, more and more mature, has allowed itself for some time now to talk about more difficult subjects … This is particularly the case with Rime, who makes mourning his main subject. From denial to acceptance, our young hero, stranded on a desert island, will have to face all the stages of this difficult and obligatory passage of life by surpassing himself and solving many puzzles. Note that the production of Tequila Works is not the only one to address the subject of mourning, since Concrete Genie, the game from Sony and Pixelopus, or even Gris, the creation by Nomada Studio, also offers players to spend this moment painful very gently.

Spiritfarer

Two years later, in 2020, it’s ThunderLotus’ turn to dwell on the taboo subject of death with the excellent Spiritfarer. This time around, the player takes on the role of the young soul ferryman Stella who, as you might expect, must lead souls to a more serene world while pampering them and ensuring that their last wishes are of course carried out. Under its air of adventure game, Spiritfarer also offers a management part, and this is perhaps what allows it to stand out from the crowd. This dimension allows players to build a small town made up of course of individual rooms, but also of a beautiful kitchen, a sawmill and small farms.

Sayonara Wild Hearts

In Sayonara Wild Hearts, the player plays a young woman with a broken heart who, to fight her own demons, lets herself fall into a parallel world where a gang of female bikers in teddy bears come straight from the 1950s. Presented as an interactive pop album by its creators, Sayonara Wild Hearts allows players to travel in a dreamlike and rhythmic experience which mixes the codes of the world of cinema with that of music and of course video games. To top it off, Simogo’s production also pays tribute to a whole section of the gaming world. From Tetris to OutRun, the arcade world is constantly brought to the fore.

Bound

After the music, Bound, this time pays tribute to dance. Released on PlayStation 4 on August 16, 2016, Bound, the creation of Plastic Studios, offers players the role of a young dancer who evolves in a minimalist and restful world. But unfortunately, the latter gradually sinks into darkness. Far from being harmless, this world obviously echoes the state of health of the heroine who tries somehow to cling to her memories. In addition to its touching history, Bound is sublimated by its unique gameplay. To progress, the player must jump from platform to platform and avoid many traps while performing magnificent acrobatics inspired by both classical and contemporary dance.

Arise : A Simple Story

On December 3, 2019, Piccolo Studio, along with Techland Publishing, delivers Arise: A Simple Story on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This particularly touching title invites you to browse one by one the idyllic memories of an old man now lying on his deathbed. From a snowy landscape to gloomy caves passing through colorful and shimmering environments, this love story strewn with pitfalls never ceases to make you travel. Your objective is obviously to find buried memories and to do this, our hero, who has the power to go back in time, will have to solve many puzzles.

The Unfinished Swan

Before giving birth to the excellent What Remains of Edith Finch, Giant Sparrow, once supported by Sony, had delivered The Unfinished Swan, a powerful title which, against all odds, offers players to evolve in an all-white world. Yes … all white! Fortunately, you will be able to give it colors again, since a young boy armed with a bottomless paint pot will be able, using his brush, to throw ink on the right as well as on the left. Little by little, this kingdom made entirely of white will come to life before your eyes. It is also thanks to this astonishing proposal that the production released for the first time in 2012 remains in memory years later. If you haven’t, we advise you only one thing, to try it.

Unravel

Under its independent label EA Originals, Electronic Arts has offered players a number of successful titles, among them we find Sea of ​​Solitude, Fe and Unravel. Of the three, it is obviously the latter that appealed to us the most. Indeed, the game from Coldwood Interactive offers to play a little woolen man named Yarny. Lost in the middle of an old house, Yarny will have to progress in a universe far too big for him by creating, using his wool, rope bridges and pendulums. These abilities constantly playing with physics obviously allow you to pass chasms and solve many puzzles. If you like 2D platform games with amazing concepts, we also advise you to turn to the PlayDead creations, namely Limbo and the inevitable Inside.

Behind The Frame : The Finest Scenery

We end with the novelty of the moment: Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery. Although short (the title does not last more than two hours), the work of Taiwanese studio Silver Lining gives players a pleasant feeling by putting it in the skin of a young painter. In this relaxing production sprinkled with hand-drawn and beautifully animated scenes, the player interferes in the daily life of this young woman whose only company is a quiet neighbor, a beautiful ginger cat and tons of paintbrushes. The objective here is therefore to solve small puzzles, but also to guide the hand of this artist to color magnificent paintings. Everything has been available on Steam for only a few days and is sold at a low price.