Rue Valley developed by Emotion Spark Study and published by Owlcat Games is a psychological point and click almost puzzle adventure that makes players think about how they interact with the world around them. This game relies heavily on it’s the strength of its narrative to grab the attention of the player and so far in the demo it works really well. Aside from that, the comic book styled art direction is appealing as it fits this darker atmosphere the developers have developed. As for these fits into the gameplay is that the game can be pretty serious and is a focus on a person’s mental health through the lens of this game. Overall, the demo leaves some great first impressions and lulls the player into the world itself.
The game’s narrative is gripping and after the first initial 5 minutes it hooks the player by focusing on certain key aspects psychology. These psychological aspects stem from personality traits and can define the difficulty of the game at the start which is such a unique take on how difficult the game can be. Moreover, these negative traits can be seen in real life and allows players who are unfamiliar with the concepts to be more knowledgeable. As for the use of psychology in game can be triggering for some people, but handled carefully it will make this a great game. This makes the game a small glimpse into the world of psychology and is heavily implemented into the gameplay.
As for how intertwined gameplay is with the psychological aspects of the game it can be stated that they rely on each other. The psychological aspects of the gameplay come on the form of difficulty where the player is given a set number of stats to choose from to make their character act a certain way or to have certain characteristic traits that can make the game harder in some scenarios. This goes into the choices the player can make during choices such as what to say, act, or think. While this can limit some choices for players which can be frustrating due to the limitations. However, those limitations will be removed over times and is part of the gameplay loop where players have to think of ways on how to improve the main character. The sense of freedom to choose will allow player agency to shine on through. There will also be other segments of the game that can feel like a puzzle and allow the player to solve them.
The comic art style lends credence to overall narrative offering color palettes to dictate a character’s personality based upon their portraits to showcase who they are to the player. This also allows the designers to focus on the visual impact that game needs to show the player what is going on through the environmental story telling. Aside from the environment, character profiles are drawn in such a way that allows players to infer who they are based upon the lighting and facial expression. This is then amplified by the voice acting in the game providing much needed nuances to deepen the player’s connection to the game through the tone and demeanor. Furthermore, this is especially true when characters are trying to express certain emotions that need that extra touch to allow the player to really grasp them, as there are some things that voice acting can do.
While the demo of this game is short, it offers a lot of information to the contents of the game and has a lot of potential. The use of psychological elements is a nice added touch especially with how much seeps into the gameplay, making the game standout amongst the crowd of games available. With this culminating into a unique experience and gameplay loop for the player to enjoy at their leisure. Emotion Spark the developers should be proud as there was a lot of passion and dedication that went into Rue Valley and just from the demo alone, has made me excited for the full release.
A free demo edition of Rue Valley is now available for PC via Steam. For more information, visit X, YouTube, Facebook, and Discord.
Related: Reviews by Kyle Manila
I would describe myself when interacting with games as a strategist with a pension for stealth and loud explosions.
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