Have you ever wondered if a simple decision you made in the past had drastically altered whom you’ve become today? If you have, you’re not the only one, as the creative minds at Armature Studio LLC have cooked up a complex storytelling experience with Where The Heart Leads. This Indie Playstation game contains multiple endings and are all dependent on the choices dictated by the player. A perfect example of the butterfly effect as every decision, no matter how small, affects the outcome of the story. Just remember, that even the best intentions can lead to a rabbit hole of consequences.
The main protagonist of Where The Heart Leads is Whit Anderson, a classic nuclear family man who is doing his best for what he believes is right and how to support his loved ones. Players will be able to decide the path of his life and if their choices really lead him into happiness. As with any family, Whit’s is complicated, and he is usually the middleman in helping resolve burgeoning tense relationship between his father and brother. The town is also filled with eccentric people whose interactions with the Andersons all play a key role in their past, present, and future. With so many relationships and choices to make, it is highly unlikely that two players can play the same exact story.
To continue with the strange dreamy atmosphere Whit finds himself in while reminiscing, the unique art style and melancholy soundtrack assuredly set the mood and atmosphere. The camera and perspective are usually quite far away from Whit and the zoom in does not get very close. Some areas on the farm or near the town of Carthage would benefit from a closer zoom in to see details better. However, the full zoomed out angle does show the great amount of planning that composes the world of Where The Heart Leads. This can be seen especially when the seasons change or when there are time jumps and players can see how much the town has altered.
This narrative adventure is at times a bit slow where scenes tend to drag on. There is a lot of reading and instead of having gamers rely on quick instincts to play, personal experiences and intuition is what is needed. It’s a bit ironic as many players tend to play games to avoid the everyday stressors of life, but instead, this game has players going into someone else’s. Where the Heart Leads will certainly have you reflecting your own life and personal experiences. For some, this may open some old wounds, especially if troubling aspects of Whit’s story hit too close to home. While for others, this can be cathartic as they can evaluate their own past or possible future decisions. This game just goes to show how unpredictable life is and even with best amount of planning, there will always be roadblocks and hiccups along the way.
PROS: Can replay multiple times with different outcomes, great music and art style.
CONS: The pace can be a bit too slow, The camera angle feels like it’s too far away, despite zooming in more, can stir up uncomfortable memories of one’s own experiences in life.
Check Out Where The Heart Leads Trailer:
For more information, visit: http://armature.com/games/where-the-heart-leads
Video games have always been a huge influence in my life and have definitely shaped me to who I am today . Some of my best memories growing up were the many adventures and stories I was able to experience and become immersed in. If my hands aren't either covered in clay, typing, editing, creating, or helping shoving food in my mouth, they would either be gripped to a controller, tapping away at the screen of my phone, or clicking away on my PC. I am always up for trying something new because why live just one life when you can live many.
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