REVIEW : Inked: A Tale of Love (PS5)
Inked: A Tale of Love is a short, casual game that tells a simple love story in a beautiful, literal, and metaphorical way. We are introduced to this fascinating world created by Adam, the game’s comic book artist, through the life of a Nameless Hero and his loyalty to Aiko, his lost love. We see the Nameless Hero’s love triumph over all difficulties, eventually bringing both protagonist and creator together on an extraordinary trip that we get to participate in actively. The narrative-driven game is a soothing experience that feels personal to one’s life journey; Simultaneously, its puzzles are inventive, the story message is unmistakable, and while not necessarily life-changing, the narrative-driven game is a pleasant experience that feels personal to one’s life journey.
The Nameless Hero is a valiant ronin who fights with a brush. Inked is set in a hand-drawn world, with our hero wielding the capacity to make shapes and move objects with a swish of his brush, and our narrator slash artist Adam is the one who puts hurdles and solutions in our warrior’s way. The game’s approach to conveying an idea is incredibly unique and profound, even if it may not appear so at first, because it is narrative-driven, with Adam working with and against our hero. Inked begins with a simple premise in which the story feels like a throwaway to give the game a reason to exist; but, by the middle of the game, it appears that the game exists because of the story.
Logical and Delightful Puzzles
Our Nameless Hero, armed with our brush and the ability to modify items with it, can overcome the barriers in his road by finding out how to use his powers to construct a path forward. These obstacles come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each with its own set of restrictions, such as our hero’s ability to walk on them, pick them up and spin them, or push and pull them, to mention a few. The game will teach you what each form can do, but it’s up to you to figure out where to put them, how to time your placements effectively, and how to use your knowledge to pave the way for your hero to cross.
There is almost no hand-holding in this game. Therefore it might be said that Inked doesn’t need much training. It’s not difficult to move our Nameless Hero – there are just a few buttons to push, and the game gradually introduces each unique challenge; as long as you don’t leave the game down for too long, you won’t need a refresher. The actual problem is thinking about what objects to move and what to do next to go on to the next area. Though it starts easy (which raises your confidence), your run becomes more extended, and the puzzles become more challenging to solve. Still, like with other games, you have to keep going and figure out the proper sequence of actions.
It’s not difficult to pick up the controls, but keeping our hero in charge throughout the game has been a challenge. There are times when it is clear what our protagonist needs to do and where they need to go; however, there are times when they are unable to cross a narrow walkway… only to discover you approached it from the wrong angle as our hero runs across with ease after you make that minor, unintentional adjustment. Even while the puzzles are a lot of fun to accomplish, having that one miscalculation throw off your time can put a damper on your mood.
Inked is an exceptional game simply because of its graphics. The artwork creates an incredible atmosphere for us to experience in a short amount of time. The game is relatively peaceful and easy to navigate, with its calm narrative, fast animation, and plain backdrop not consisting of many distinct colours. The path our hero must walk is laid out for us, and the lack of bright colours contributes to the serene atmosphere that our protagonist exudes.
REVIEW : Life is Strange: True Colors (PC)
