During a recent rush of demonstrations, I couldn’t resist trying out Hiding Spot’s Beacon Pines because of its eye-catching appearance. Despite the game’s attractive and colourful exterior, the creators are upfront in saying that it is not intended for children. And although that is true, I’d say that it unquestionably qualifies as a “young adult” or “teen” story. No offence intended, but prospective buyers should be aware of what they’re getting into because Beacon Pines only offers one course at first and sometimes falls short of setting high expectations.
Meet Luka, an adorable anthropomorphic middle schooler who recently lost both his parents. Despite his difficult circumstances, he manages to preserve a remarkable amount of perseverance, bravery, wonder, and all-around likeability with the help of a close friend and his grandmother. He resides in—you guessed it—Beacon Pines, a sleepy community tucked away in the woods that once thrived thanks to Sharper Valentine’s vision and ingenuity. Sharper, who invented a revolutionary fertiliser, tragically perished during a catastrophic event known as the Foul Harvest, where those repercussions were horrible and irrevocable. Beacon Pines struggles to remain afloat because many of its residents have left in pursuit of better opportunities.
While the Valentine family works to restore and preserve its legacy, Beacon Pines has piqued the interest of a company by the name of Perennial Harvest. But when Luka goes exploring in the woods and finds a long-abandoned building that is now bustling with activity and glowing sinisterly, something is wrong. As fate would have it, Luka is shortly abducted and disappears forever. The end.
Beacon Pines’ main hook for gameplay is that. When the plot has a sad ending, the narrator—who is excellent, by the way—chimes in to convey his or her sorrow and gives the player—that would be you—the chance to insert an alternative word in a crucial place in the text. This word completely alters the narrative and either propel the ongoing plot forward or forges a brand-new route. The narrative repeatedly emphasises that it is a story about change. I thought, “This is a choices matter game!” with wide eyes and excitement. I adore those.
As linear as it gets is Beacon Pines. Although continuity problems and the amount of work that may be required undoubtedly appeared unreasonable, I have a sneaky notion the developers tried to make a non-linear journey. Which, I believe, is OK. Although linearity isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the game almost brags that players have control over how the plot develops. Not us. Nevertheless, altering the past is entertaining, and it’s almost always fascinating to observe how a single phrase can have such a profound impact.
Players can explore the isometric, diorama-style village on foot while observing their surroundings, conversing with locals, and retracing their steps (most of the time). Off-the-beaten-path exploration and visiting locations that the game doesn’t want players to visit don’t have any noteworthy results. I looked for entertaining Easter eggs or secrets, but I couldn’t discover any. When conversing with others and clicking on the surroundings when necessary speech bubbles appear, and players sporadically come across new words (such as “sneak” or “shame”). The narrator once more welcomes the players and offers a change in ending, whether it be in the current thread or a branch somewhere earlier, when that story thread with fresh words comes to an end.
The game’s characters don’t know any different, but you do in order to follow the plot.
Beacon Pines feels almost entirely on rails, so there isn’t much gameplay, but the narrative is actually well-told. I was immediately taken aback by the way some characters spoke, especially Luka’s father. Several delicate phrases can convey a lot of depth and significance, but this decreases over time. Soon after the beginning, the authors attempt to push the plot along at full speed without much character growth or intellectual intrigue. The main plot is all that matters in this intriguing mystery. Although it’s not strictly a drawback, prospective purchasers should be aware of what they’re receiving.
Some readers might think Beacon Pines moves a little too slowly, but there are enough hints and fresh ideas that I never got bored. I never became overly eager though at the same time. Instead, I found myself slightly entertained and intrigued for most of the game. Once more, this is more of a consideration than a hard critique. The writing, though, felt very hurried toward the game’s conclusion. The characters’ irrational acts were at odds with their previous actions, and there was no shortage of exposition. The resolution was satisfactory, but because the emphasis turned away from the people, I missed a few poignant passages.
My interest was retained by the excellent presentation from Beacon Pines in terms of both audio and pictures. The characters ambulate nicely and have some individuality, while the artwork is unparalleled in terms of flair. The level of detail in each screen, home, and item on the ground gives this world life without detracting from its cartoonish feel. Almost every single song, whether it was paired with a tense or emotionally compelling situation, was fantastic. As has already been said, the game’s narrator, Kirsten Mize, does a fantastic job of reading aloud from the text and interacting with the player. Her performance in this video game is among the best I’ve ever heard. Because it doesn’t try to be more than it needs to be, Beacon Pines is a unique kind of game. That is, in fact, praise. There are no profound insights into the human condition, no plans to end the world, and no forced gaming; at its core, it is a mystery game about conspiracy and enormous problems
REVIEW : NecroBoy : Path to Evilship (PC)
