REVIEW : This War Of Mine: Final Cut (PS5)
Everyone loses in a conflict, regardless of who declares himself the winner. No, I’m not creating a phrase, and I admit I know where it came from, but few products in the history of electronic games have conveyed this raw reality as well as This War Of Mine, a computer game produced in the past. the distant year of 2014 (and for some others after), and which now, finally, receives a version for the new generation Sony system, in an edition that includes not only the original experience but also its expansions compiled in a single and comprehensive product.
This War of Mine: Final Cut takes place in a world where a fictional country, Graznavia, is undergoing an armed and very violent civil war, recounting a series of episodes that are neither about great heroes, invincible soldiers, or real patriots as we are accustomed to in the culture. Pop, but of everyday people, normal individuals attempting to achieve the lofty objective of surviving another day. A thief, a father, a doctor, or a cook, we will have the opportunity to locate some individuals as common as you and me seeking the most precious items in a state of absolute calamity: food, medicine, perhaps a decent night’s sleep, and, if it’s not too much to ask, sanity maintenance.
In randomly created circumstances, we meet several survivors who are settling in the wreckage of what was once a good home. It doesn’t matter if it’s three buddies, a fractured family, or a bunch of distinguished strangers. They will have to bear the hardships of constant battle while cooperating and sharing. It is up to the player to control each of them in the pursuit of the common good, not for compassion or altruism, but for plain instinct and survival, even though the development of personal ties is a significant factor in decision-making.
We get a fairly broad view of the area with a side view of the buildings we pass by. We can rapidly check what is going on in the various areas of the house where we live or in a public place that we are attempting to visit. Moving in two dimensions allows for certain depth-of-field gimmicks without overcomplicating the problem. Although certain areas are purposefully labyrinthine, with unknown rooms concealed from the player’s view, there are no shocks or unexpected horrors. The weight of the situation causes significantly more strain than the immediate hazards.
This War of Mine: Final Cut is accurate in not containing efforts to present the player with the entire gloomy mood that it proposes, and every detail of both the graphics and the survival dynamics confirms this. Everything depicts a sad scene devoid of any sense of optimism, from the weight of a fatigued character to the stance of another unhappy one, from the progressively pessimistic discussions to the real images in the profiles of each of his group members. The conflict may end one day, and the main goal is to survive for a month, maybe forty days, but finishing it does not appear to be an accomplishment. Here, you don’t win, you reach the end, or you succumb to trying.
This universe’s artistic creation is magnificent. Choosing a less realistic characteristic does not make the situation any more bearable. The tracing of human models, buildings, and scenic objects follow parameters that make everything oppressive, and nearly incomplete.
At the same time, the richness of details, the lighting work, and the scenographic composition impart a weird discomfort, particularly when using desaturated colours and faded sepia textures, which underscore the characters’ deep melancholy in a situation over which they have no control. The climate dynamics – especially in winter – add an added layer of experiences to both indoor and outdoor spaces.
Another significant triumph of the production is the sound composition. There is a quiet but strong musical score that adds to the sense of isolation and absolute lack of expectations, and the economical effects and noises are precise in valuing the silences that reverberate within the characters, underlining events and ensuring their impact.
The sound of a shot, which is trivial in so many other games, is virtually a trigger for everyone involved, including the player. In comparison to the previous edition of the game, these aspects have been carefully valued, with certain edges trimmed and rougher spots refined. The game’s idea is stunning.
The gameplay may have suffered the most in this passage, owing to the limits of the point and click dynamics when using the controller rather than the mouse-keyboard combo.
Each protagonist’s movement is a touch shaky, and command precision is a major issue, especially when the available symbols overlap. It is not always easy to engage with a companion who is close to a door or other clickable element. Even under extreme scenarios like those depicted in the game, two or three steps can be far more difficult than they should be.
However, resource management is considerably better suited for home consoles. Of course, the things are tough to obtain, and the inventory is rather limited, which means we can only carry a limited amount of weight with us when on expeditions to locations outside our home, but once acquired, they are quite simple to handle in each task. Again, an exception in our relationship with the environment around us. It can be rather frustrating to have food at home and then spend a few seconds attempting to activate the symbol to deliver a simple vegetable to a sick elderly person or a feeble toddler. Doing business with other survivors, on the other hand, is both practical and intuitive. This insecurity is vexing.
Every decision has consequences, and a badly prepared choice might cost a lot or even everything. Unlike so many other survival games, in This War Of Mine, preserving the now is more important than investing in the future. What is the contradiction? Without considering the future, today’s choices could spell the end of the entire group.
The set, this final cut of This War Of Mine, proves to be highly unified and delivers such an intimate dimension when suffering from the theme for these and other reasons. It is a brave and highly original approach to something so outstanding in so many other cultural works, especially in the current global moment – and tragically so many others throughout our history. You who are reading this can imagine that I write this analysis with a certain melancholy in the words, and you are probably correct. This is not a light and carefree game, the kind that gives us hope and unrelenting laughter. It is especially vital to remember that it contains several potential triggers when dealing with concerns such as depression, isolation, loneliness, and mental health, among many other delicate topics. At the same time, it is a game that has a profound dialogue with us, forcing us to ponder on things that we often disregard, on parts that we end up dismissing since they are often remote from us. Confronting these quandaries is a risky but essential idea. Because, while Graznavia may be a long way away, the emotions elicited by This War Of Mine
REVIEW : Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong (PS5)
