To communicate something to its audience by laying the foundations of a narrative ecosystem that speaks for itself, without the real need for direct dialogue. This is undoubtedly one of the merits major players in the gaming world, capable of communicating what it has to say through expressive methodologies similar to those of more classical art while accompanying them to something else. L’interaction it is one of his most direct methods, giving you the possibility to move within three-dimensional contexts elaborated to the point of arousing something with their silences. Moving is therefore equivalent to to read something, looking around instead serves to align with what is ahead. The point is that these expressive abilities should go hand in hand with l too‘entertainment of the case, with the fun of the person who is holding the joypad in his own hands, building an expressive-playful combination that drags in a different way from cinema and TV series, to name two examples. The title we’re talking about today plays with all this, never placing himself too directly, but still pushing you in the direction he wants. So let’s go and analyze Scarf in our review, title available from December 23, 2021 on Steam and GOG.
A very convincing scarf
Our adventure begins with ours birthwhich brings to light the protagonist, an apparently sexless and blue-colored being, who is attracted by the call of the famous red scarf seen in both trailers and presentation images. This particular scarf, however, is not only a distinctive and identifying accessory of the characterization of our protagonist, but a real one personage, a being with features draconian with a target precise to carry out. Understanding the identity of the scarf is fundamental, also because based on what we know our protagonist will make her journey just for her. At the root of the plot events of this video game we find a be superior of which the scarf itself is an integral part. This seems to have been captured by some characters (not too different aesthetically from our protagonist), who are exploiting his particular powers to generate real worlds. Our goal, driven by “Red scarf”, will be to enter each of these universes and face the aforementioned jailers. At that point the scarf will suck something out of them (perhaps their soul, or essence) of usefulness to open one passage able to free the higher being.
In fact the whole story behind Scarf’s journey is easily readable through the memories available in the three levels that make up the title. Every memory is hidden, even if a minimum attention to the surrounding areas will be enough to identify them (there are 9 in all). In each level we will have to juggle both with some phases platform to draw our path, which with some puzzle to be solved in order to advance. Furthermore, the game world is dynamized to a minimum by the presence of some collectibles (toys, drawings …) scattered for all those who want to explore what the title offers to the fullest. In fact, exploration is all this game has to offer from a gameplay point of view. Also because in addition to this Scarf offers, as we will see later in the review, aaesthetics quite sophisticated.
Moving is therefore fundamental in a title that seems to aim its full potential higher found aesthetically refined than on real platforming transport for the player (while offering a number of ability classic with the advancement of the adventure such as, for example, the double jump). Therefore, completely missing the action component and never having to fight, everything falls on the level design and on how we will be able to take advantage of the various power ups obtained step by step. In this respect, the game begins to show its problems, with a linearity kept afloat only by the style of the world around us. The minimum playful characterization in the various levels is felt both in terms of gameplay and aesthetics, with specific ideas for each situation. Being a game divided into distinct sections, each of these will be designed by particular gameplay elements for the various situations in place. The point is that even the simplistic linearity mentioned above remains.
Refined aesthetics
As mentioned above, from the point of view scenographic the situation changes enormously. Here i talented guys from Uprising Studios have developed a real aesthetic study which surprises from time to time for the chromatic choices and also for some not just artistic charms. A world emerges that always seems button of life, soft and fascinating, just to inspire the desire to know more, developed along three distinct areas: ocean, desert and forest. The pictorialism of certain choices it goes perfectly with a sound sector that is never too intrusive but rather delicate and consistent with what passes before our eyes, accompanying the progress of our journey from place to place. Not even the duration of the game amplifies the possibilities too much, reaching a total of 5-6 hours of gameplay to complete the adventure.
To mobilize the curiositymoreover, there is the moral reflection to outline what we are really accomplishing during our journey. In fact, from the beginning the situation is quite confusingespecially with regards to identification ethics of our own actions. Are we doing good or bad? From the way some small things happen, the underlying morality seems to change continuously, remaining suspended until the end of the title. In all this, the relationship that we are going to build with the scarf itself, with this vermilion red being who never speaks clearly to us, hiding the reality of the world around us. Unlock the true ending it won’t be very difficult, but seeing the gradual reactions of the scarf in relation to all the times we have to stroke and cuddle it contributes to an underlying confusion that is poorly exploited from the point of view of writing. Here it is the aesthetics that speak and lie, not so much the gameplay. Will our goal, to help this entity, be right? Are we doing good? Are the people we’re chasing evil? Who I am? Why do we do what we do? Everything lies without too many insights.
#Scarf #Review #morally #ambiguous #platform #game