Update Two Hundred and Seventy-Three: 10 January 2019
Gorogoa
2.8 hours playtime, ~2 hrs actual, 11 of 11 achievements
8.5/10
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
My first of three games I’m tackling this month for the monthly theme, Gorogoa lives up to the hype. While it’s not precisely my most favorite kind of game—I really wish the game had more of a defined, less vague story—it does exactly what it sets out to do.
The game’s main draw is this: there are four ‘panels’ you work from, and you explore different images and scenes in each panel, moving, breaking, connecting, and merging them to solve puzzles. The first way they show this is the simplest: There’s a panel of an open window looking out into a skyline. You click and drag that panel… and the window layer moves over, and zooms out into a view of a room. The skyline is then able to be moved into, to focus on a rooftop across the way. It’s difficult to describe in text, but it’s immediately intuitive during play.
They really go all out in the different types of shit you have to do to progress. Nothing is left on the table when it comes to the puzzles. This is a hard fuckin’ game, because they keep switching up what you’re expected to do. There’s a few timing related puzzles, but most of them are related to your spatial awareness and willingness to try and explore everything.
That’s not a difficult ask—the game is gorgeous. Every frame is a work of art, with a very distinct Middle Eastern style. From opulent towers and turrets to overgrown ruins, exploring deep into old photographs and paintings, the world is ethereal and dreamlike and a place I’d love to take a nap in (the world’s biggest compliment). Everything fits together so satisfyingly, too.
The story is more difficult to suss out—you play a boy searching for five colored fruits after he sees this strange creature (the eponymous Gorogoa, maybe?) fly through his hometown. As you navigate the boy to the fruits, you get glimpses of other men (implied to be him as a teen/adult/old man?) in the changing environment, from beloved old style to ruins to rebuilding to a proud clean restoration. I just needed one more definite, solid throughline and I’d be in love, but as it stands it’s just fuzzy, dreamlike questions and vague, indefinite answers. Not bad for what it is.
I encourage anybody who likes puzzles to pick it up!
Next up: The theme continues!
See you soon!
Both of these games were ones I chose for my top 10, PHEW NO PRESSURE OR ANYTHING for you to not totally hate them. :P
kiddingNicely written, this game is definitely quite difficult to explain to someone who knows nothing going into it. Felt like a pop-up picture book in a way. I surprisingly didn’t find the game as difficult as I was expecting, the puzzles overall flowed really nicely from one to another. There was one particular puzzle with the stained glass window-wheel though that stumped me and my mom. Most felt like pretty contained puzzles, but with that one missing just one piece of the puzzle halted our progress. Considering you 100%’d it in 2 hours though, me thinks you’re just underestimating your puzzle solving abilities. ;) Were the 2 “speedrunning achievements” a pain in the butt? Anywhoo glad you enjoyed it! Definitely an underrated gem that I think way more people would play & enjoy if it wasn’t for the asking price.
Ohhhh no no no, you gotta give me zero credit, I used guides from the get-go - it’s how I prefer to play games. I like going out into the wilderness leaden down with maps.
The wheel puzzles were definitely areas where I was like ‘holy hell I’d never have gotten this on my own’. This is definitely a game you could play with family! I’m happy to hear you really loved playing it - I hope your mom did, too.
They were kind of a pain in the butt - the ‘precision’ one wasn’t so bad, but speedrunning puts my fuckin chest in a vise.
This one I did like a good deal - Far From Noise less so <:c
Ah okay I see. :) That’s a cute analogy.
And yep speedrunning is a probably the way for me to quickly detest a game (and myself). haha If it’s small levels it’s not as bad (but super addictive and turns me into a masochist), but man having to restart multiple times during a longer playthrough (or just the fear alone of having to). The end satisfaction is euphoric but in the meantime…
Read your review, I can see how Far From Noise isn’t for everyone (or even most people). For me it was like the best “ASMR” game I could ever play. Nothing makes me relaxed and happier than nature, listening to the tides and stargazing. Was like an hour to completely zen out in bliss. Took the philosophical bits with a grain of salt, but loved the humour/atmosphere. Better luck with Tales!
Ohhhh yes, from that perspective the game would be perfect! I wasn’t even thinking of it from that angle. I’ll try to remember it for the next time - god knows I need more zen relaxing quiet-brain time.
I’m quite excited for it - friends of mine liked it a lot. I’m ready to put the main character into some, uh, nicer clothes, but otherwise I’m jazzed for new Tales!