![]() A natural rhythm of investigation became part of Beacon Pines ’ gameplay, which is exactly what the developers wanted. Only a couple of Charms felt out-of-the-way, but I was still able to find them without actually searching for them. Each trip down a new Turning Point path gives you an opportunity, through very mild exploration, to find new Charms that come about through interactions and natural curiosity. Rather than scrap those wayward paths, they incorporated them into the overall story in a way that only video games can. The best way I can describe it is that the creators had this fantastic start and finish point, but, in trying to weave their way from point A to B, they kept getting lost on different tangent. Mechanically, Beacon Pines is a triumph in alternative storytelling. Luka getting to the core of the problems of people everywhere. All of these moments and sensations are carefully parsed out and spread over multiple incarnations and retreads that are a bit different each time. Beck, another important character (portrayed by a black cat), strives for the facade of indifference and independence, but secretly wants a home that stays her home, and to be accepted and find continuity. Luka is a bit shy and lilting, but he wants to be brave and also wants to do the right thing at all costs. Instead, the animalistic nature of things plays into their personalities well. While Luka is a deer, Rolo is a tabby, and several other characters are bats, dogs, raccoons and others, you never lose their “human” element in the unveiling of the story. By contrast, Beacon Pines flirts with dark ideas in very subtle means, giving players an opportunity to empathize as moments occur instead of hitting you over the head with them. Wait a minute, that’s a different chapter…Ī very easy parallel to draw with another game might be Night in the Woods, where animal characters with excessively human attributes go on a journey to uncover a mystery and really delve into a lot of incredibly dark (but refreshingly honest) elements of personality and mental health. More than once, that single choice results in the end of the game, and there are very, very few happy endings in Beacon Pines. By changing that single word, the tone and direction of the entire realm shifts, and what happens next can be illuminating or damning. Sometimes it’s what someone will say or do, sometimes it’s how something looks or feels. There are multiple Turning Points, where Luka and company must decide upon a single word to help guide what happens next. As you play, Luka’s inquisitive nature will unlock Charms, which are a series of key words that help give you mastery over the direction the story takes. Multiple times throughout your journey, Beacon Pines defers to the omniscient narrator (impeccably voiced by Kristen Mize) to both give insight into what characters are thinking and also to help follow the ever branching, twisting and convoluted developments of the story. Luka emulating a moment that we’ve all had at one point or another. ![]() To make myself heard and to convey to you and anyone reading this that this is, hands down, my favorite game of 2022. So it was important, critically important, that I stop, breathe, and look at Beacon Pines with the most earnest approach possible to get my words out. If anyone were to ask me to give a compelling argument why Defenders of Oasis is one of my favorite handheld games, I’d shrug and mutter something about Game Gear and batteries. When a game taps into an aspect of your soul that you can’t fully comprehend, it leaves an indelible mark that you carry with you as you move forward, something that maybe can’t be easily articulated. Sure, my love for Earthbound is hardly unique, but I think I’m one of the few who sings the praises of the early crafting RPG Robotrek. And the albums of Daft Punk are clearly laborious, loving art projects that I simply feel are, well, fine.īut there is always a bit of something in this universe that seems to find a person and get a hold on them in spite of what others may feel or think. The overlong story of Final Fantasy XV couldn’t hold my attention. Personally, I have never been able to get into Dune despite multiple attempts. Yet not every creation is going to resonate with all who bear witness. There are people who shape their world views and personal narration after experiences with select literature, films and music, and it becomes a brand new cornerstone in who they are and what they think. ![]() There are hundreds of wonderful and exciting tales woven every day, and, for the fortunate few who hear them, they can decide how this new information will change their lives. A great story lives not just on the words of the author, but on the ears of the audience.
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