Translated by
Microsoft from French
Microsoft from French
Very special experience that this little game! I have positive remarks as negative, so every thing in its time, the + first: + freedom of action. Without a spoiler, one would expect that the lack of a Visual dimension limits the possibilities, it is not. If the game remains relatively linear, it allows some very appreciable freedom, even if it is disoriented at first!
+ contextual gameplay. We do not find the system 1 button = 1 action, as may be the case elsewhere. Here a touch can be used for different things depending on the context, which allows once again a variety in surprising movements and freedom.
+ rhythm. The game is not very long, but we do not ask for more in the end, we do not stay on our hunger. The rhythm is well balanced between the phases of combat, displacement, dialogue, and QTE.
+ sound quality. The audio recordings are of very good quality, and the movement of sound sources is very successful, which allows a very efficient tracking. A headset is obviously necessary, but no need to type in the high end to have a very good quality rendering.
+ the exotic aspect. For the sighted players, it's quite a challenge to accept to be guided only to the sound!
And now the-:-immersiveness. The scenario remains very banal and very linear (no choice of the player influences the history), the information about the universe of the game, the history of the characters and places are rare, and it lacks. The narration is unfolded without really peaks in the adventures. The player is not invited to explore to find information or learn more about the universe. The lack of music in the game is also deplores. The whole lack of depth and soul, which makes it difficult to get into the skin of the main character and to invest emotionally in his quest, and it's a pity.
-key mapping, not editable. It seems to be designed to make it easier to locate blind players on the keyboard, but the LEDs will find it counter-intuitive.
-theatrical performance, too variable to my liking. Some secondary characters are stereotyped, the other diction is simply awful, on some passages the replicas and their intonation are chained badly or incoherently... And it goes to the final boss who loses all credibility, because he is simply not intimidating at all, and his voice is closer to that of the fish merchant from below me than that of a villain of medieval universe. This is very unfortunate for a purely audio game, because the impact on the immersion and the credibility of the character play is catastrophic.
-the voice of the menus and the tutorial. For a reason that escapes me, this is the only synthetic voice of the game, while everything else was recorded by actors. His intonation is difficult to grasp at times, his sentences are chopped, his tone is cold and impersonal as possible. And since it often interrupts the action to give indications on the gameplay, it is heard all the time, to a point where it becomes unpleasant.
-and finally, even if for me it is negligible, the lack of replayability. Once the main scenario is finished, the game does not have much interest. Even if there are some Easter eggs to be found, the difficulty is not modifiable, so repeating the story does not bring any consequence. Side quests or bonuses, or even hidden scenes, could have brought a little more content to players who would regret a short main story.
In short, a blind legend is a great initiative and a real challenge to the classic ways of playing. But it is regrettable that the idea was not pushed to the end in terms of scenario and depth, and that technical details (which would have been without consequences in a classic game) come to start the gameplay in a significant way. To try it all the same, if only out of curiosity; the game is well worth its price! And maybe future updates and additional content will compensate for its few flaws...