Translated by
Microsoft from French
Microsoft from French
According to the Studio page, seers Isle is the 3rd game of Nova-box (4th if we count diaries?!?)
I have personally played that released just before: along the age and so far I always recommend it. This intro aims to give you the context with which I approached this game but also to introduce along the edge (ATE for future reference) that will be relevant within this review.
Seers Isle is a graphic novel (graphic novel/BD) where the choice is at the center of the user experience (A. KA the player) the whole point of this game is to make you take choices, more or less important, that will have an impact at different key moments of the adventure. Divided into chapters, this game will take you 2-3 hours to finish, 6-8 to get all the ends. Now that this is established, let's go.
History, writing, storytelling and quality at all.
The story of seers Isle takes as a backdrop the Celtic/Viking Europe. A disparate group arrives on the Isle of spirits to pass the initiation that will make them the shamans/healers of their village. A secular tradition, which has always been surrounded by mysteries and fears. One follows first the group, where they orient their choices and adventure, sometimes subtle often authoritarian way. A kind of conscience that would be better what is good for them... The rest of the pitch will be detailed in the following spoiler area.
In his habit, Nova-box makes us enjoy very well written characters and very few clichés. Although they have all had a dramatic life, it is understandable in the context... Some have been sent to pass the test against their sandstone: nothing surprising to find so much misery in their backstories. The main frame, without being dishonor, is a hair underneath each individual story of the characters. They are true, just as much as the main frame but the latter is more expected, perhaps agreed.
Spoiler: according to your insight, between the end of the first chapter and the end of the second: you will realize that you are playing Rowan, a young Celtic who has become a sort of disembodied mind that has the power to influence the decisions taken by humans. I say no more to let you enjoy at all.
In any case, narration and staging one is at the top of what a graphic novel can bring us. Each plan is breathtaking, which shows a very nice synergy between the author and the artist who was "pencils". And this is the biggest highlight of the game, even beyond its characters, the narration knows how to take a step behind when the Visual needs space and vice versa. Very successful.
The production value: seers Isle is extremely well produced. And in that, I'm not talking about the size of the budget, but indeed how it was spent. We feel that the means were put where it was important to do it and no feature present in the game is sloppy or meaningless. There are some quality of life improvements that I would have liked to see, during the transition with AET but everything is very solid.
Music: the music is very good... And unfortunately no more. Don't be mistaken: this is a great job but the visuals and the depth of some relationships are of such a level that I would have liked a little more Audacity on this side. The soundtrack is worth, nevertheless, the coup to be bought.
Balance sheet: seers Isle is more ambitious than AET and was probably more costly and difficult to realize. Nevertheless, seers Isle seems to me a little calibrated and mastered, which makes us gain in narrative spectrum (more choices, more characters developed) but makes us lose a little in ambience and personality.
The qualities of the game make it a superior product to along the age, more affordable for young adults and makes us travel a little more but I did not have the same love at first sight as with AET. Once again, buy your eyes closed: we're on top! But when the horizons grow, we lose a little in promiscuity and personality. It is no one's fault but this little smile on my lips when I think of Daphne, the same one has when you meet a friend of long time... It's not a price. Having a narrow narrative about a protagonist allows us to create a sacred relationship...
In short, bought and played... It's urgent!
What about the future?
I'm waiting for financiers to give a little bit of soft to Nova-box (if they wish) because I would like to see what they are giving on a longer history perhaps with a more extended temporality, over several generations perhaps, or that they are being candied with beautiful French licenses... The twilight Chronicles (Agone), with the artistic and narrative quality of this Studio, a sweet dream to be realized urgently.
PS: the gameplay was the same, the principle of nearby axes, for this type of review refer to my criticism of along the edge.