Tale of Tales is a game company that’s set out to prove video games as a true art form. So I’m inclined to like them. And I do! Their games typically aim to evoke emotions from within the player, genuine emotion, and they experiment with new concepts and ideas. So with “The Path” (Tale of Tale’s new game) coming out the 18th, I’m going to do a quick review of their last project, “The Graveyard.”
The Graveyard opens up with the player controlling an old woman as she enters a (you could have guessed) graveyard. You shuffle her over to a bench (very slowly) and she’ll sit down on her own when she gets to it. The road to this one bench is linear and aside from looking around at the beautiful scenery, there’s no exploration. Once she’s sat down, a song starts to play and her profile appears at the side of the screen. Now, if you’ve paid the whole 5 bucks for the full version, she dies. That’s not a spoiler, it’s how they advise the game.
This might not sound like much fun. But it is interesting. Video games are very good at connecting to player to their persona. The shock of seeing her die will jar anyone, even if they know its coming. And much like film, literature, and music, it ain’t all popcorn, violence, and rock’n'roll. The Graveyard presence the player with an experience, and not a lighthearted one.
You can check out the game RIGHT HERE. There are two versions, the one where you just visit the graveyard (which is free) and the full version.
i played this… it was interesting but they could have slightly expanded it.