Draugen: Video Game Overview

“New game from authors The Longest Journey And Dreamfall Chapters!”- W Draugen there was such a poster that was not passing by. Screenshots, demonstrating divine beauty Scandinavian landscapes, a charming girl in the pictures, the phidimon “Fjord Noir” in the announcement – all this practically did not leave doubts that Ragnar Thornkvist (Ragnar Tornquest) with comrades will give us another exciting story. However, the reality turned out to be much more complex and ambiguous.

Attention possible spoilers.

Another horror?

Let’s start with the fact that it is, of course, no “fjord-noir” – if you understand this term genre, to which today is the Roman “Millennium”, the series “Bridge”, “Girl with a dragon tattoo”, “Element of Crime” And sometimes even “This Detective”. Moral ambiguity, fatalistic cynicism, utmost realistic, acute social relevance – nothing to Draugen No. Yes, there is Scandinavia, namely Norway 20s of the last century. And there is an amazing beauty of the northern landscapes, against the background of which is unfolded not the film Noir, and it seems to be the usual mystical horror about the ancient curses (though, in the format of a walking simulator). But in the end, it smoothly turns … It turns smoothly … However, everything is in order.

So, Already, American Edward Charles Harden and the most pretty girl (her name is Alice, she is Lis9) sail onto a boat to a remote, hiding on a small island Norwegian town Hover. Here Edward wants to find his sister Betty, who, according to him, came there as a journalist, and then disappeared.

Upon arrival, they discover that the town completely empty and in general everything around literally breathes not the fact that something sinister (landscapes, on the contrary, very beautiful, bright and picturesque), and some unpleasant mystery. Very soon we will learn about the next mine, where the tragedy once happened. And after that a story twist about the ancient curses seems to not recognize only the child.

Heroes too infid

But the heroes do not recognize for a long time. Lisi, even learning of the things that happened in the Grovik, behaves like a fun, carefree girl-boy, seen in everything just a reason for new adventures. And Edward stubbornly told, they say, everything will be done soon, residents will return, he will find sister and there is no mysticism, he is a scientist, dump. Pick the local species you want constantly.
And this is despite the fact that the authors will literally twist in our face direct instructions just for mysticism, curses and everything that they expect from such stories. And I personally waited just another, so when I realized what everything comes to, I experienced disappointment. Lord, yes where we just did not see it!

And heroes also became annoying: Edward – with her stupidity, and Lisi – the fact that he was constantly tarantorille without a silence, often not at all in the topic, for some reason called the hero “Mishka Teddy” and wildly silent due to the fact that he is so worried aboutmy sister. But, sorry, if you sailed from a distant America with him to this Scandinavian wilderness to help find Betty, then why are you surprised that he really wants to find it? Okay if it were his ex-wife, but for the sister, why jealous? In general, this conflict between heroes seems completely contrived and artificial.

Paroles, Paroles

At such moments, the mechanics of a local simulator walking itself was especially annoyed. The point is not even that there is no action and the usual puzzles – it’s just understandable. But there is no interesting paranormal mechanic investigation, as, for example, in THE VANISHING OF ETHAN CARTER, with which W Draugen Many general (but not in this).

But here there is a system of dynamic dialogues advertised by the authors. Instead of the screen of the selection of the replica, keywords appear in the air, when you hover for which there are also explanations for them. According to this principle in Draugen Built in general the study. Who is Alice – one of the main riddles of the game.
But in the dialogs, it looks indispensable enough – to visit the desired replica it turns out not always, the keywords are that and the case merge, jump, fill the screen, overlap overview. And the speaker is expressed in the fact that Lisi jumps from one topic to another and all this often turns into some kind of verbal vinaigrette – not always, of course, but in some situations there are precisely such sensations.

With the promised free study, too, the problem – they will not be free to empty you if it is not provided by the plot. In some situations, even move from Lissy, they do not give three meters, until you find the right thing.

Game in giveaway

In general, irritation will be copied, and somewhere in the middle of passage (and it lasts three hours) I already thought that I finally had the opportunity to put a “passman”, having experienced sincere sadness due to the fact that this is so expectedGame OT Ragnar Tinkwista. Really author The Longest Journey Hold up?

And at this very moment in Draugen It begins, after which you understand – the old Ragnar actually played with us all this time. Well, or in hide and seek, hiding, about that this story is actually. It turns out that here we have no one “Itan Carter”, but practically “Shutter Island” Martina Scorsese Martin Scorsese). It starts not mysticism even, but a psychological trip – with virgin soluble in the air, communication with its own guardian angel and others.The authors very cool beat the standard for Horrores with mannequins.

The difference of perception and the difference of expectations

Naturally, I, like everyone else, there was a question: what it was? But the explanations received in the final was enough so that the desire did not have to shout about the fact that the ending was merged, and did not answer questions. Puzzle has developed, although not immediately. And the longer I thought about what I really wanted to say Ragnar Thornkvist, The more clearly understood that she personified such a boyfriend, a young, fun, never losing the presence of the Lisi spirit for aging Mizanthroph Edward, who she really was and what he wanted to prove, the more I understood how this Norwegian screenwriter is still cool.

Although really, the opinions of the public were divided. Already passing the game, I specifically climbed on YouTube to see the reaction of the audience and streamers on the same story situations. And if someone spoke about the “smoking authors” and “what it was?”Other eloquently squeezed out:” Well, now everything is clear “- and delightedly shared by what strong emotions caused it. That is, there is a lot depends on the expectations of a specific player: many just wanted more or less familiar horror with clear answers, “Who killed Laura Palmer” and what is such an ancient there found. And, of course, these players experienced disappointment – the story is about another.***
Ragnar Thornkvist really turned out to be the hiker. He hinted the whole game and directly led us to the fact that this is a classic mystical horror, “writing the words” curse “and” traitor “on the walls of empty houses, threw the children’s drawings with the image of the mythological Scandinavian demon, even his name was in the name of the game. And in the end, with a cunning smile deceived.

That’s what “Extralling Beauty” means.

It turned out that this story is completely about other demons – about the demons of the past living inside a particular person who, like all of us, should decide what to believe: in curse or superstition, murder or accident, in that, alive sisterOr not, whether it is necessary to live last or hereby. After all, curses, psychological injuries, terrible memories and today’s fears – they can be a reality and torment you while you believe in them, turn into an intrusive idea, not noticing those who are near, and not letting. And if you let go, everything and you, and Edward with Lissi will be fine. I, at least, so I understood. And you?

Pros: philosophical, involving interpretation, but not by all and not immediately understood the story of Ragnar Tinkwista, which is unceremoniously playing with the expectations of the public;perfectly prescribed characters;The choice affecting the perception of events by the character;enieved beautiful landscapes;Very atmospheric music.

Minuses: Short game;The story is clearly not for everyone and many can disappoint;Very limited freedom of research of locations;There are questions to the system of dynamic dialogues.