Month: June 2021

  • Is Unravel Amazing? (Review and Impressions)

    Is Unravel Amazing? (Review and Impressions)

    Is Unravel Amazing? (Review and Impressions)

    Unravel is a side scroller with a unique twist starring a wonderful character named Yarny. 

    Yarny being made of… well, yarn, helps create a nice grounded experience while also making the gameplay engaging and fun.

    Traveling to many different locations, getting a sense of the grander world, and solving puzzles is the core idea behind this side scroller.

    Unravel Video TimeStamps:

    Table of Contents

    Grab your favorite colored yarn (green!) and let’s find out if Unravel is amazing!

    Want to make your own Yarny like the one in the video? EA has an awesome guide that I would say is worth trying!

    The World Brings Streamlined Exploration

    Mountain Trek Picture Frame
    The level select is a nice little house where you go through pictures

    The world of Unravel is showcased via picture frames that house pictures whose intent is to warp you to all different kinds of locations.

    Yarny is on a journey to collect various tiny yarn creations by completing the many levels throughout.

    Each level corresponds to the house owner’s life. As you journey you slowly fill out a picture book as Yarny.

    It’s chill and says a lot with a little. Yarny has no dialog or voice of any kind, only “talking” with movements.

    Yarny Adding to Picture Book
    After every level, you fill out the picture book more and more

    In the video, we go through a level titled “Mountain Trek” which is fitting to its name as you go on a trek through some mountainous terrain.

    Starting in the tail end of the forest, as each level leads into each other, we slowly go through various mountain trials as one example.

    From dangerous wildlife to risky cliffs, this level shows all the different styles of gameplay you can expect throughout your time with Unravel.

    Yarny Collecting a Memory
    Throughout all the levels you’ll collect various memories

    Memories are throughout every level. They aren’t hidden collectibles, just nice backdrops to give more life to the levels.

    The collectibles in each level are just little puzzles and offscreen trinkets you can find with a bit of extra effort.

    Yarny Is a True Explorer

    Yarny Climbing a Tree
    Yarny isn’t held back in any way from traversing the world

    Yarny is a force to be reckoned with and isn’t fazed by anything in his path, without a nose or mouth there isn’t much to stop him; other than water.

    Water is the big obstacle as you can drown fairly easily, so many of the puzzles revolve around avoiding water.

    But you do have ways to traverse despite how hard it may seem at first glance.

    Since Yarny is always connected to the starting point you have a limited amount of yarn to work with overall. Use it all up and you’re stuck.

    That’s a lot of yarn
    You’re going to have to get creative to solve some of these puzzles

    The yarn can be used to create bridges to cross gaps and lift heavy objects. Swing from tree branches, hold onto plastic bags, and even pull down levers.

    The amount of creativity on display is impressive and it is always exciting when a simple mechanic is pushed to the limit, always feeling fresh and exciting at every level.

    Yarny is a true explorer. The world has a feeling of craftiness at every turn. It feels organic, which is a true joy.

    Is Unravel Amazing?

    Hunter Armada Giving Final Gameplay Thoughts on Unravel
    Is Yarny enough to bring this all together?

    Unravel is amazing, Yarny is such a fun creation and the level design is incredibly well throughout!

    The core gameplay works well with the world created and the yarn limiting mechanic adds a nice weight to all the puzzles, even if there’s one solution.

    Yarny is a great character that says a lot with a little, a truly surprising game where you can just take a step back and chill out with some yarn.

    Unravel is amazing!
    Unravel is amazing!

    Check Out if Other Games Are Amazing!

  • Is The Gardens Between Amazing? (Review)

    Is The Gardens Between Amazing? (Review)

    Is the Gardens Between Amazing? (Review)

    The Gardens Between tells a story without any text or dialog, it allows the characters to breathe and bring everything together.

    Arina and Frendt are taken from their treehouse and thrown into an unknown world with some puzzles keeping them from returning home.

    The way the gameplay is laid out is what makes The Gardens Between stand out.

    The Gardens Between Video TimeStamps:

    Table of Contents

    Let’s bunker down in a treehouse and dive into the unknown to see if The Gardens Between is amazing.

    The Characters Say a Lot With No Dialog

    Arina and Frendt
    Two Heros just looking for a way home

    Arian and Frendt get transported into another mystical world one day while playing in their treehouse. A simple premise that is conveyed through movement and facial expressions.

    There isn’t too much text and no dialog, which I think is a refreshing way to tell a story. One that gets the point across through the graphics and gameplay alone.

    You’re in a world and you want to go home, that’s the start and finish of it.

    Questions about what is happening - Level Select
    All these questions are answered without a word of dialog

    From level to level everything has so much charm as well as character, simply through the design.

    There are a lot of questions that anyone would have as soon as you start up the game, but they get answered as you play. Some of the core questions that stood out to me are:

    • What happened?
    • Why are they in this new world?
    • What is going on?
    • Why is everything part of this world?

    I enjoy a game that takes this approach and has the player guessing as to what the heck is going on.

    When the game is paused it shows a nice panoramic view of the level and all the little details that just make it so much fun to look at.

    Puzzle Solving Time Control

    Controlling time to solve puzzles
    One thumbstick and a button are all you need to be a puzzle-solving master

    As you jump from level to level you’re going to be controlling time to solve every puzzle.

    The coolest aspect is that all the character interactions are set ahead of time. It is up to you to change the flow of how they act.

    Frendt takes notice of a TV remote and he’ll rewind the tape which plays interestingly into the over dynamic of the puzzle.

    From reverting Jenga pieces that have fallen over to taking control of a TV, it’s all front and center. All you need to do is move the thumbstick left and right to forward and rewind time.

    Creating a Light Bridge
    The Orb is the most important aspect of every level

    From there you can pick up Orbs to create bridges and ultimately solve the level.

    The world is filled with everything found in the treehouse and it all loops together to create all the levels.

    After you solve all the levels of a set you get a nice cutscene showing the characters sit around and have fun.

    It’s a nice reward before going to the next level and doing it all over again.

    Is The Gardens Between Amazing?

    Hunter Armada Giving Final Gameplay Thoughts on The Gardens Between
    Time Control is always fun

    The Gardens Between is amazing, it’s a truly refreshing take on a puzzle game.

    The puzzles are challenging but not overly brutal and each level only lasts a couple of minutes. There’s so much character and visual splendor that you’ll just want to play more and more in that time.

    Seeing that each solution brings Arina and Frednt closer and closer to going back home.

    It’s a fun time and I highly recommend it, I know I had a ton of fun manipulating time!

    The Gardens Between is amazing!

    Check Out if Other Games Are Amazing!