#turnfollow

[satoshi-mochida]

Before the Green Moon releases today digitally for the Switch. It is also available on Steam.

[tinysamm]

At the center of the short, highly focused gameplay experience of  Packing Up the Rest of Your Stuff on the Last Day at Your Old Apartment is the just barely imprecise packing system. Items mostly correspond to a given set of quadrilateral space, but the amount they’ll actually take up once in a box is difficult to determine until the player actually places said items in among the others. This, combined with the fact that many items will be unassuming or unseen until near the end of a given play session means that the player may even feel compelled to unpack everything and repack it all again. Saving this is the fact the player can get rid of any item they don’t want to keep via a donation bag.

[walkcycles]

With such varied activities and 4 characters to play as there was a big demand on animation in Wide Ocean Big Jacket. Which is why it’s so impressive how much personality they get out of the small key frame budget they give to each character, wether they are walking, hiking, or carrying things. There must be more than ten or so bespoke walk cycles in this game and it’s only 45 mins long. Most 20 hour games don’t come close to that.

[tinysamm]

The player swaps between the 4 protagonists of Wide Ocean Big Jacket with regular consistency, giving time to the player to view their experiences from each perspective, as well as from a set of shared perspectives when several of them are paired together for specific sections. This allows a rich set of relationships to be fleshed out over the course of the narrative, with each character feeling distinct not only in and unto themselves, but also in regards to how they interact with the other player characters in turn. This especially comes to a head when characters take time to think on prior conversations, and how these discussions change their understanding of themselves, their relationships, and what their future holds.

[4colorrebellion]

4cr Plays - Wide Ocean, Big Jacket (Switch)

Video games, as a cultural medium, have grown tremendously in maturity over the past decade. Part of this is technological - we have increasingly democratized the ability to make and disseminate games to a widespread audience. Part of this is social - an increasing number of people have grown up with video games as an acceptable way to spend time. Regardless of the cause, we can all celebrate the diversity of interactive experiences available today. 

Wide Ocean, Big Jacket is the type of “game” that wouldn’t have been imaginable - especially on a Nintendo handheld - just a few years ago. It isn’t about aliens, a “chosen one”, shooting, or jumping. It’s just a short story about an aunt and uncle who have brought their middle-school niece and her boyfriend on a weekend camping trip. There isn’t a shocking twist. It’s just about people - about kids growing up and grappling with adult thoughts for the first time, and about the adults and their own struggles with frustration, regret, and their own conflicted thoughts about having children. 

It isn’t a game in the sense that you have a score or deep rules governing interaction. The basic structure is a series of 20 chapters, where you can walk around a small 3D space, interact with a few elements, and talk to other characters. The interactive elements reflect what you’d expect to see in a camping trip - cracking open a beer, cooking hot dogs, watching birds, building a campfire, and taking a hike down to the beach. However, there isn’t much depth to it - mostly, you click on an object and the rest takes care of itself. Interaction is in service of advancing the story. Wide Ocean, Big Jacket is not purely a “visual novel” - there is more interaction than many of those offer - but the “action” is primarily there in service of telling a story.

This is not a complaint - more of a way to set the context. Wide Ocean, Big Jacket is a lovely, well-told short story. The character dialogue is well-written, and each person has a distinct voice and personality. The themes dealt with are interesting, and the characters themselves are great. I was charmed by Mord, remember when I was Ben, and definitely found myself sympathizing with Cloanne. 

Wide Ocean, Big Jacket is a text-heavy game, but the presentation doesn’t leave you feeling like you’re reading a book. There is just enough interaction that the transitions from scene-to-scene and conversation-to-conversation feel organic, and the distinctive art style is great. Overall, the art direction is minimalistic, almost a low-polygon look from the PS1 era - though much sharper than any of those games ever were. The environments are colorful and expressive. During conversations, you get these sharp 2D “talking head” cuts that also work quite well. It looks great.

The full game is quite short - about an hour in total - but is very well-paced. It’s definitely long enough to tell the story that the developers wanted to present. It doesn’t overstay its welcome. Wide Ocean, Big Jacket is a cozy little experience, something nice to play in bed on the Switch. It’s sweet, well-written, and quite memorable. I loved the ride, and can’t wait to see what Turnfollow does next.

This review is based on a copy provided by the developer. 

Nintendo eShop

Steam

[pixelrender]

What a hype week this has been! The last act of my favourite game, Kentucky Route Zero, is out now and I’ve just found out that Turnfollow, creators of absolutely lovely Little Party, announced a new game. And every pixel of Wide Ocean Big Jacket looks as the loveliest thing. I haven’t been this excited for a game in a while. Check out the trailer:

It’s out really soon too. On 4th of February.

[pipwritesstuff]

Virtual Homes: Turnfollow – Pip Writes Stuff

Recently, I covered Turnfollow’s latest game, Packing Up the Rest of Your Stuff on the Last Day at Your Old Apartment. In it, as the title…

[tinysamm]

The player's role in Little Party is that of the observer. They have tasks and push story moments forward through their interactions, but as the mother, they are not an actor, but an audience. This reinforces the relationship the player character has with her daughter and her friends- she offers support and words of encouragement, but the pride she feels in her child comes from an understanding that she is merely watching her progeny's ideals and goals come to fruition (even if her child doesn't see this herself).