Unravel is an action/adventure/platform game that is about memories and how we remember who we love. You play as “Yarny” a red yarn figure going through different levels of this platform.
General Gameplay
The game in its core is an action platform game. You have your jump, swing and light puzzle solving in the game itself. The game consist of about a dozen levels, and has some replay value. If you have played games like Super Mario Bros., or other platformers in the past you will be right at home with this game.
Audio
The game has a very well done soundtrack, mixing lots of folk music and local sounds. The music makes the game atmosphere and the feeling of love, life, sadness, happiness, and loss. Music in the game is more of a filler to help fit the mood of the level and game, also it serves as more ambient to the levels. The music is in 5.1 surround sound and also well done for those that use a headset when gaming.
Visuals
The visuals are very breathtaking, from the beginning levels to the game hub. The developers took a lot of time making this game into a visual moving art. Yarny and other game objects are designed with great detail and also the game uses a lot of pastel colors to tell the story. For gamers that have trouble seeing colors you will be happy to know that the game does a great job of color balance. The game has a semi friendly color blind feel to its color choices so there will be little to no need to adjust the monitor colors. The game background detail also help tell the story of the game as you go along. You will see “moments” in which where a memory happened and also after the level is finished, you will see “photographs” from the memory moment in the level. As you progress the level design and detail change to match the level itself. A well done job by the design team to show different variations of the game itself.
Controls
Surprisingly that the controls are very easy to get a hold onto. With just a “line throw”, swing and also retract button commands, the game is very easy to navigate. The game is designed around the controls to be a more of a platformer than anything else and that is why the controls work in a game like this. A simplified control setting help all types of gamers get the hang of the game and also with it minor platforming elements in the game. There were some parts of the game that we saw some special needs members of our gaming family did struggle but the game has a checkpoint reset option during the gameplay that makes it easier to go back where they were having issues and pass the part of the game. Also with a control setup like this it makes it easier for all members of the gaming family pick up and play this title.
Delivery
The game delivers on all fronts. From being a simplistic platformer to having great sound and control, Unravel is a game that is suitable for all members of the family. It has a heartwarming story, a likeable character, pick up and play controls and most of all it is a game that can be fun for everyone. It is one of those rare games in which it tells a story without any dialog and also shows emotion with its charm. However with that all being said and done the game does get repetitive at times, also with the puzzles being simple (which is good for all family members) the gamer can easily reset the section and redo the puzzle, is that a bad thing, no but for gamers looking for more of a challenge this may not be it. That being said, this is a wonderful game for the whole family.
Family Friendly
From the controls, visuals, gaming and easy pick up and play style, Unravel is a great game. The game is very family friendly and also with a degree of nostalgia to it from the older platform games. The game has minimum controls settings but with the vibrant colors, the game can easily be seen by all gamers, even ones with red/green issues as well. From our playtest, no one, not even our family gamers with special needs has any issues with the game itself. A word of caution for parents thinking about adding this title to their digital library, this is a single player game only. There is no online component or couch co-op to this title whatsoever. The game is a single player story with limited game appeal after completing the game, there are no different endings, or any alternative levels. This is a general game with a great story from start to finish. Also for some gamers in the family they may find that this game is “too easy” as we may agree with this statement, that there is also to consider that this game is about telling a story more than gameplay difficulty.
Closing
Unravel and Yarny with their debut are making a strong showing and that the game lives up to its charm and expectations as a decent platformer. If you are a fan or like a great story to a game, then this gem is for you.
