With all of the summer season gaming pleasure, I haven’t had the prospect to talk about a number of of the video games I’ve performed in the previous couple of weeks. A type of video games is Don’t Nod’s new visible novel, Concord: The Fall of Reverie. And since this has been a comparatively quiet week (and a brief one, for these us celebrating an American vacation), I’d wish to take the time to a minimum of do a mini-review of the title. Whereas my ideas haven’t modified a lot since I performed the preview, I believe it deserves consideration — in order that’s what this Kaser Focus is about.

Unusually, what Concord jogs my memory of essentially the most is deconstructed meals. I’m no avant-garde chef, however my understanding is that deconstructed meals is meant to supply acquainted elements in a brand new, uncooked kind to offer the diner a refreshed expertise. That’s the vibe I get from this sport: It has all the acquainted components of a visible novel, however introduced in an alternate means. It makes for a sport that’s a lot completely different from different video games in the identical oeuvre. In contrast to different visible novels, the sport presents its alternative mechanic (and all the sport is constructed on the selection mechanic) by way of a Twine-like alternative structure known as the Augury.

The visuals in Concord are arrestingly lovely, with the Aspirations making an particularly huge impression. Every embodies their respective feeling, with Chaos being a multitude of discordant colours and mischievous perspective, Fact a bleak pillar coated in eyes and Bliss a small bundle of buoyant delight. Each Reverie and Brittle have distinct, pleasing appears. The story can be partaking with a central thriller hook and a few emotional payoff that tugged on my previous, withered heartstrings. Additionally, I can’t sing the praises of the voice actors sufficient — all of them did an incredible job.

Nonetheless, if I’ve one criticism, it’s that the stark honesty of the Augury could be intimidating should you, like me, get choice fatigue. Most visible novels go away some factor of thriller to your decisions to encourage you to replay later. And whereas Concord does have some replayability, the Augury’s blueprint structure of all the pieces can really feel slightly overwhelming, significantly as you progress and the alternatives turn out to be extra complicated. It’s a small criticism contemplating the sport is in any other case beautiful and pleasant, however it might be a turn-off for some gamers.