I think it is certainly fair to say, that when EA revealed Unravel at E3 last year, Yarny captured the hearts of gamers everywhere. It was something different and unexpected from the company, and its visual style along with the charming way the character traversed the environment ensured that there would be plenty of interest when the game was released. We haven’t had to wait long, as it is now with us. Coming in at an affordable price bracket has Unravel managed to live up to the hopes of everyone who saw it for the first time way back in June last year? Let’s take a look.
From the get go the look of the game is exactly as we remember – it really is beautiful. The environments in particular are fantastic. As Yarny you select levels by looking at photos and appear to live out memories of days gone by in environments that the pictures were taken. Forays across bushes and thistles, little streams, rocks, sticks and trees make the game instantly relatable to care-free childhood outdoor fun with family and friends with only your imagination to stop you. I like this approach, and making these environments feel like an adventure again while you navigate through was a great idea from developers Coldwood Interactive.
Yarny himself is sure to be an instantly recognisable character for years to come, that will likely resonate with a wide audience. A lot will warm to his charming cute appearance, which is what made him popular with my fiancé. Cue the ‘awww look at how cute he is, I like this game already’ as soon as she looked at what I was playing. Other will appreciate how his yarn is used as a gameplay mechanism, being used move around by swinging, jumping, abseiling and more. It is the use of these mechanics and realistic physics that pushes the game and its puzzles forward.
Beyond the look of the game, Unravel can be very challenging. I had thought that it may feel a little bit more like a newer Limbo than it actually does. But rather than having unforgiving enemies and ways to die, it is more of a traversal puzzle, than figuring out how to not get killed. Though it is possible to ‘die’, it isn’t a dramatic or gory affair, you simply respawn and try the puzzle again. And you will need to get your thinking head on to solve them aswell. You really do need a logic head, and sometimes you’ll need to take a step away from how you think while gaming, and consider how you might solve it in ‘real life’. And often, once you find the answer it is so simply obvious you’ll wonder how you haven’t thought about it sooner. You’ll also find yourself reversing your actions to use your dwindling Yarn in a more efficient way. Yes you can run out and Yarny will be look like he is about to collapse in on himself, getting to a point when he’ll be made up of very little thread before taking in more at the next ball of yarn you get to. This efficiency come in quite early in the game.
It is nice that each level is actually quite lengthy aswell, rather than one or two puzzles and on to the next one. It allows you a good amount of time in each different environment, even longer if it takes you a while to solve each puzzle! They’ve also made use of the mechanics to select each level aswell, rather than a standard menu interface you’ll be exploring a house to find each picture to select the levels. It is another nice touch. It is hard to not like Unravel, and it can be seen as a success and a great addition to EA’s portfolio. While there are times when I’ve sat confused and frustrated at my own inability to progress, my personal incompetence can’t be held against what is a well-crafted puzzle platformer, which should have your attention if you’re remotely interested in the genre.
**Thank you to XCN for the opportunity to review this game**