Benign Land

I love a walking simulator, and I'm a big fan of Irish History. However... as a game formed from an interactive art installation I think that the story is a bit difficult to follow that's being told. The movements are clunky and slow and often times not given much direction. I got physically stuck in a few places and had to (very very slowly) backtrack. I didn't quite understand what I was supposed to learn, and couldn't decipher anything other than the wording at the very end of the walking simulation. I wish it was more. I wish it provided more of an educational experience and made more sense. It was a bit muddled and the emotion just wasn't there for what was trying to be conveyed. It was an interesting experience nonetheless. Just not one I would care to experience again. If you're interested in other recommended games or products[b][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/46231109-Dijon%2527s-Ultimate-Playlist/] take a look here! [/url][/b]

UP THE RA

If you have to tell what your story is about, you're probably not telling it very well. Game claims to be about about Ireland's history and culture but focuses on just a selective few modern parts. Story is 'told' through a series of intentionally blurred scenes where controls have been made to behave as though you are swimming in syrup. You have to walk towards a light cone and when you reach it, a new scene starts. This is artsy in the 'if we make the photo black and white and out of focus, it is art' kind of way. Graphics look like someone who just learned about 3D graphics (yay light!), there are texture mistakes like puddles on a 30 degree slope, there are invisible walls that can mess you up, it is full of high school like symbolism, and the scripted parts worked directly against an immersive experience. Music is very monotonous but that is kinda OK. All in all I was bored and just wanted it to be over, but at least it's free - oh wait, it's not (maybe it should be).

This would have been perfect as a free experimental art "game". But for 5€ at the time of writing, I absolutely cannot recommend it. [h3]First, the "narrative"[/h3] Supposedly it is about various events in Northern Ireland. I say "supposedly" because other than the landscape hinting at it, you would have no idea what this is supposed to be about. At the start there was a warning that this contains imagery and content about political unrest and that it may cause discomfort. I cannot see what that was about since this experience presents it all as shallow as it can be. Maybe something would be vaguely recognizeable to people that experienced some of it firsthand, but even then I don't think it is that recognizeable. [h3]Graphics[/h3] Visually the "game" looks nice, it is VERY dreamlike, so everything is very foggy and blurry. Basically they've enabled any post-processing effect the Unreal Engine offers... For the dreamlike experience they aimed at this might be fine, but this also causes heavy drawbacks, see the point "Technical" below. [h3]"Gameplay"[/h3] Honestly, there isn't any. This is even less interactive than most narrative "walking simulators" I have play…

Well, if you ever wanted to know what it was like to be a ghost drifting through some of the history of Ireland, then this is the perfect simulator for you. It's a very surreal, strange experience. I do wonder what experiencing the original art instillation was like. I think "abstract" is, indeed, a fair word to describe this experience. Do I recommend it? Well, it's certainly not for everyone. If you are someone who is really into immersive art or want to take a [i]trip[/i] through an interpretation of Ireland's history, then you may well enjoy this curious, meditative experience.

This is an interesting short art experience. It hardly has any gameplay interactions, as all you do is move forward to see the different landscapes with its evoking soundtrack. It says to explore the land but you can hardly move too far away from the main path, and with the slow movement I am not encouraged to do so and get lost far away from the main path, when possible. I couldn't make sense of most of the references as I lack the history knowledge it's representing, as it is subtly passed to the player. Reading about the project, it makes sense to be like that. It was part of an art exhibition, and that would fit pretty well into that, probably a lot more to uncover and understand what it is about. It has some very nice dream like visuals with the lights and detailed models. However, it's hard to call it a game and sell it on Steam. I am intrigued, I would like to know more, to interact more, to explore and find secrets, learn about Northern Ireland history, but that's just not there, unfortunately.