I wouldn’t quite say it’s hanging with Everyone’s Gone to the Rapture’s perfect recreation of a sleepy England town in respect to complexity and scope, but the postcard quality of Graavik is still respectable. Although it’s still fair to lock this as an A/AA title, as far as a budget is concerned, it’s not hard to notice the technical chops of this studio. The wonderful small town resting at the base of a fjord and mountains in every direction looks downright gorgeous. Edward and Lissie have a rapport that can be utilized to its fullest, it’s just not done in this game.Ī lacking script doesn’t halt what Draugen tells the audience visually. There’s a sense of missing material too, with a deflating climax leaving me with several unanswered questions. Its “fjord noir” designation is ill-conceived, with only an optional black-and-white grainy visual filter (dubbed 1923 Mode) as the closest thing to the genre. In sum, it’s a narrative that has appreciable qualities but stumbles on specific storytelling fundamentals.
Red Thread slowly shifts up to second gear by introducing a B plot, but once you reach Day 3 there's never a comfortable speed set in managing these disparate story threads. Early on, that kind of world-building and exposition works well in easing players into the unspoiled setting. In the comic we can visually see the darker backstory and feel like an invested observer, but in the game we’re relying on overly expositive psychological drama and it has to be raked over multiple times. Perhaps this extra comic may elucidate as to why the grander narrative feels so uneven too. Granted, relying on something outside the game proper may not be the best example, but I’m still left confused about what this addition accomplishes. It also operates on what could be called "twist mismanagement", because one of the second act reveals can be incidentally discovered in the game menu’s extras, where there’s a digital comic book that’s a tell-all of Edward’s troubled past. The issue is each twist examined individually varies from out-of-the-blue to expected, and not all reveals have the same impact. I must admit that it took a second playthrough to catch subtle telegraphing of plot twists. The finer details, or the miscellaneous qualities, also highlight the other writing strengths of Draugen.
Draugen may not have a razor-sharp wit, but finer details like this ease the player into taking in this foreign place. Although I’m not as well-versed in foreign languages, I thought I caught some touches of older Germanic words splashed in as well. With Edward being a noted erudite, important hints and clues are translated by him-and used effectively in a few dramatic moments. In dialogue and collectible notes, there’s a healthy mix of English and Norwegian. There’s no Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammet here.įor what it lacks in punch, some credit is due to its bilingual style. While Lissie’s happy-go-lucky contrast with Edward’s pompous attitude is a nice dynamic, the “old beans” and other era-specific sayings often sound disjointed sometimes, I wonder if Skye Bennett (Lissie's VA) was straining to express the odd turns-of-phrase. And for a supposed noir story? It’s a shame that I somewhat respect the latter without enjoying the former. What begins as a simple trip to find your sister becomes one of unearthing this secluded Norwegian town’s secrets, and some of your own.Īs with most narrative-heavy titles, the dialogue is one of the easiest ways for writers to both flex their collective wordsmithing and to understand each character’s personality. As thrillers tend to go, the story’s not that simple. Having received a dispatch concerning the whereabouts of Betty, his long-absent sister, Edward ventures to the pastoral hamlet of Graavik (pronounced “Grow-Vick”) to find her. Set during the 1920s, Draugen centers on naturalist Edward James Harden (nicknamed “Teddy”) and his accompanying ward, Lissie. And while this self-described “fjord noir” presents a few subtle tweaks to an overstuffed genre, an uneven narrative and enervating game design leaves this Norwegian thriller haunted by better examples on the market. Considering their storytelling heritage and technical prowess, it’s hardly surprising to see them tackle their own walking sim.
FAST WAY TO FIND DRAUGEN SERIES
Founded by Ragnar Tørnquist, with several Funcom developers following in tow, Red Thread set out on concluding the venerated Dreamfall series and creating their own independent projects. By Lee Mehr, posted on 16 March 2020 / 2,987 ViewsĪn idyllic town, breathtaking scenery, and buried secrets are found in Red Thread Games’ newest narrative adventure: Draugen.
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