It wasnāt long ago that Owlcat Games (Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous) announced that they were getting into the publishing business, and now theyāre ready to show off their partnership with Emotion Spark Studio to publish their upcoming adventure game, Rue Valley.
Theyāve provided the first real trailer for Rue Valley, which helps show off the gameās detailed art style. The game is about a man trapped in a time loop. While stuck here, they need to interact with the various characters in the area to try and figure out whatās going on. The press release mentions that players will be able to alter their approach and personality each time the game loops, which makes this sound like Groundhogās Day. Iām not sure Iāve met a game similar to Groundhogās Day that I didnāt like.
Even with the trailer, itās a bit difficult to really grok how Rue Valley plays. Itās clear that itās choice-based and features dialogue trees, but then thereās also splashing in puddles and vomiting. Apparently, you do all this talking and puking in order to gather evidence that will enable you to escape.
The art style seems to be the central focus here. It has a graphic novel-like appearance and takes cues from Into the Spider-Verse and Disco Elysium. Itās simultaneously cartoonish and detailed, which gives it a good effect.
I think it looks interesting. I enjoy time loop games, for the most part, even if theyāre something of a rarity. The Legend of Zelda: Majoraās Mask is a pretty high-profile example, but even the new Earth Defense Force 6 got in on the time-twisting.
No release date has been provided for Rue Valley, and only PC has been stated as a platform.
Published: Aug 16, 2024 09:00 am