Valiant Hearts: The Great War™ / Soldats Inconnus : Mémoires de la Grande Guerre™
One of the best all around adventure story games released in the last few years. A mix of a beautifully composed musical score, stellar artwork, great story, impressive puzzles, and real life historical content. This game actually made me think about the collectibles and ponder the historical facts as much as I did the story at times.
Set during World War I (The Great War), Valiant Hearts gives you a look at individuals in war and how this particular group of individuals finds themselves connected. A German man married to a French woman who is forced to go back to Germany and fight. His father-in-law forced to fight for France. An American who befriends the Frenchman. A female doctor that finds herself crossing paths with all of them. Then there is Walt, the war dog, who becomes their ally, friend, and savior at times. While they all may battle for different reasons, countries, or leaders, they all care for one another. They all find ways to help one another overcome struggles, support one another in troubles, and connect to one another as humans rather than enemies.
– Real player with 26.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Historical War Games.
It seems only natural that since we are in the midst of the centennial anniversary of the war that was to end all wars, a game should be released. In the gaming world, it seems that almost every war has been covered. Sadly, little to no recognition has been given to the war that launched the world into the modern age and changed how we live today. Valiant Hearts proves to be one of the first games to give a great picture of the struggles of World War I as well as a satisfying gaming experience.
In Valiant Hearts, we follow the stories of five heroes: Emile, a Frenchman; Hans, Emile’s son-in-law who is deported from France because of his German origins; Freddie, an American who volunteers and fights alongside the French in his quest for revenge; Anna, a nurse searching for her father in Belgium; and Walt, a German first aid dog that comes across the path of each of these heroes and helps any way he can. While it may seem highly coincidential how these five individuals continually come across each other’s paths, their backgrounds and motivations are very believable. The friendships that they build are genuine and felt by the players, without dialogue. Most conversations in this game are done by comic book bubbles and short distinct phrases that are spoken by the characters.
– Real player with 15.1 hrs in game
My Child Lebensborn
Ok, I love story-driven games. I love historical games. I love resource/time management games. I love gritty, realistic games. But WHAT was is the point of this? Most of the time, there was nothing I could do for Klaus. It was incredibly frustrating to just listen about teachers and other kids bullying him, and all I could do was tell Klaus to shut up and take it. I couldn’t confront any of the perpetrators or do anything to change the events.
Halfway through, I thought, “ok, so maybe it’s not about confronting issues, but rather it’s about how he responds to things he can’t change…and the point is to develop his character traits so that he’ll eventually turn out as a resilient adult.”
– Real player with 7.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Historical Emotional Games.
Ich liebe dich, mein Kleiner
This game…tugged at my heartstrings. Before playing it, I was watching Michaela Laws play it up to a certain point. Even then…my heart hurt and I kept crying when Karin was sad or upset and putting herself down. I purchased this game yesterday and could not help but play it for at least 3 hours as I did not want to spoil anything for myself; I wanted to experience in my own time. I took in Klaus and he was an absolutely wonderful child. As before…my heart near broke everytime he was distraught or sad. There were moments where I have gotten angry, worried sick…at one point I think I even felt depersonalization despite it being a game. It just felt that powerful. I wanted to do more. Despite all the horrible things that have happened, seeing Klaus smile and be happy made it all worth it. I wanted to hug him so badly as I sympathize with what he went through…being bullied…feeling alone.
– Real player with 7.1 hrs in game
Attentat 1942
I am certainly partial to games that tell a story. However, games that pass down important and historical information are even better. A game that can entertain and teach possesses a special power. Not only can the game effectively deliver important information that the player is more likely to retain than they would sitting in a history class, but it also engages them in such a way that the information becomes relevant and memorable. I know I’ll never forget how my hands sweat when the gestapo knocked on the door and I had to quickly find a way to nervously delay them. I was impressed with the mechanics during that mini game, and I think that games like this should be made available, and perhaps even replace, outdated teaching techniques in school.
– Real player with 6.3 hrs in game
Read More: Best Historical FMV Games.
Attentat 1942 is a FMV game, where you want to know, what happened with your father and mother in Prague at the Second World War.
What I really liked in the game, is how it looks. Now, the videos has all right quality, however the older cutscenes are made with comic styled, but more like newspaper version of that, and those cutscenes looked amazing. Everything is understandable from them and looked really nice.
About the story, I liked it really much. Reminds me of older stories from the same time, which I heard from my grandparents. It showed the war from a different perspective, which is not cover in history books or in TV properly. Most of the choices you can do in the game makes sense and bring the story forward. Characters have their motives and own story is really nice, however I need to mention, that these stories happened and that gives a whole new depth to it.
– Real player with 6.0 hrs in game
Plague Doctor: Contagion 430 BCE–2020 AD
Plague Doctor Contagion, was a short and sweet retelling of different pandemics through time. I greatly enjoyed the music in the game, the graphics are nothing special but still stylized in a unique way I wont forget soon, and the game play could do with more interactivity (examples could be, puzzles, finding objects to help people, or having your decisions affect your outcomes in a more prominent sense.).
For $3 this game is not bad, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the descriptions of the diseases and what they were doing to people, and I liked seeing history played out in front of me like they did.
– Real player with 1.3 hrs in game
You can pet the dog
10/10 Game Of The Year
– Real player with 0.5 hrs in game
The Craft of the Samurai
This is a story and not a game, as it says more or less on the tin, so to speak. It is worth your time, you can read it at your own pace. It doesn’t have filler or pointless choices like some games have. The art work is excellent. Nice music. If you enjoy short stories and anything samurai, at this price you have nothing to lose. It took me just over an hour to finish it. I hope the Dev plans on making more stories of the same story quality and using the same artist.
– Real player with 1.3 hrs in game
Short and Sweet.
I appreciate the developer providing exactly what to expect with the visual novel, and that it was reasonably priced. I only heard about this game through some indie game YouTube channels, so I’m glad there’s some exposure to this for what may get lost in the shuffle of the many games appearing on Steam daily.
The overall presentation was good. The art, sound effects and most of the music complimented the short story well and fits the homages being paid here. I only wish there was even more art to fit the narrative, but I’d expect it to be a limitation.
– Real player with 0.6 hrs in game
To Burn in Memory (Anniversary Edition)
Concise and very engaging. Great aesthetic, uses some beautiful flourishes to add to the atmosphere. Played it and finished it twice and I still wanna go back to make sure I have seen everything. Definitely give it a try!
– Real player with 10.1 hrs in game
This one is good for those moments when you’re torn between reading a book or playing a game. This game is somehow simultaneously text-based and atmospheric, interrupted only by a couple of UI flaws and the constant feeling of disorientation. Maybe the latter was intentional due to the story’s content, but still, it would be nice to have “go back” as an option all of the time. Overall, I liked it.
– Real player with 4.9 hrs in game
ADD
I bought this game on apr 6 and just got around to playing it. The controls are fine its just that you get stuck on almost all the objects and when I made it to lvl 2 or the woods area.. I couldn’t interact with any of the intractable objects. So I tried to reboot the game and my PC to no a vale. Overall if my game actually worked I would rate this a 6-10 just because it looks so cool with all the robots and the Wall-E type of feel I got from it, but it just sucks that my game got stuck like that. So if you plan to buy it just take this into account. Peace and love to the developers.
– Real player with 0.4 hrs in game
Interesting art style and concept however the finished package that’s delivered for us to play is not fully developed and comes off as a bit bland. Not worth playing. Also, really should have picked a more unique name so it can even show up in the Steam search. Only reason why I found it was because of a direct link in a random discussion somewhere.
– Real player with 0.1 hrs in game
COAST GUARD
One of a handful of titles which would benefit from a “Mediocre” addition to the rating system on here, Coast Guard really never could decide what it wanted to be. For the first two thirds of it, I’d have given this game a positive rating…but then you get to the last third and it all goes down the tubes.
! You follow the duties of coast guard Officer Finn Asdair who ends up rescuing and falling for refugee Fatima Morgane. Fatima is then recaptured by the scumbag trafficker who originally had her, raped, and murdered. Your boss is in on it and sinks the ship with you aboard to cover everything up, the game ends with you saving the seemingly sketchy but actually decent forensics specialist and credits roll. Pretty lame.
– Real player with 20.5 hrs in game
I’m giving this game a 5/10 Some very cool ideas here, and some solid simulation building. The CONCEPT of the story is very cool.
All that said, I am kind of offended as to how little research the developers did into the actual Coast Guard. I was in the Coast Guard. Its nothing like this. This is more like the story of the most well funded, die hard auxilarists the world has ever known.
Also special mention has to be given to the script and voice acting. I think the developers voiced this themselves in their house and had to keep their voice down because the kids were asleep or something. It’s “Jill Sandwich” bad.
– Real player with 9.4 hrs in game
Game Of Puzzles: Slavic Mythology
A very easy, relaxing game with beautiful artwork. The main draw for me was its educational jumping off point to look into the folklore creatures more thoroughly elsewhere. The game play is a simple jigsaw puzzle block mover, and I got through it all in less than an hour on my first play through. I’ve gone back to it a few times when I’ve been stressed and just wanted a pretty game where I had no possible way of failing.
I think the game would be good for kids.
– Real player with 8.7 hrs in game
Damn fine puzzle game. Just very short. Pick up on a sale. 10/10.
– Real player with 0.7 hrs in game
Lamplighter
It’s 1807 and you are a lamplighter, responsible for keeping the street lights of London lit.
Lamplighter is a story-driven puzzle game, set amidst the magical early 1800s when gas street lamps began to turn night into day and provoke people’s imaginations, hopes, and fears.
Key Features:
-
Unique puzzle mechanic involves creating regions of light and darkness on a grid, where same-colored regions cannot touch. Solve logic puzzles to keep the streets of London lit.
-
Interact with characters along your lamplighting route. As the wielder of a strange and new technology, you have the power to affect people’s opinions.
-
Make choices that affect the story’s outcome: Will London accept progress or will fear prevail? You’ll decide through your dialogue choices and puzzle-solving skills.