BLACKWOOD CROSSING (2017, PaperSeven) - Part 1

[Lucafg - Video Games & Art]

PaperSeven (http://www.paperseven.com/) is a small independent studio recently founded in Brighton (UK); the team is led by three over 50 veterans, Alice Guy, David Jefferies and Ryan Guy, coming from Black Rock Studios, wich was specialized in AAA titles for consoles, including the MotoGP series. The writer and lead designer is Oliver Red-Smith, author of the series The Room (2102). Incipit of their website reads: << Our goal is to produce games that have depth and meaning; create characters that go beyond the cliché; and that have a clear sense of style. >>.
VG&Art is pleased by these intentions, absolutely in line with its target and mission!

Now let's go to analyze their debut title: Blackwood Crossing (http://www.blackwoodcrossing.com/)

It is not a traditional game, but an interactive experience whose task is not getting fun through challenges and fights, as usually attributed to video games. It aims to emotionally involve the player, to tell a story and convey deep contents. Let's see if it managed to reach the goal!

The story revolves around two protagonists, Scarlett and Finn. The latter is a eight years old child, and Scarlett is his older sister, about 16 years old, both characterized by red hairs and delicate freckles on their faces. Your avatar, in first person view, is Scarlett.
It makes little sense to summarize the story, for the simple fact that it is not linear; it is a surreal interweaving of visions and dreams in which you pass from a moving train to a house on a tree, a greenhouse and even an island renamed Finn-landia!

The first time I saw the trailer I was reminded of the episode directed by Joe Dante in The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1986) , where a child with extraordinary magical powers held prisoners of his whims a group of adults . Indeed there are clear references, but it has nothing to do with the story told in BC. There are more significative references to Donnie Darko (2001), the R. Kelly's cult movie, and to Alice In Wonderland.

BC IS ABOUT CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE, THE DIFFICULTY TO ACCEPT DEATH AND LOSS OF THE LOVED ONES, TO GROW AND BECOME ADULTS BEFORE THE TIME. Its cinematographic vocation is confirmed by the nice quotes of many famous movies through a series of parodistic posters affixed to the walls of the train carriages.

Gaming experience resembles titles such as Virginia, Dear Esther, Everybody's Gone To The Rapture, Gone Home, etc. but it has original features, e.g., the fairy-tale aesthetics like a colorful Pixar/Disney cartoon. Graphic and animation are very pleasant, nothing to envy to the AAA titles; characters have a harmonious and pleasing design, so much to evoke tenderness, especially Finn, despite his quirks. But the excessive brightness of cartoon graphics diminishes the effectiveness of the visionary scenes, which on the contrary needed to be more alienating, disturbing and hallucinatory. For example, the scenes in which you face a shapeless dark matter or where you meet Rabbit Boy, an enigmatic character we will discuss later, they needed a better contrast, a much darker and psychedelic atmosphere able to create a deeper disturbance. Even Scarlett and Finn voice acting does not help; dialogues are witty and well written, but acting is too calm and minimal.

Gaming experience appears with few emotional peaks, a bit "braked", as if the developers could not fully put to use all the exciting premises; considering the contents and the cinematic and surreal approach, it was expected a greater emotional involvement, a deeper immersion.
I want to clarify that there is no shortage of magic, wonder and emotions, especially in the heartbreaking ending, but everything seems a bit 'braked'. Just as the Scarlett walking, which sometimes it's too slow and breaks the play rythm.
BC needed for more interaction; for heaven's sake, I'm not invoking the usual challenges; indeed the few environmental puzzles that you have to face are more than enough. For example it could make better use of magic to enhance the gaming experience without falling into the usual mechanics. On a couple of times Scarlett uses magical powers, but they are minimal, not so enchanting; I expected more amazement also by Finn powers, it could be an opportunity to let players imagination soar. Probably the small development team had to deal with a tight budget, a limit for a lot of indie productions .
BC gives the impression of being a good first experiment but still immature; I'm sure the creatives at PaperSeven will benefit from this critical review and, armed with a higher budget, they will develop immense masterpieces in the next future. This is only a succulent appetiser that, beyond my meticulous review, I strongly suggest, because it is able to capture the player for three or four hours, keeping you busy with an unusual virtual experience to be absolutely discovered; it also offers a stimulating intellectual challenge that can make you think about very deep and universal contents.

Visions and dreams in BC are full of symbolism and metaphors not easy to interpret, sometimes cryptic. I can think of at least two games with the same feature: Virginia (Variable State, 2016) and Everybody's Gone To The Rapture (The Chinese Room, 2015). To put together all the pieces of the story and focus on all its metaphorical meanings, I had to play it twice; I did it with great pleasure, it is worth to replay, even just to live again the beautiful ending: raise your hand if you have not moved to cry in the ending scene! Thanks also to the beautiful song that accompanies the whole adventure as instrumental arrangement, and which we listen in its entirety and in its melancholy vocal interpretation only in the ending: "The Crossing" by Ben Ottewell.

In the next and last part we are going to "decrypt" symbols and metaphors and to examine the deep contents offered by the title, putting together the pieces of a non-linear storytelling. I highly recommend you to read nex part only when you have completed the game.

This is my rating: 8/10

(continue)
Part 2
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/VgArtInt/discussions/2/1355♥♥♥♥9557203280/