To start off, despite being on radar, must confess to state that it's quite outrageous for me to have stalled on such a brilliant jewel of a runner. Never had it occurred to me that behind such a first person platforming, open world parkour-esque title would incorporate such a visual treat under its veil. The first encounter with this one was strictly out of curiosity, in a moment what grasped my attention were the serene landscapes and breathtaking vistas that met my eyes. A simple try-out turned out to be an entire session, sacrificed were the hours of post mid-night which compromised my sleep, yet so, time well spent.

As an explorer, you are equipped with an exoskeleton code named L.E.A.F suit in search of an elusive Item known as the "Lifeseed", said to contain incredible powers. You reach a remote area filled with archaeological excavation sites where you explore and unravel the mysteries and wonders of the land at your footing.

The exoskeleton enables one to jump and sprint at an inhuman level with other unique features in your repertoire as you progress. The "moral compass" mechanic is quite fascinating where you're able to take and give Life to other living creatures, either depleting from your energy or adding to it. Though it isn't quite as polished which to me was something that couldn't be overlooked but that's a matter to cover at a later point.

One genius mechanic that came to my notice which was uniquely exclusive to Valley was where you're made to run faster as you're sprinting down a slope or a steep landscape by building momentum, the extra boost provides a greater leverage at jumping, reaching heights otherwise unattainable.

The story is decent at best and has a deeper message but what's disappointing is the fact that it's covered through audiologs and leaves plenty to be desired, however how it compensates is through the remarkably executed environmental design, impressive voice acting, great audio in conjunction with entertaining mechanics and abilities. Valley succeeds in delivering a joyful experience induced of a thrilling escapade with mesmerizing aesthetics.

With the FOV set to max, and a finger instinctively set on the trigger of the F12 key ( Default screenshot hotkey ). As a hobbyist intermediate photographer, had most of my time inspecting the surroundings for the perfect composition to frame.

Here is an exhibition of a few marvels that you can behold:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1992016878

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https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2081767096

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https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2064212601

To pay up is as if singing up for a virtual vacation trip, granted lacking thereof was the perception of smell - The fragrance of the mystical land that must've emanated and the somatosensory sensations, the feeling of being basked in the warmth of the glorious sunlight and the touch of gushing wind as you sprint into the wilderness, though in spite of such, the experience was certainly not far off.

Indeed a definite banger, especially at a criminally low price during a sale.