(I played off-line during a cable outage, thus the short time; actual time to finish was ~5.5hrs)

A nicely made exploration game with platforming, shooting and light puzzle elements, Valley puts you on the search for the mythical Lifeseed in the Colorado Rockies. Along the way you investigate the ancient ruins of a past civilization and unearth the story of a 1941 military operation which attempted to exploit them. The story is told via audio recordings and letters scattered about which is nothing new but still works well.

The main gimmick of the game is the LEAF suit, an exoskeleton which allows you to leap great distances, run quickly and harness the power of life and death, literally taking life force from the plants and animals of the Valley or else restoring it to the dead. Even upon your demise, the suit will drain the flora and fauna around you to prevent your death at the cost of the Valley's health. Fortunately, power can also be found in floating orbs as well as mechanical contraptions left behind and you can manually restore what you took, tree by tree if you desire.

The suit is a treat to use, evoking the same fun as I've felt in games such as Prototype and Saints Row IV where you are suddenly able to make great jumps and later perform feats such as running up walls, swinging from grapples and even skimming along the surface of lakes. The platforming is pretty casual and I rarely missed a jump and never the same location twice. Similarly, my only deaths were from missed jumps and although you'll be given some antagonists to fight, they never present a serious challenge. This game is more about the exploration of the Valley and its story than a true platforming or shooting experience. But the world is well made, the story entertaining, the music enjoyable and the LEAF suit is fun to wear. As a casual story that won't demand too much time or skill, Valley is a fun recommendation.

(I played off-line during a cable outage, thus the short time; actual time to finish was ~5.5hrs) A nicely made exploration game with platforming, shooting and light puzzle elements, Valley puts you on the search for the mythical Lifeseed in the Colorado Rockies. Along the way you investigate the ancient ruins of a past civilization and unearth the story of a 1941 military operation which attempted to exploit them. The story is told via audio recordings and letters scattered about which is nothing new but still works well. The main gimmick of the game is the LEAF suit, an exoskeleton which allows you to leap great distances, run quickly and harness the power of life and death, literally taking life force from the plants and animals of the Valley or else restoring it to the dead. Even upon your demise, the suit will drain the flora and fauna around you to prevent your death at the cost of the Valley's health. Fortunately, power can also be found in floating orbs as well as mechanical contraptions left behind and you can manually restore what you took, tree by tree if you desire. The suit is a treat to use, evoking the same fun as I've felt in games such as Prototype and Saints Row IV where you are suddenly able to make great jumps and later perform feats such as running up walls, swinging from grapples and even skimming along the surface of lakes. The platforming is pretty casual and I rarely missed a jump and never the same location twice. Similarly, my only deaths were from missed jumps and although you'll be given some antagonists to fight, they never present a serious challenge. This game is more about the exploration of the Valley and its story than a true platforming or shooting experience. But the world is well made, the story entertaining, the music enjoyable and the LEAF suit is fun to wear. As a casual story that won't demand too much time or skill, Valley is a fun recommendation.