A decade after its release, the original "Valiant Hearts" has managed to stick with me. The point-and-click, QTE-heavy travelogue through World War I tells interlinked stories of loss, triumph, woe and endurance with respect, dignity and pathos.
The sequel, "Valiant Hearts: Coming Home" digs up even more thoughtful stories from the oft-neglected trenches, building on the strengths of the original while minimizing its weaknesses.
While the first game sometimes struggles with obtuse bottlenecks, the sequel's puzzles have more of a natural flow and rarely impede your progress.
There is also a heck of a lot more action from the jump. Early on, you find yourself chasing down a runaway plane, dodging flocks of birds and enemy fire while airborne and floating through U-boat debris to sift through wreckage and rescue sailors from both sides of the conflict who are grasping at what shreds of life still remain.
At turns heartbreaking, invigorating and chilling, "Valiant Hearts: Coming Home" quickly etched a spot in my heart, as well as allowed for some nostalgic bonding with my 17-year-old son, with whom I played the original game at age 7. This will no doubt go down as one of my favorite titles of 2024.
Publisher provided review code.
No comments:
Post a Comment