Wayward Strand - Review
The debut title from local developer Ghost Pattern has taken off and features a cast brimming with local talent. Does this story focused adventure have what it takes to keep flying in todays gaming landscape, or is this an airship that you should avoid?
The game gives you control of a 14-year-old girl named Casey, who has been brought into her mothers work, in order to help out for a few days, the catch is that the place of work is a converted airship. Casey herself is an aspiring journalist and has a paper due for school, so she decides to use the time on board, as a chance to interview the folks that live and work there, in order to find a good story. Through the game’s interactivity, you begin to open and unlock the mysteries of this floating home, so the more people you talk with, the more stories and titbits you will discover. Slowly over time, you meet each character, their quirk and personalities, as well as how they intertwine with each other. It important to note however that calling this a game is not the most accurate description, it does have interactive elements, but feels more like a visual novel, which is something Ghost Pattern doesn’t hide.
The story unfolds slowly as you navigate the three different levels of the ship and enter each patient’s rooms to converse with them. On a positive note, the actions and movement of the game are straightforward and extremely easy to understand. That means that anyone without any real gaming experience, will be able to jump on in and experience the world alongside Casey. For those gamers who are used to the fast-paced world of Elden Ring or Call of Duty, this may be a deterrent for you, as the slower pace that the game offers up is quite unlike anything else around. This is of course to say that you won’t enjoy it, but if you are expecting a narrative adventure that requires fast responses in order to progress the story, you won’t find it here.
The games slower pace shouldn’t result in any real issues technically, but there are noticeable hiccups in the loading, when you are moving between floors, the game doesn’t lock up, but you will notice it. Something else that may be a point against the game is that you’re not able to easily skip dialogue, meaning that if you read the characters’ speech bubbles faster than the speak, you may find yourself growing frustrated. This could be done on purpose as each character is brought to life with some amazing voice acting, with each of the actors able to bring out and match the personalities of these retirees.
Something that you may or may not be aware of going in, is that the game plays out in real time, stories are happening all over the ship at once and its up to you to discover them. Should something interesting be taking place on the top of the ship, you may miss out on something a level down, meaning you have to make the decision on what stories you are going to follow. The fact that you can play the game and miss out on some full storylines does mean that replaying the game would be a requirement to see everything, but the games never truly feels punishing if you don’t.
The visual design and style feels appropriate for a small indie developer, the fact that this minimalistic style also helps to enhance the narrative, is a bonus. The game makes use of a look that evokes a hand drawn feel, something that we have seen in a number of games and while it could remind players of the art style in Borderlands, it reminds me more of TinTin, where character have a variation in dark outlines filled with brighter colours. The opening scenes uses panels, similarly to comic books, which is a nice touch, before players jump on to start flipping through the game’s narrative. And though the game’s level isn’t necessarily huge in terms of how much you can explore, it all is surrounded by the amount of interactivity you have with the characters you meet.
The games audio presentation is just as wonderful as its visuals and yes its music is much slower than most modern games, it feels right at home with the gameplay on offer. I mentioned before that the voice acting is top notch and if some of the voices sound familiar, that is because some Australian icons have lent their talents to bringing the game to life. Anne Charleston or Madge from Neighbours, Jenny Seedsman from Blue Heelers and of course, Michael Caton from The Castle, and they are just the start.
Wayward Strand is more a digital interactive story, rather than a game and apart from the fact that you control a character, conversations with other characters could have been done with cardboard cut-outs. The game offers up a very light hearted vibe, which goes with its slower calm paced storytelling and is nice to see compared to how the world is these days. As mentioned before, the voice acting of each character is fantastic and really brings life to each encounter with the residents in the airship.
If you were expecting a faster paced story driven game, this is absolutely the opposite. Is it for everyone? No. Is it good if you’re needing a break from action, fighting or intense games and interactivity? Yes. Just be prepared and know what’s expected before diving in.
The Score
7.0
Review code provided by Ghost Pattern
The Pros
+Amazing voice acting
+Conversing with characters makes you want to find out more
+Well thought of details in narrative, characters and visual design
The Cons
-Slow pace may not appeal to everyone
-Small level area (airship)
-Notable load time while playing
