Far from Noise Review - This often ends with a cliffhanger

lyra.roberge (56)in #gaming • 7 years ago (edited)

The boundary between interactive entertainment and gaming is constantly fading and Far from Noise is another game that raises questions about this movement. Honestly, there is not much 'game' here, but that is not bad if the experience offered is as catchy, relaxing and simply integrating as this one.

There is also not much to tell; this review is therefore an unlikely short one. Far from Noise takes place exclusively on the edge of a cliff. A young woman, who is looking for peace and a place to think about life, the universe and everything, has accidentally mistaken herself in a very approached position. Her Citroën 2CV (or Laura, as she calls it) is rolled forward and balances on the edge of the cliff - think of the scene at the end of The Italian Job, but here it is a worn old French car with a young woman behind the wheel, instead of a bus full of use.

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And that is also largely the case. The nameless woman sits in her car and thinks about her situation in a monologue that not only concerns her difficult position, but also life in general. It is a scenario that leads to the necessary conscience research; we gain more insight into the life of the woman where we communicate this strange moment.

There are some branches to explore if you decide to replay the game, but these are mostly variations on the conversations and it must be said that we were not very interested in playing the title a second time after finishing. This is not a negative comment, because the story has a tenderly well-paced and the experience feels complete after having played it out once.

It felt largely complete thanks to excellent writing. The 'cell-shaded' art style is certainly ingeniously executed (although some of the more complex details are lost when you play on a small screen) and the camera's positioning of the game allowed us to enjoy a beautiful view - yet the writing was the thing what managed to grab us. We were able to form our character subtly thanks to dialogue options, but these light nudges lead to predetermined directions - in which the character of this young woman remains consistent. We can take her. She was funny, a bit eccentric and has a nice argument that caught us.

During the short but fine experience, the dialogue options gave us the chance to flirt with a few philosophical questions, but we were never overloaded by them and were able to touch some interesting things without getting lost. We were constantly thrilled by the tone and style of writing, and there was certainly a theme around mindfulness that turned out to be refreshingly simple. Maybe we could have got a bit more background story, because we never had the idea that we really got to know her through.

The soundtrack certainly helped us to take in the moment and we recommend everyone who tries out the adventure to wear headphones. The music is sensitive and simple, but fits perfectly with the atmosphere that the game's creator, George Batchelor, had in mind. Coupled with a few well-timed sound effects, it creates a well-rounded whole that ingeniously combines story, sound and visual style.

We certainly enjoyed the subtle interactive experience and it is a great way to spend a few hours of your day - listening to a soothing sound while making your own quirky dialogue choices. Apart from all this charm, however, the game does not offer a lot of variety and unless you, just like us, are gripped by the scenario and the voice of the characters, there is not much to get out of the experience. We recommend the title, but with a warning: this is more an experience than a game and if you are looking for something more active then this is not for you. On the other hand, if you love games as much as you can enjoy a walk through nature, Far from Noise is worth a few hours of your time.

Pros & Cons

➕ Beautiful atmosphere; subtle but fascinating experience; good use of sound; ingenious writing.
➖ Sometimes a bit vague; visual details are lost on a small screen; little reason to play again.