While the development team at the USC Game Innovation Lab
insist Walden, a game isn’t meant to just be an educational experience, I'm
afraid I can't see it as anything else because it isn't much of a video game.
Seeing the world through Henry David Thoreau’s eyes as he lives off the land at
Walden Pond is certainly an interesting concept, but the execution here is so
dry and the gameplay so clunky and boring it is extremely hard to get into. As
companion material for students studying Thoreau, Walden, a game is probably
absolutely fantastic. As a game anyone would play for fun, however, it falls
well short. Continue reading our Walden, a game PS4 review for more.
Game Details
- Publisher: USC Game Innovation Lab
- Developer: USC Game Innovation Lab
- ESRB Rating: “E” For Everyone
- Genre: Walking Sim
- Pros: Great educational tool
- Cons: Clunky gameplay; boring; kinda ugly; pretentious
- MSRP: $19
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Walden, a game is a first-person adventure walking
simulator-style game. While living off the land and surviving is the goal, it
isn't actually a survival game to the point you can actually just not do stuff
and there aren’t really any consequences. Well, Thoreau does lose his
inspiration, which causes his movement to become sluggish and slow if you don’t
make any effort, but you won’t see a game over. The point here, then, is just to
absorb Thoreau’s philosophy and experience the tranquility of nature.
Except it’s boring. Really, really boring. Even in a genre
that isn’t exactly known for being exciting, Walden, a game stands out for
being really freaking bland. Other walking simulators tell interesting stories
or give you beautiful worlds to explore that keep you engaged, but Walden does
neither of those things. Perhaps if you love Thoreau’s writing and agree with
his philosophy then it might draw you in more, but as an outsider trying to get
a peek into this world I have to say it’s just really bland.
Even though I haven’t read Thoreau I have enjoyed works
inspired by him, most notably “My Side of the Mountain” by Jean George, which
is one of my all time favorite books. I approached this game kind of hoping for
my own adventure actually having to survive off of the rugged wilderness, but
as I mentioned, survival isn’t the point here. I take full responsibility for
my disappointment, since I expected something the game was never intended to
be, but what the game actually is isn’t particularly good, which is a bigger
problem.
The game is just not fun to play. Your movement speed, even
when you have “inspiration” is plodding at best. Interacting with items in the
environment is clunky and awkward as you shimmy around and hammer the interact
button until you’re in the proper position for Thoreau’s hand to actually reach
out and grab something. The analog stick motions the game asks of you to do
things like chop wood or cast your fishing line also don’t register properly a
good bit of the time.
If you’ve read PSXBoxIndies before you should know that
I actually am a huge fan of slowly paced, narrative driven, walking
simulator-style games so Walden, a game should be right up my alley. The
problem is that it doesn’t really get anything right that makes me enjoy so
many other games in the genre. The story isn’t interesting. The storytelling
style is dry and pretentious. The gameplay is awkward and clunky and slow. And
the presentation isn’t great. The game is kind of ugly and last-gen looking,
honestly, which makes it hard to soak in the beauty of nature like the game
wants you to.
When you put it all together, Walden, a game isn’t going to
be very appealing for most gamers. There are dozens of walking sims out there
that do everything Walden tries to do much more effectively. Likewise, there
are tons of actual survival sims these days that task you with realistic
survival as well, though most of them have combat and “enemies”, which is something
I could do without (I want to re-live “My Side of the Mountain” remember). As a
game you play for fun, Walden, a game is a failure. As an educational tool for
students studying Thoreau’s work, however, I’m sure it will be very useful.