A very cute game with very cute ideas.

This is a such a cute game. Very chill. Not too long. Changes up the gimmicks often.

It was pretty when it came out and still pretty now. Very stylized and sets the vibe well.

It controls well. No realy complaints there. The vine gimmick is a bit tedious. The worst part of the game. But still fun enough.

The story is just cute and heartfelt. Cheerful with a tone of saddness. The vibes change in ways that are surprising. It does it all well.

I've played this game twice. Both times a were fun. Nothing special, but still fun.

In 2024, this game does not have the same impact that it might have during 2012, when there was really nothing quite like on the PS3. Over the last decade, it's no longer a novelty to play with the conventions of video games, color, 3D geometry, etc... and yet this game still feels unique with much of its approach. I finished this game with mixed feelings, because while it is very imaginative and had a lot of clever ideas (including a particularly strong ending), it doesn't feel cohesive. The pacing spends too long with some ideas and fails to really explore some others.

The game opens in a white maze, and as you toss ink you eventually start creating the outlines of a world, which can look striking at different angles. Your sense of place is a mystery so you want to solve that mystery. However, there is not a mystery to be solved. The story is literal and straightforward and the area you walk around in does not really contain much of interest. The collectable balloons are nice but are contextually weird. The areas don't encourage exploration, in fact I think the idea of the first area is to be a bit aimless.

The next area is the longest of the game, and you can see everything laid out in front of you. The puzzles are not really there to challenge you, and after a while it started feeling tedious to me to follow the prescribed path around the zone. There are flashes of things being interesting, such as when you first get access to the weeds, but the third area is where things really fell off for me. They went in another new direction by having a dark area and turned into a survival game. It was not really what I expected or wanted out of this particular game. Then in the final part of the level unlock the new mechanic, to create platforms. It felt exciting until you discover that you're basically just building the same staircases everywhere and it's all over soon.

The final chapter surprised me with how suddenly everything ended, but I do think they made some good creative choices in telling the story from the King's perspective. It's just a shame that I was not invested in the story at all by that point. It's written as a children's story, and so there's not a lot to grasp onto there.

I want to make a pun about this game feeling unfinished or sloppy/messy like the ink blots of this game, but I do respect it more than that. Overall, I'm glad I played this, and maybe I'll enjoy it more on a future playthrough but the execution left a bit to be desired.

Top 50 Favorites: #13

Like if that spark of wide-eyed childhood wonderment we're inevitably forced to stuff away somewhere deep was a video game - in which you are asked to see the world the way a child sees it, like a blank canvas where the possibilities of what you can do/create just seem so boundless. A world in which the ones who are older - the ones with power - don't take advantage of us, and instead gaze upon us in admiration as they ready our seats at their proverbial table. Though most importantly, a world in which a life rendered incomplete can still see through to its beautiful conclusion - where our fears of fading away forever are remedied. Feels like walking right inside of an artist's easel, with a lovely painted sketchbook palette, sweet fairytale vibes, and unforgettable music. Gives you so many neat gameplay mechanics one right after the other just to have fun with, what a treat. Never, ever fails to enchant and impress.

This is a game that made quite the impression on me back in my PS3 days, where these artsy "experience" type indie games were less common. Painting your environment into existence is still a great concept, as are the later-introduced concepts of spraying water to create climbable vines and making blueprint blocks to climb. These gameplay elements, however, are not expanded upon too much; they're a novelty, but a really cool novelty, just interesting enough to propel you through the game's narrative. Said narrative is presented like a fairytale, and hovers somewhere between absurdist, charming, and provocative, though I personally wish it committed more to only one of these elements. Like other games of its ilk, what it all means is mostly left up to your interpretation, but it resolves in a satisfactory enough way regardless. There are minor collectibles, unlockables, and a brisk pace that makes finding everything not feel tedious. The visuals are very simple, but tactfully so, as your ink and vines are what make the mostly monochromatic world look distinct. The music is subtle and ethereal, appropriate for this type of game, but perhaps lacking in character.

I see massive potential to expand on both the game's story and gameplay mechanics, but as is, the Unfinished Swan is fairly straightforward, pleasant journey.

SPOILER:

...I just realized you never actually finish the swan, and I don't know how to feel about that.

Sights & Sounds
- Very interesting art style throughout, though some areas (the city and palace in particular) are more inspiring than others
- The music is fine; it didn't add or subtract from the experience

Story & Vibes
- It's a simple, bittersweet tale about family and overcoming loss
- Despite the dark parts of the story, the game's mood never feels depressing or mournful. I feel like the themes could have been explored a little more

Playability & Replayability
- The game controls fine, but that's because all you can do is walk, climb, jump, and shoot
- The central mechanic of firing paint or water to progress is neat. The twists they put on the simple mechanic are creative, but I feel like the idea could have been explored further
- I don't think I'll be replaying this one. The balloon collecting wasn't fun enough to warrant another playthrough

Overall Impressions
- The game ran flawlessly the whole way through
- After finishing, I was left wanting a bit more. Is the "unfinished" thing a gag? Whatever the case, the experience wasn't as fulfilling as I had hoped it would be

Final Verdict
- 6.5/10. Get it on sale if you like the art style. It's a short (2.5-3 hour) game that looks pretty and has a few cool tricks but will leave you wanting more from your experience