I wasn’t sold on Umurangi Generation until the very end when the full arc of its narrative and themes came into view. Up until that point, the game’s interesting world and unique way of exploring it (primarily through photography) had been somewhat hamstrung by clunky controls, counterproductive objectives, and a practically unparsable scoring system for the pictures you take.

But by the last run of stages (which were originally and surprisingly DLC), the game itself provided ways or I had found ways to work around these short comings. All the while, the scenes you walk in on escalate to an unforgettable ending.

So Umurangi Generation is far from perfect, but it drags itself far closer by the end. It definitely is a game in which player’s mileage will vary, in this case depending upon if you love to take pictures or not. But, regardless of your interest in photography, this game goes places you will want to see.