This review contains spoilers
Spoilers only discussed at the very bottom
Despite the fame of its predecessor, it’s not surprising Finding Paradise fell under the radar: To the Moon was too popular to be a cult classic, yet too indie to be mainstream. Had it been the former, enough fans would’ve kept interest strong over the years; had it been the latter, bigger publications would’ve reported on a sequel's development.
Regardless, quality has nothing to do with recognition, and so the question that remains is, is Finding Paradise worth checking out? Well, after my less-than-stellar experience with A Bird Story, I went in expecting to write-off it off as another saccharine publication from Freebird Games. Thankfully, that assumption failed to pan out as Finding Paradise is a notable improvement upon both its prequels, providing a stronger story that gives me hope for the future of this franchise (even as it is encumbered by thematic flaws).
Eva and Neil are back, this time to fulfill dying man Colin’s wish of having a more satisfying life. The catch is he doesn’t want the majority of his biography changed, this cognitive dissonance causing his mind to boomerang the two scientists between past and future events. What exactly does he want and why is there so much psychothermic resistance? That’s up to find out should you play the game.
The first thing you’ll notice about Finding Paradise is its tempo: this is a game that excels at pacing. The general formula is you’ll enter a memory, see a scene play out, then run around clicking random objects until you get enough orbs to unlock the next stage. Unlike To the Moon, you’re not spending an inordinate amount of time per an area, but rather hopping-and-leaving within a five minute timeframe, and while this may seem short, the writing does a tremendous job of being bite-size yet filling. Rarely do you feel like you’re wasting your time meandering about aimlessly: spaces are contained, token placement intuitive, and the dialogue succinct at conveying the purpose of this remembrance.
That said, all the consistency in the world wouldn’t have mattered if the story wasn’t up to par, and that’s luckily not the case here. As stated above, I preferred Finding Paradise over To the Moon, and given the limited gameplay of both titles, that obviously came down to the quality of the narratives. To the Moon had a solid synopsis it executed relatively well for 2/3s of its run, but where it went wrong (IMO) was in the last act wherein Eva acted way out of character in a vain attempt at resolving the storyline. Finding Paradise has no such deviations, its own finale incorporating a surprisingly well-thought-out climax that satisfyingly quells the rising action. It has its own issues for sure, namely regarding its implicatory themes+, but these are mostly offset by creator Kan Gao’s sure-handed direction. Whereas it seemed TTM wanted to elicit an emotion first, tell a story second, here it’s the opposite situation and, as a result, the sadder moments end up feeling a lot more natural and consequently earned.
Aiding this accomplishment is the humor, which has been significantly dialed-back from the ampleness of yore. Though this was probably done to showcase Neil’s character development, the effect, nonetheless, is a more-tonally consistent work that manages to be equal parts funny and dramatic (the 4th Wall gags being particularly humorous). While Gao still hasn’t found the perfect balance, Finding Paradise is a definite sign of his growth as a writer.
Besides the spoilery criticism, I only had two other problems with the story: one, some of the endgame dialogues drag-on longer than needed; and two, there’s a B-plot threaded throughout the game whose sole purpose is to set-up a sequel.++ It’d be one thing if it was just a cliffhanger the way Neil’s heartbeat in TTM was; however, not only does it constantly pop up here, but it involves the participation of two additional colleagues of Neil’s (one of whom is particularly annoying).
Graphically, Finding Paradise has seen a slight uptick from its predecessor, particularly in the facial department. I was stunned by the sheer amount of emotional range Freebird was able to convey on the RPG Maker’s miniscule sprites -- from twitching eyebrows to partially-closed eyelids, you can easily glean the mood of an NPC without reading a single sentence. Freebird has also done a wonderful job rendering clothing as smaller articles like ties, jewelry, and buttons are all discernible, even from a cursory glance. However, it’s the sheer diversity of environments that’ll garner the most acclaim as the developers truly went all out in this department. From what I can remember about TTM, it was a lot more mundane as far as stagecraft: you had bedrooms, parks, and schoolhouses amongst other conventional buildings. Those facilities are here too, but the larger scope of the story entails a greater amount of spaces on top of them, from airplane interiors to aquariums, and it became a genuine treat to not know what you were going to get hit with each time you advanced.
Unfortunately, for all the strengths in the writing and visuals, the lack of voice acting continues to be a plague on this series. While I get the games were intended to be a throwback to 90s SNES titles (which, at best, featured limited grunts and groans), the reality is good performances would’ve elevated Gao’s script significantly. As it stands, you’ll have to contend with a proxy-substitute in the way of music, the results of which are a mixed bag as a whole. Gao did the composing himself, and objectively speaking it’s a very good score; alternatively sweeping and bounded when it needs to be. But, similar to the problem I had with Rumbling Hearts’s OST, its biggest issue is its implementation in the narrative- when you’re only boosting the volume during emotional beats, the outcome is hackneyed melodrama that feels manipulative at best. It really is a case where Gao should’ve left the music editing up to an impartial third-party as he was evidently incapable of translacing his compositions within the structure of the game.
SFX, on the other hand, has been overly-skimped on: outside of the orb shooting and one notable cutscene (you’ll know it when you see it), there’s nothing that stands out, leaving us with the gameplay which, as noted earlier, is very sparse courteous of these titles being story catalysts. The only thing you’ve got is a tile-matching minigame you need to complete at the end of each level, and it’s as easy as any Candy Crush release.
As such, make your purchasing decision off of whether you think the story will be to your liking as, despite the clear musical intentions, this is a well-crafted tale free of cloying syrup ala A Bird Story. That said, unless you’re fine with walking around nonstop, this may not be a game for you.
NOTES
-No, you do not have to play A Bird Story to understand anything in Finding Paradise. See the spoiler tag below as to why a popular fan theory is wrong too.+++
-The game does a slightly better job of digging into the ethics of memory rewriting, but I wish future entries (should they come about) actually explore it to its fullest.
-Part of me wonders if more was initially intended in terms of choice given that you find numerous instances of Colin’s regrets, instances that are stored in your notes section.
-Finding Paradise strangely does not have any Steam achievements despite there being many actions that would’ve resulted in their garnering.
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+The grand resolution comes down to the scientists realizing Colin is dissatisfied because he suppressed his imaginary friend Faye and was not able to live out his greater aspirations. To fix this, they reinsert her into his life in order to provide him closure. I find this problematic because it’s basically saying make-believe pals are healthy for children on up, when that is so far from the truth. Western society honestly has this issue of masking unhealthy psychological processes as things to be admired, when the reality is they should be wrung out of adolescence: traits like shyness, nervousness, anxiety, ADD, and overactive imaginations. There are ways to promote creativity in kids without nurturing such toxic conditions, the latter of which is blatantly done here.
++Neil has been creating a separate, unsanctioned machine. Its purpose is kept hidden, though it’s implied to be tied to his heart condition. And the annoying character is Dr. Winters.
+++People claim that Faye is a humanoid representation of the bird, yet in one flashback Colin explicitly talks to her about the bird friend he had.
Despite the fame of its predecessor, it’s not surprising Finding Paradise fell under the radar: To the Moon was too popular to be a cult classic, yet too indie to be mainstream. Had it been the former, enough fans would’ve kept interest strong over the years; had it been the latter, bigger publications would’ve reported on a sequel's development.
Regardless, quality has nothing to do with recognition, and so the question that remains is, is Finding Paradise worth checking out? Well, after my less-than-stellar experience with A Bird Story, I went in expecting to write-off it off as another saccharine publication from Freebird Games. Thankfully, that assumption failed to pan out as Finding Paradise is a notable improvement upon both its prequels, providing a stronger story that gives me hope for the future of this franchise (even as it is encumbered by thematic flaws).
Eva and Neil are back, this time to fulfill dying man Colin’s wish of having a more satisfying life. The catch is he doesn’t want the majority of his biography changed, this cognitive dissonance causing his mind to boomerang the two scientists between past and future events. What exactly does he want and why is there so much psychothermic resistance? That’s up to find out should you play the game.
The first thing you’ll notice about Finding Paradise is its tempo: this is a game that excels at pacing. The general formula is you’ll enter a memory, see a scene play out, then run around clicking random objects until you get enough orbs to unlock the next stage. Unlike To the Moon, you’re not spending an inordinate amount of time per an area, but rather hopping-and-leaving within a five minute timeframe, and while this may seem short, the writing does a tremendous job of being bite-size yet filling. Rarely do you feel like you’re wasting your time meandering about aimlessly: spaces are contained, token placement intuitive, and the dialogue succinct at conveying the purpose of this remembrance.
That said, all the consistency in the world wouldn’t have mattered if the story wasn’t up to par, and that’s luckily not the case here. As stated above, I preferred Finding Paradise over To the Moon, and given the limited gameplay of both titles, that obviously came down to the quality of the narratives. To the Moon had a solid synopsis it executed relatively well for 2/3s of its run, but where it went wrong (IMO) was in the last act wherein Eva acted way out of character in a vain attempt at resolving the storyline. Finding Paradise has no such deviations, its own finale incorporating a surprisingly well-thought-out climax that satisfyingly quells the rising action. It has its own issues for sure, namely regarding its implicatory themes+, but these are mostly offset by creator Kan Gao’s sure-handed direction. Whereas it seemed TTM wanted to elicit an emotion first, tell a story second, here it’s the opposite situation and, as a result, the sadder moments end up feeling a lot more natural and consequently earned.
Aiding this accomplishment is the humor, which has been significantly dialed-back from the ampleness of yore. Though this was probably done to showcase Neil’s character development, the effect, nonetheless, is a more-tonally consistent work that manages to be equal parts funny and dramatic (the 4th Wall gags being particularly humorous). While Gao still hasn’t found the perfect balance, Finding Paradise is a definite sign of his growth as a writer.
Besides the spoilery criticism, I only had two other problems with the story: one, some of the endgame dialogues drag-on longer than needed; and two, there’s a B-plot threaded throughout the game whose sole purpose is to set-up a sequel.++ It’d be one thing if it was just a cliffhanger the way Neil’s heartbeat in TTM was; however, not only does it constantly pop up here, but it involves the participation of two additional colleagues of Neil’s (one of whom is particularly annoying).
Graphically, Finding Paradise has seen a slight uptick from its predecessor, particularly in the facial department. I was stunned by the sheer amount of emotional range Freebird was able to convey on the RPG Maker’s miniscule sprites -- from twitching eyebrows to partially-closed eyelids, you can easily glean the mood of an NPC without reading a single sentence. Freebird has also done a wonderful job rendering clothing as smaller articles like ties, jewelry, and buttons are all discernible, even from a cursory glance. However, it’s the sheer diversity of environments that’ll garner the most acclaim as the developers truly went all out in this department. From what I can remember about TTM, it was a lot more mundane as far as stagecraft: you had bedrooms, parks, and schoolhouses amongst other conventional buildings. Those facilities are here too, but the larger scope of the story entails a greater amount of spaces on top of them, from airplane interiors to aquariums, and it became a genuine treat to not know what you were going to get hit with each time you advanced.
Unfortunately, for all the strengths in the writing and visuals, the lack of voice acting continues to be a plague on this series. While I get the games were intended to be a throwback to 90s SNES titles (which, at best, featured limited grunts and groans), the reality is good performances would’ve elevated Gao’s script significantly. As it stands, you’ll have to contend with a proxy-substitute in the way of music, the results of which are a mixed bag as a whole. Gao did the composing himself, and objectively speaking it’s a very good score; alternatively sweeping and bounded when it needs to be. But, similar to the problem I had with Rumbling Hearts’s OST, its biggest issue is its implementation in the narrative- when you’re only boosting the volume during emotional beats, the outcome is hackneyed melodrama that feels manipulative at best. It really is a case where Gao should’ve left the music editing up to an impartial third-party as he was evidently incapable of translacing his compositions within the structure of the game.
SFX, on the other hand, has been overly-skimped on: outside of the orb shooting and one notable cutscene (you’ll know it when you see it), there’s nothing that stands out, leaving us with the gameplay which, as noted earlier, is very sparse courteous of these titles being story catalysts. The only thing you’ve got is a tile-matching minigame you need to complete at the end of each level, and it’s as easy as any Candy Crush release.
As such, make your purchasing decision off of whether you think the story will be to your liking as, despite the clear musical intentions, this is a well-crafted tale free of cloying syrup ala A Bird Story. That said, unless you’re fine with walking around nonstop, this may not be a game for you.
NOTES
-No, you do not have to play A Bird Story to understand anything in Finding Paradise. See the spoiler tag below as to why a popular fan theory is wrong too.+++
-The game does a slightly better job of digging into the ethics of memory rewriting, but I wish future entries (should they come about) actually explore it to its fullest.
-Part of me wonders if more was initially intended in terms of choice given that you find numerous instances of Colin’s regrets, instances that are stored in your notes section.
-Finding Paradise strangely does not have any Steam achievements despite there being many actions that would’ve resulted in their garnering.
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+The grand resolution comes down to the scientists realizing Colin is dissatisfied because he suppressed his imaginary friend Faye and was not able to live out his greater aspirations. To fix this, they reinsert her into his life in order to provide him closure. I find this problematic because it’s basically saying make-believe pals are healthy for children on up, when that is so far from the truth. Western society honestly has this issue of masking unhealthy psychological processes as things to be admired, when the reality is they should be wrung out of adolescence: traits like shyness, nervousness, anxiety, ADD, and overactive imaginations. There are ways to promote creativity in kids without nurturing such toxic conditions, the latter of which is blatantly done here.
++Neil has been creating a separate, unsanctioned machine. Its purpose is kept hidden, though it’s implied to be tied to his heart condition. And the annoying character is Dr. Winters.
+++People claim that Faye is a humanoid representation of the bird, yet in one flashback Colin explicitly talks to her about the bird friend he had.