Return of the Obra Dinn is just phenomenal and I can't believe that I'm saying this because I dropped this game twice last year, but then I don't know what happened but I ended up picking it back up again from the beginning and ended up getting (probably) the most immersive gaming experience I've ever had.

I feel that this is one of those games that truly defines what separates video games from other visual mediums thanks to, what I consider to be the best use of the video game medium ever. This game is basically a murder mystery where you go to a ship lost at sea to investigate what happened there, and if this sounds boring to you, just give the game 5 minutes to change your mind. The more you investigate, the more you learn about the tragedy. The story itself is a fantastic one, mainly because of its out of order presentation. One moment its just a simple murder mystery, and the other moment it's.... well I suggest you see for yourself.

But despite all of my praises, this game definitely isn't for everyone as it very much asks for all of your attention, and there's also a possibility that you'll lose track of all the information that you've collected at some point if you don't pay attention. The game demands you to keep the story you've uncovered thus far on your mind at all times. The game itself isn't all that long, and can be finished in less than 5 sittings(like me), but the fact remains that this isn't one of those games you should push yourself into finishing. Lastly, for all the "gameplay outweighs story" people, the story is the gameplay for Obra Dinn, so.....

READ THIS
1) Try not use a walkthrough. You're missing the whole point of the game if you're using one, and you're better off dropping the game if you're doing that. If you're completely lost, checkout one of those on google. Don't watch the youtube walkthroughs at all, you'll end up ruining your experience.
2) I think this is something that anyone who's trying to get into this should know: the game, despite being confusing as fuck is very linear. It subtly does do a lot of handholding. So yeah, for those like me who were scratching their heads all the time in the first 1-2 hours, I hope this was relieving to hear.

All that being said, Return of the Obra Dinn is an experience I'll definitely never forget. The absolutely gorgeous art style, the soundtrack, the story, everything about this game is perfect. Definitely the best game I've played all year(so far).

Reviewed on Jul 26, 2023


1 Comment


9 months ago

@Snakebutnotsolid

I think the confusion in the beginning is the point. It's one of those games that becomes easier the more you play it, which is rare.