It's as if you are listening to an album using the free, ad-ridden, Spotify version.
It feels like Sayonara Wild Hearts takes a lot of liberty and references from AAA cinematic games, i.e, they try to evoke a thrilling blockbuster experience with trivial movement sequences, heavy cutscene usage, forgiving checkpoints and some quick-time events sprinkled throughout. It's technically that but with a
pop-music aesthetic wrapped on top of it.
It's weird to constrast it to games like "FOOTSIES", which stripped a genre to one base fundamental to create a new, but familiar, experience. SWH, on the other hand, desperately feels like it tries to eat more than it can chew instead of properly scoping the game.
At it's core, the game is (grossly simplified) a Subway Surfer-like with some quick-time events. This description doesn't really do justice what the game tries to do, but it is a far more accurate description that labeling it as a "rhythm" game (like the Steam page does). The controls can feel rather sluggish and undercooked in some parts, but it serves it purpose. It is kind of sad that the game just boils down to: quick time events -> subway surfer part -> quick time events -> rinse and repeat.
What sets apart Sayonara Wild Hearts to other similar games boils down to their audiovisual department - the unique artstyle, strong color choices, dazzling shaders/effects and heavy camera usage all create a refined, unique and thrilling experience. The Soundtrack creates a good addendum to the entire experience, but I wouldn't really listen to it outside of the game - it's ok.
The story kind of flew over my head a bit (I persume it's about growing as a person and moving past internal termoil?) since everything story-related was presented in such a rapid-fire fashion I didn't really have time to process it.
Unfortunately, what really irked me and kind of tainted my experience was the constant break of flow: Halting the pop album adventure after every single song is soo damn annoying and jarring and kinda gets you out of that fun/flow zone. It's as if I was bombarded with Ads after every song - kinda ruins it.
Despite all of that, I still recommend the game. It accomplishes one thing quite well: the games serves as a great "mood lifter" and boy, did I need that.
It feels like Sayonara Wild Hearts takes a lot of liberty and references from AAA cinematic games, i.e, they try to evoke a thrilling blockbuster experience with trivial movement sequences, heavy cutscene usage, forgiving checkpoints and some quick-time events sprinkled throughout. It's technically that but with a
pop-music aesthetic wrapped on top of it.
It's weird to constrast it to games like "FOOTSIES", which stripped a genre to one base fundamental to create a new, but familiar, experience. SWH, on the other hand, desperately feels like it tries to eat more than it can chew instead of properly scoping the game.
At it's core, the game is (grossly simplified) a Subway Surfer-like with some quick-time events. This description doesn't really do justice what the game tries to do, but it is a far more accurate description that labeling it as a "rhythm" game (like the Steam page does). The controls can feel rather sluggish and undercooked in some parts, but it serves it purpose. It is kind of sad that the game just boils down to: quick time events -> subway surfer part -> quick time events -> rinse and repeat.
What sets apart Sayonara Wild Hearts to other similar games boils down to their audiovisual department - the unique artstyle, strong color choices, dazzling shaders/effects and heavy camera usage all create a refined, unique and thrilling experience. The Soundtrack creates a good addendum to the entire experience, but I wouldn't really listen to it outside of the game - it's ok.
The story kind of flew over my head a bit (I persume it's about growing as a person and moving past internal termoil?) since everything story-related was presented in such a rapid-fire fashion I didn't really have time to process it.
Unfortunately, what really irked me and kind of tainted my experience was the constant break of flow: Halting the pop album adventure after every single song is soo damn annoying and jarring and kinda gets you out of that fun/flow zone. It's as if I was bombarded with Ads after every song - kinda ruins it.
Despite all of that, I still recommend the game. It accomplishes one thing quite well: the games serves as a great "mood lifter" and boy, did I need that.