Blackwood Crossing

Blackwood Crossing , the title of their first title that we are going to talk about today, is not a video game like everyone else, but is more like an interactive story and approaches the kind of games that someone has defined as “walking simulator “.

In the game there are some parts where only our input can make history, but these are very simple puzzles and there is no need to bend too much; we will fully identify the young protagonist of the game, Scarlett, through a magical journey in his memories, or rather, those of his brother Finn, always looking for causes that may have compromised their relationship and a way to fix all of their problems.

The choice to summarize the gameplay in a few simple activities has convinced us, because it allows us to immerse ourselves completely in the narrative segment, always remaining the main players.

We will suddenly find ourselves in magical places created by the imagination of our little brother, one of the tree house on which the two brothers often played, or even the “Finnlandia”, an imaginative place rich in green in which to relax. We will be able to become part of these environments, thanks also to a good technical achievement and a well-crafted graphic style.

However, we will not be alone on this journey: we will find the most important people he has come in contact with, each wearing a different mask that reflects his personality in the eyes of the kid: for example a pork mask for the bullet of the class, a lion for her parents and an anonymous paper bag for Scarlett’s boyfriend, “guilty” of having left her sister away when he needed her most.

Through the magical powers that we will acquire during the journey, how to give birth to paper butterflies and the ability to attract the fire from one place to another, we can try to clarify all the misunderstandings of the past, discovering that the discomfort of Finn, but not just his, was much deeper than anyone could imagine.

The train represents a metaphor for all that, intelligently, the developers wanted to try to tell all the players: the important thing in this title, as in real life, is not the ultimate destination of life but the trip same. A journey full of happy moments, but obviously not all, including some seemingly impossible to overcome; we will never have to be alone in dealing with it, because our family and friends will be ready to give us a hand in the most demanding situations, and even if we can feel abandoned, it will never really be so.

The emotional impact of these events was enormous and we would be lying if we told you that we did not even feel a little moved when we reached the end of the title; a short experience (unfortunately longevity does not exceed two hours), but definitely intense and exciting; accessible to all but at the same time not suitable for “simple” gamers and destined for all those who will feel able to face this journey.