Unravel Review
Played on Xbox One (base)
Developed by Coldwood Interactive
Released 9th February 2016
Hold on, a game published by EA in the 2010s that isn't a cash grab or a failure? I guess Unravel is pretty spectacular in that sense then. There isn't much information on Unravel's development process, however, a cute fact to know is that the game's director, Martin Sahlin, had a mix of nerves and excitement when presenting this game for the first time, which was met with an overwhelmingly positive reception, becoming the focus of many appreciative posts and fan-art.
Story
The story of Unravel is quite minuscule in terms of significance. The game presents you as the adorable figure of yarn, as it backtracks and recalls both the joyful and the depressing memories posted as pictures in this grandmother's house. Other than this, there is no form of deep narrative or bewildering story-telling. It's there to give the player an excuse to traverse these levels, but nothing else. As a result, I won't be factoring the story into my score.
Gameplay
The gameplay is a great amount of physics-based fun. The amazing design of each level contributes to how enjoyable the game can be. The blend of clever puzzles and sometimes adequate platforming, results in a peaceful delight, lasting 5-6 hours. As you move as Yarny, you slowly unravel (get it?), deteriorating your exterior, making you decide which paths to take and which result in the least amount of thread loss. The less you are, the slower and lower you jump and the less you can extend yourself for well-timed swings. This unique and creative form of mixing puzzles with platforming is phenomenal. I gladly appreciated it as it led to puzzles that made you think about how you should tangle yourself up. However, the platforming aspect is not as well done as the mind-bending side. While the options of bouncing, swinging and climbing are all appealing forms of traversal, they can lead to some repetivity within the game. At times, however, I found myself either getting a guide open or spending longer on a section than I should've, as the unclarity of certain situations can lead to annoyance but the satisfaction of figuring out a tough puzzle was immeasurable.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere of Unravel is majestic. From the seamless transitions from cutscene to gameplay to the scripted sequences of bashing around in the snow and being launched from tree to tree, you'll spend most of your time awing at how beautiful and Zen this game is. Due to the focus on a small aspect of the world, the details get amplified and enriched to the optimum, while presenting some great moments like a small regular fish, reenacting an aura that of a shark. The music does sound very similar throughout the whole duration of the game, but that instead means a continuous pattern of amazing melodies. Audio never gets disturbed, and there is no other technical issue ever re-occurring for me. The effects could have been accomplished better because, at times, the snow or water didn't adhere to the magnificent views the game offered.
Gameplay- 7/10
Atmosphere- 9/10
Great
Overall, there is not much to be said about the game, it's just great.
