Just as many gamers love playing in Norse mythology, developers love incorporating Norse mythology into their worlds. ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree is an interactive story short adventure, puzzle and rhythm game developed by Wildboy Studios. It was their first game, and they made a good first impression with a unique combination of gameplay and stories about loss, about learning from our and others’ mistakes and making amends.
The game immediately jumps into action. We arrive at the campfire of three drunken friends at night in their village celebrating the death of Odin’s traitorous familiar, who was killed for loving God. One of her friends, her Thyon, roams the village in search of her mother’s Mytrigg, how she celebrated the death of someone who once claimed to be her brother. I told her of my concerns about what was going on. After needing rest at his mother’s request, he awoke to find his fellow villagers slaughtered. He hastened to save his daughter Estra and protect their land from the unknown horrors invading.
These unknown forces of evil, known as the Blue Veins, have become more prevalent ever since the gods of their world, Midgard, abandoned them. Their people and the sacred Elder Tree remain in danger. is. You, the player, must step into the boots of the brave red-haired protagonist Estra. Estra traverses Midgard in hopes of uncovering his father’s past and fulfilling his purpose as a great leader by shouldering the burdens of his people. Armed with a bright blue pendant, a father’s axe, and a frog spirit on his shoulder, you’ll experience this story inspired by Norse mythology through Estra’s eyes and act as your guide.
The game is full of puzzles to play, riddles to solve, and trick questions to ponder the one and only true answer. Symbols and colors play an important role both in puzzles and in the in-game world. It may take some time to try what works and what doesn’t until the puzzle “clicks”, but that’s not always an option. Some puzzles give you the chance to get it right over and over again, while others may only get you right once. Otherwise, you will not be able to earn the characters’ trust, receive blessings, unlock hidden secrets and other parts of the story. Think about your answer and use your head.
Every decision matters. Also, Estra must use her best judgment so that she can distinguish between right and wrong, who she considers worthy of her trust, and whether to fight or make peace. The decisions you make on Estra’s behalf affect the course of the story.it’s up to the player decide what The role they want Estra to play. You can avoid conflict at all costs, or you can act on your emotions and trade lives for lives. I apologize to those who have decided to take the path of pacifism, but sometimes you find yourself with no choice but to fight.
Instead of hacking and slicing your opponents, fight to the beat with tunes unique to each beautiful battle. There are no tutorials or test runs, so you have to learn by trial and error. Once players are able to play as Estra, they can change the difficulty level with stones with pink icons scattered throughout Midgard. increase. Whether you want to focus on the story or show off your rhythmic skills by playing with four buttons instead of two, the game experience can be customized to your liking. The more beautiful the battles, the more drab those background arts end up being. The same few animations play over and over again to show who wins.
the art is hand painted In simplified 2D angular style Similar to the style of samurai jackTraveling through Midgard’s many seasons is relaxing, listening to a synth soundtrack blended with muted and distorted sounds to match the tone of each scene.
whole, ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree is a vibrant game that tells a dark story involving accepting one’s loss, making amends, and being pushed into power. Amazingly, it does a great job with its unique mix of action, adventure, puzzle, rhythm, and role-playing genres. A short game that offers replayability with decisions that change the course of the story.
ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree Available on the Nintendo Switch eShop for $14.99.