Chicory is a timeless classic that deserves to be experienced.Unfortunately, that last part is true.
Players who make time to invest in the world will find value in the adventure and the art. Chicory’s artful approach to graphics and superb soundtrack foster a creative environment for players to explore and express themselves. The messages of self-worth and self-confidence are valuable to any player. Ultimately, Chicory: A Colorful Tale is an affirming narrative journey of personal growth and discover. Chicory provides players at all levels of experience the space and encouragement to keep going and believe in themselves. Many of the emotional questions raised throughout the game will be identifiable by players. Furthermore, this resulted in an emotional journey not only for the main character but for myself as a player. But another result is a deep appreciation for the world and characters the developers created. Consequently, one result is this delayed review. Chicory encouraged me to take my time and express myself in the world. It captures both the cheery upbeat moments of exploration and the self-doubt experienced by the characters.Īs a reviewer, I often push through a game to get the review finished and opinions out to the public. Lena Raine’s soundtrack and score is something that I’ve listened to outside of the game. Coloring is needed for some puzzles and side quests, but just as art is subjective so are the graphics in the game. However, the game provides this creative space for players to engage with as they desire. Fortunately, this approaches mirrors the value of self-expression that the narrative explores. The game exists in black and white and allows the player to color the world as they desire. GraphicsĪ living coloring book is high praise for the graphics of Chicory. All of these systems lower the barrier of entry and reduce the friction for players at any level of experience. Even encouraging the character to look online if stuck. The game includes a built in hint system where the character calls home for advice about where to next. Then looking at the map, I had clear markers of where to return to and explore as new abilities opened up. I frequently would select specific color pallets for areas that I could not access. Or painting can create notes and guideposts for the player. Painting the world can be a soothing change of pace. On top of all the exploration and interaction, the world is an empty canvas for the player. Side quests provide unique dialog and further explore the personalities of both the main character and those they meet. In additional to environmental puzzles, the main character interacts with a variety of the world’s population. These move sets open up new areas to explore. Painting the landscape eventually allows that player to move within the paint or up cliffs. Fortunately, these abilities unlock as the game progresses. In true adventure game fashion, many of the environment areas that a player can see require additional abilities to access. Through the use of the magic brush, players paint the environment to grow, shrink, and activate landscape. Environmental puzzle abound and are the main gameplay element. The developers even include the ability to skip the boss battles for photo-sensitive players. The only combat is during boss battles, and those have unlimited tries and assists as needed. Each screen connects to the next to map a congruent map. GameplayĬhicory plays out in a top-down view similar to traditional The Legend of Zelda games. As the game progresses, more layers are added to both characters and the complexity is reflective of our social and cultural mental health and wellness issues. The main character wrestles with self-confidence and imposter syndrome. Mental health concerns are tactfully addressed in Chicory and become part of the central story. This darkness is something that all brush wielders struggled against and comes to represent both a physical threat and an emotional one. Early in the story, the main character (each player can name the character) discovers a darkness creeping into the world and removing the color that the brush wielder supplied. When Chicory goes missing, it is up to the main character to find them. The player is the janitor for Chicory the current magical brush wielder in a long line of brush holders.
Their work creates not only one of the best games of 2021 but a game that will remain relevant and moving for future players. The combined creative team and character designs give Chicory a timeless feel. Lena Raine, the composer for Celeste, is responsible for Chicory’s excellent soundtrack. The character designer and animator, Alexis Dean-Jones. Chicory’s game director, Greg Lobanov, previously released Wandersong.
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