Platforms: Playstation 3/4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360/One
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier Publisher: Ubisoft
Players: 1 Release Date: June 25, 2014
This wars personal.
Valiant Hearts is a rare game, one that’s set during the first world war but features very little shooting at all. Instead its purely about the four central characters and how the war affects them, and the dog that ties them all together. That and the war itself, a dire setting that has been recreated passionately with an astute attention to detail. All this is presented through a beautifully drawn art style, simple and cartoon like it paints this dark era of history in a much brighter light, which makes the moments when it emphasises the darkness even bleaker. Don’t let the visuals fool you, its unflinching in its portrayal of the horrors of war, though its just as keen to display acts heroism no matter how small.
The story is told from alternating perspectives. It offers the grandfather Emile who’s adamant on seeing his family safe, his son-in-law Karl who is reluctantly taken from his family and drafted into the German army, the American hero with a troubled heart Freddie and the courageous Anna who sets out to treat the wounds of anyone she can help. Even though there’s no traditional dialogue beyond narration, just vague mumbles to convey what they’re getting at, each one comes across vividly. They’re all aided in one way or another by a faithful dog, who in a way embodies what Valiant Hearts is all about. Being just a dog he doesn’t see the men he’s helping as French or German, just as friends, and he insists on doing everything he can to prevent the death of his friends. Its refreshing to see the best of human nature shine in a setting that is a consequence of the worst of it. You’ll feel for these people, and by the end of the campaign you’ll truly appreciate their anguish, joy and resolve. And it really hits home that this game covers the hardships of only four of the millions that suffered in this conflict.
Visually everything you see is wonderful to look at. You’ll be treated to beautiful vistas untouched by war in the beginning, which contrast all the more with the ravaged landscapes you witness in later levels. One of Emile’s later levels is particularly harrowing, having to climb over dozens of corpses as you push on through the dire trenches will remain with you for some time after, all the more so because of its hand drawn art style. Its telling of the games influence on the player when at a certain point it made me make the same mistake the character did without hesitation, I felt just the way the character did, but regretted my actions afterwards just like they did as well. Safe to say you’ll be able to relate to and sympathise with the events on screen because of the personal level on which they are played out, despite them having taken place decades before many players would have been born. Finally the soundtrack deserves a special mention, its main theme alone capturing the beauty of the characters against the sadness of the war perfectly.
After all though this is a game, and unfortunately its gameplay is where it comes up short. Its mix of simple puzzle solving and platforming (you won’t be jumping but timing is needed to avoid the many hazards) plays well and encompasses its variety of objective types well. However during the relatively short campaign these simple mechanics won’t evolve much at all, you’ll be solving many of your problems in the later stages in the same way you did in the beginning. Its a shame that the gameplay rarely increases in difficulty or complexity to reflect the more dangerous scenarios you’re plunged into. Likewise there are numerous collectibles to scour levels for, but after my first playthrough in which I did my usual level of exploration, I was only missing 2 of over a hundred. Its a shame to see an aspect of the game that could have encouraged numerous playthroughs made so easy. However upon reading the details ascertained through finding these collectibles it becomes clear once more that Valiant Hearts is far more concerned with telling its story. Each entry details whatever little piece of history you’ve found to paint a greater picture of the great war setting. Having only basic knowledge of the first world war before I started playing Valiant Hearts (WW2 was given far more emphasis in my history lessons) I was thoroughly interested to learn more about this important time, and Valiant Hearts deserves praise for giving its player every opportunity to do so.
Verdict
Gameplay wise Valiant Hearts is competent but unambitious, only ever impressing with the odd novel puzzle. But that’s not what Valiant Hearts is about, its about the people who struggled and shined during the war. Its main concern is giving insight into what it must have been like to be caught up in this war, and through combining its beautiful art style, inspiring story and real slices of history it undoubtedly succeeds.
Hits
+Beautiful art style
+Endearing main cast
+Remarkable amount of historic detail to delve into
+Perfect soundtrack
Misses
–Limited gameplay variety
Overall Rating
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