[i]Important Note: I do not have an external microphone, only the one installed in my laptop. I knew that this is a voice-controlled game when I decided to give it a try, but I thought that my current device would be enough.[/i]
Unfortunately, I cannot say that it was. I found out that if there is some additional noise, like a loud laptop or a TV, then the game might not hear you at all. [b]Journey Through Memories[/b] is a title that uses your voice for all actions, even the ones in the main menu, so if you do not have an external microphone, you might have trouble playing.
This issue aside, I think that [b]Journey Through Memories[/b] is a pretty nice game. Nothing breathtaking, but still very charming and unique in its own way. Also, before you decide to let your child play this title, read the Conclusion of this review, please. There are some small things that you might find inappropriate for certain ages.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1545014580
[h1]Story[/h1]
The first thing you see is a beautiful place where people live in harmony. But everything is destroyed when witches come to this little haven – houses were burnt and people were killed. This was how the war started. Common folk were really scared of witches and did what they could to destroy them. Witches, it turn, used their magic to bring havoc. They even killed the Sacred Tree and made its Goddess powerless.
Vivi is a young witch, but it seems that she is not evil at all. She has a strange dream where the whole war unfold in from of her eyes. When the girl wakes up, she sees a Goddess who asks her for help. Vivi needs to save spirits of people who died during this catastrophe, to restore what was destroyed, and to bring harmony to this shattered world.
[h1]Main Features[/h1]
[b]Graphics.[/b] To start with, Journey Through Memories has very cute and colorful artwork. Some scenes were gorgeous, some were rather beautiful and some were just OK. Do not expect professional quality of drawing, though; the art style is kinda...childish at times. Not in a bad way, but it is not like the one you can see in modern visual novels, for example. The backgrounds are detailed and colorful, too. However, I would like to complain about the Fullscreen Mode: there are black lines on the left and on the right of the screen if you use it, which is quite sad and spoils the picture. I do not really like playing in a window, but there is no way to remove these lines.
Between the scenes, you learn more about the story through cutscenes that look like comics. Some of them depict event that took place before the current story and some will show you how Vivi interacts with spirits and the Goddess.
Speaking about the main character, Vivi is a very cute young witch. She seems to be a kind and bubbly person who is genially concerned about the future and poor spirits’ suffering. Vivi will meet other characters that appear either in comic-stories or as NPCs in various locations. Their sprites look nice, but there was one disappointing feature – NPCs’ sprites are limited to just 2-3 different pictures. There is a female one, a male one, and the one for children. You can also see silhouettes of witches during cutscenes, but that is all.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1546101555
[b]Music.[/b] Most music tracks are very calming, and Vivi’s voice is cute; even though she does not say a single word, she still makes some sounds while standing, moving or casting spells. The main menu uses soothing piano music and you can hear similar tracks throughout the game.
[b]Gameplay.[/b] This is a very unusual game while you cannot use your mouse or keyboard at all. The whole gameplay is performed with your voice – you give Vivi commands, open menus, read the Diary and check out new and old spells. Vivi can move right or left, jump, climb, and cast spells. Thanks to some of them, you will be able to talk to spirits of deceased people to learn more about the world and the war; then you can help some of these spirits by bringing them to shrines and praying (just say *follow* when you stand next to the yellow person, and he or she will come with you to the right place). Other spells are used to remove obstacles – fire can destroy some objects, rocks will bring you to the new heights, water will deal with burning stuff, and air will help during sails. Vivi can shrink herself or grow taller, too; as well as restore scenes to their original state.
How to use the spells? Just say the magic word! As you can guess, you need *fire* for the Fire Spell, *rock* for the Earth one, etc. All in all, there are various small puzzles that can be solved thanks to magic.
Vivi will need to travel from location to location to find new spirits to talk to and help. This will progress the story. If you get stuck at some point, just use the Hint spell (say *cast* - *hint*); pictures will show you what to do next.
Last but not least: I did not encounter any problems with the gameplay or any bugs; and the fact that I do not have a microphone is my own problem, of course. So there is nothing I can really complain about in this part. Well, but my mother definitely can, while sometimes I had to scream on my laptop to make Vivi move. So, once again – get yourself a microphone for games like this before playing, OK?
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1546099559
[h1]Conclusion[/h1]
I think that [b]Journey Through Memories[/b] is a precious little game that tries to bring something new to the gaming kingdom. The story is not trying to be extraordinary or pompous; instead, it does its best to show you the story of tortured nations that have suffered a lot during the war – and how they can be saved and restored. Maybe it does it in a bit childish way, but I still enjoyed the experience. The ending was heartwarming with a lot of beautiful pictures.
[b]Journey Through Memories[/b] might be a short game – it took me about 4 hours to complete it, - but for the current price, it provides more than enough content. Personally, I would recommend it to both children and adults, [b]!BUT![/b] some scenes in comics have blood, so it is up to you to decide if your child is ready for this. There is no gore but I think some scenes can be considered as unpleasant or a bit violent (when a stone smashed two girls, for example). There are also small splashes of red paint around dead bodies.
So, have fun and try not to wake everyone around you while shouting commands to the tiny girl on your screen. And do not forget about the Hint spell – it is a real lifesaver, trust me.
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