Análisis: Mundaun – Xbox Zone

Hidden fields and Interactive MWM they bring us Mundaun, a horror adventure with a very particular and unique graphic style. Mundaun save a style of play similar to the already mythical one Myst and other more typical PC adventures in the 90s of the last century.

It is a most original proposal that we will analyze without delay.

Mundaun: A Horror Story in the Country

Curdin receives the letter of his grandfather’s death from the priest in Mundaun, in the Swiss Alps. Our protagonist comes, after many years, to discover that the death of his grandfather in a barn fire is more than strange. You will quickly realize that he lives an ancient evil that seems to dominate everything and everyone. Curdin will have to go in search of truth across the landscapes and mountains of Mundaun.

Michel ziegler, responsible for Hidden fields, is primarily responsible for the entire game, both story-wise and design-wise. From the point of view of history, Ziegler watch a great mastery of storytelling, creating a Very interesting story that we discover in small doses and which forces us to know more. It is even allowed to play with different narrative languages, for example, when contemplating photos, they gradually expand and emit sounds that locate or define the story that the photo tells, giving the g ame even more the air of Fantastic and timeless storytelling that is present throughout the game.

The story can be framed in what is called rural terror, a genre very exploited cinematographically, but not so much in the world of video games. It also seems to rely on legends like that of the Mothman, a figure who appears in the tragic events of humanity and who has similarities to the evil that surrounds Mundaun and his people.

Unique graphic appearance

The first thing that catches our attention in the title is the graphics so different from anything we have known. The Unity engine is in charge of moving graphics whose main advantage is that they have been textured using real hand drawings. This gives a unique look to the title giving it great own personality and a more typical atmosphere of the stories. The textures were digitized from the original pencil work. All of this material has been turned into a game giving it that particular look and a muted color tone dominated by grays. However, that doesn’t mean the graphics are ugly or plain. Mundaun presents us with detailed and well-designed pictures or landscapes.

The pencil drawing also achieves a dreamlike sensation and gives us the feeling of being in front of a horror story which just has to be turned the pages. Furthermore feel overwhelmed and play with perspective almost unique in the world of video games.

The character designs are not as impressive, but their perfection in appearance is not as necessary as in other games. The fairytale-like design sometimes scares what we might see as a few lines and a circle, no matter how detailed or realism they are recreated.

We are, without a doubt, in front of the most distinctive and peculiar section of the game and one of its most striking points.

Overwhelming music

The soundtrack manages to introduce you perfectly into the story. It accompanies very well the two moments of tension and terror. Emphasize a melody accompanied by choruses, which makes your hair stand on end. The compositions have been very well chosen and take us by the hand in this story, bringing the aura of mystery or terror at the right time.

The sound effects are at a much more normal level, but they get the job done and don’t go out of tune.

Play style and playability

In Mundaun we will have to search for objects and solve puzzles to unravel the story and advance in the plot. Oddly enough, this title is a Metroidvania, in which not everything is available from the beginning and we will have inaccessible doors until we go forward in the story and get the key to open them.

We have an inventory as well as an agenda with the notes, photos or drawings that we collect.. In this journal we will also draw our own maps of the landscape, which we can create if we locate the viewpoint of the area and sit on a bench to enjoy the scenery while we draw.

Curdin can attack, although the attack is somewhat raw and limited. Although it also offers the ability to dodge enemies that try to get out of their viewing angle. We’ll be able to driving vehicles like a small car or a sleigh. However, handling them will be somewhat difficult, because with one joystick we control the vehicle and with the other the viewing angle of the protagonist. Transporting a vehicle will require all of our expertise to operate both levers simultaneously and thus avoid falling off a cliff.

Also innovating in the dynamics of the game

Mundaun also has some very curious game dynamics. Although we don’t have an energy bar, we do have some resistance to enemy attacks. To increase it, we will have to locate food. The other original point is that when the evil presences appear, they paralyze us and delay us because of fear. By the way, we won’t be able to run or react quickly. The only way to improve this aspect is to drink coffee. Although it sounds simple, it is not like that. For this we will have to find coffee, a saucepan, water, matches, wood and a cup to be able to prepare it in the kitchen of a cabin.

As one can see, This game is innovative in many ways, not just graphically, and it is vital both exploring and locating objects. If we don’t find the right item, we can get stuck and considering that the scenarios are large, it will not be easy to locate this item that we left in a cabin or building.

Mundaun’s conclusions

Mundaun turns out a little gem who came to innovate in the world of video games. To a more than interesting story, is added an exceptional graphic and sound decoration, which combines various forms of narrative and which results in a product of the most appetizing. At the same time, get elevating the independent genre to very high heights proving that it is not necessary to have a large workforce or a study with strong economic capacity to develop a good game.

The game lasts 6-8 hours and features open spaces and a labyrinth which can extend the experience even further if we explore fully or get lost.

It is true that It does have its little flaws, like the fact that the difficulty is medium-high and some physics aren’t the best, but the truth is, those details don’t cloud an experience highly recommended for all good fans of adventure games. and horror..