Gaming News I learned to accept death in a poetic puzzle video game by Arte, How to Say Goodbye
Come and discover the French puzzle game How to Say Goodbye. Between the visual style of the three thieves and the Moomin, the ruthlessness of the little prince and the harshness of the subject (mourning), I invite you to immerse yourself in this atypical video game by Arte.
Losing a loved one is probably the worst fear for every person on earth. So much so that it’s not easy to approach a subject as poignant as grief, whether in books, movies or games, but it’s that terrifying emotion that’s at the core of the experience. And to express this, Florian Veltman and Baptiste Portefaix have chosen a somewhat special artistic direction: an AD inspired by children’s books of the 1960s, which makes it quite simple and childish at first glance, far removed from the seriousness of the subject. Suffice it to say that I was immediately intrigued by this strange mixture. So, immediately after the release, I embarked on this experience a bit off the Nintendo Switch. At the foot of my bed, a small box of tissues handy just in case, I ventured into the limbo of How to Say Goodbye for an hour. This is what I experienced as a ghost looking for the way to heaven:
This is an indie review of JV:
There’s Wanted, your new column about quirky and fun indie games, and there’s this column. It’s dedicated to the games you want to discover, in a slightly more personal register, like a ticket and with some video clips.
Mourn gently
Moomin, The Three Thieves, Otto, Autobiography of a Teddy Bear, The Little Prince, Max and the Wild Things… No doubt you know at least one of those stories that I devoured as a kid. You might even find the point that connects them all. It’s often said that Disney/Pixar films offer a second reading, but they didn’t invent anything: Often minimalist in style, these five children’s books tackle difficult issues that every parent wants to tackle with their little ones. In order to, Otto tells the story of a teddy bear in the middle of World War II. The Adventures of Moomin have an ecological meaning and spoke of homosexuality at a time when it was forbidden to love a person of the same sex. And as for The little Prince, it evokes the fear of growing up, abandonment, dealing with emotions and many other things. All these messages, each more poignant than the next, are hidden from children’s eyes. Only the most observant manage to grasp its full meaning, and there aren’t many of them. And that’s what makes these books so beautiful. Going back to understanding her message on first reading, I don’t think that was my case. It wasn’t until later, as an adult, that I saw how hard they were trying to portray, and that only made me fall in love with them even more. By telling them to my students, I’m trying to convey that love…or at least I’ve tried. My name is Christine, my friends call me Chris. I like gin and hash browns, and this week I died.
Gameplay Snippets
The gameplay clips in this article are from the Nintendo Switch version of the game after the day one patch. Due to capture issues, these snippets do not include the game’s sound.
So this is what the other side looks like? Transformed into a ghost in my own image, here I am indeed immersed in these sketched decorations that I know so well and represent me so well. Or is it my passion for Moomin and the Three Bandits Who is playing pranks on me and making me see them everywhere? After all, it doesn’t matter. I’ve had a lifetime to ask myself questions… It’s time for me to accept not knowing everything, to accept the end of my life, to accept the unknown, to accept my death. And the way I see it, it doesn’t look that bad. The colors around me are so soft, the lively music and the souls that discover them with me seem to be feeling good, taking advantage of the sun to unite with a good picnic (based on gin and fried potatoes, delicious). allow yourself a moment of relaxation ). After all, dying isn’t so bad. I like to wander in limbo, although I know that this moment, like everything else, is doomed to come to an end. I must find my way home and turn the page of this world that saw me live and then die. I have to and I will… I just need a few more minutes, that’s all. Or a few hours at most. Just look at these beautiful fried potatoes… I may never see where I’m going. And to think that I used to share them with my family and friends at least once a week. Do I really have to leave all these memories behind?
But while I want to stay, the environment I love so much begins to change, mutate. No more soothing pastels and hello darkness and the air of a haunted place. An agonizing sound reaches my ears. So is this what Limbo really looks like? That horrible prison where lost souls are lost before they are at the mercy of the spleens. Who are these creatures? A materialization of my worst fears? Or maybe souls who could never find the path to acceptance, souls who refused to accept their deaths and are now trying to devour those who still doubt? I won’t give in! I will learn to grieve, mourn my past life, embrace death and embrace my fate. And for that, I must advance to the ultimate door that will allow me to raise my soul to heaven. But, alas, not everything is as simple as it seems here. In order to do that, I’ll have to fight my way through this removable, pitfall-ridden terrain… But can I really do it?
A path full of mysteries
I, who thought death was the ultimate state of rest, was wrong. Because before I come to eternal rest, I have to rack my brains one last time. I see doors, keys and objects, sometimes more or less accessible. The ground I’m on is made up of squares and lines, like a flattened Rubik’s Cube. Instinctively, I quickly understand what I have to do: Drag the lines to access the keys, open the corresponding doors and thus go from room to room, from level to level. So far, so good. But sometimes there is a gap between theory and practice. And yes, because moving the line I’m on implies that I’m moving everything that’s there. And then sometimes they do what they want, responding to my travel requests in a haphazard manner (I have a feeling that’s not quite normal if normality exists in this alien world). But hey, despite everything, I manage to progress through the different chapters of my death quite quickly. If I keep this up, it will only take me an hour to ascend to heaven. But my pinky tells me this funeral spectacle will last closer to three hours. And for good reason, there are many pitfalls that will complicate my task.
If my reflection can help me move forward, it is not enough to fill the void left by loved ones who are still on earth. I’m nothing alone, but I’m not alone. There are indeed other suffering souls who seek the same path as I do. As I advance, your help will be invaluable, even essential. If you find yourself alone in this space, progress becomes more difficult, some exits inaccessible. I feel like this ordeal is meant to teach me about loneliness, about grieving, about accepting death… And I think if my loved ones left behind could see my adventures, maybe they would look at me with emotion and also come to terms with their loss.
How to Say Goodbye is a puzzle game that not everyone will like, that’s true. Tranquil and poetic, it will only appeal to devotees of tranquility and meaning. If that’s the case, we can only advise you to slip under a plaid to discover this short adventure full of reflections, both on mysteries and on life (and death). How to Say Goodbye is available on mobile, Nintendo Switch and PC.
