WW2 combat fatigue and 1980s sectarian violence aren’t the best anxiolytics. While my current unwind aid of choice, aerofly RC, generally gets the job done, tonight, for a change, I’m going to let this £10 ramble-em-up cleanse my cranium before bedtime.
Recommended to me by a Cornerite – Cederic – who is particularly impressed by the game’s depiction of wild Iceland (“I’ve been to Iceland. I’ve photographed there. This is Iceland.”), Matt Newell’s foe- and weaponless first-person shooter lets purchasers roam nine stunning locations in Europe, Asia, and Australia, with a deeply modelled virtual DSLR camera in hand.
The fact that eight of these areas are locked at the start, has prompted a few grumpy posts in the Steam forum, but, by the sound of it, progression isn’t exactly onerous, so I’m not anticipating frustration.
If I wake up tomorrow morning, bleary-eyed after bad dreams about canoeing accidents, huldufólk, and Himalayan blizzards, I’ll be seeking a refund.
Unlocking new areas is straightforward. Completing the various (gentle) challenges in the ones you have access to can be awkward. By the time you’ve explored an area and done some photography you’ll unlock various things by accident.
Based on progress and play time, you could well ‘see’ all the content in 20-25 hours. But you could just chill there for much much longer.
The discord server for the game has a channel for posting in-game photographs, and a spoiler chat if you do need help – there are various hidden secrets that the game doesn’t even hint towards.
But the game offers intoxicating landscapes and vast numbers of photo opportunities. Sometimes that’s all I want in life.
This looks lovely and fun and pretty, BUT:
I worry about my system’s horsepower to keep it moving smoothly and meditatively. Seems like something that would benefit from a public demo/benchmark.
I would buy it on Steam and refund if it doesn’t run on your hardware. Steam refunds are pain free and have always worked for me. The only downside is your cash is elsewhere for a day or two whilst it gets processed. I am in the same boat as my GPU is on the edge of the minimum recommended.