Game: Return of the Obra Dinn, created by Lucas Pope
★★★★★
September 2026
This. GAME. I love absolutely everything about it, so I'm going to have to break it up into sections. I haven't finished it yet – I am 24 fates in, around 11 hours so far. Not the most impressive ratio, I KNOW. If I am anything, it is a slow gamer. But I already know it'll remain one of my favorite games I've ever played (if I am ever able to complete it).
Basically, you're a detective exploring an old pirate ship where everyone has died. Your job is to wander around the boat, find the bodies, and uncover all of their fates using a magic compass by filling in a book left to you.
Art
The old computer duotone graphics are pristinely done. You're in a three dimensional pixelated world, expertly rendered and shaded with just enough detail to depict everything perfectly without providing too much information (which is great because the memories are real violent). You can shift the color combinations between different types of computer displays as well, which is a fun touch of customization. The way Pope has rendered each unique character to make them distinguishable throughout every memory, in the log book, and on the ship illustrations is so impressive. Overall, I just love the new visual take on a very retro feel, which is something I'm always chasing.
Play Style
The way you uncover the objective of the game is satisfying in and of itself. Each text display has accompanying sound effects when you advance through the tutorial which is perfectly clear without being hand-holdy. Faces of people are blurred in your reference materials until you have enough information to identify them. After playing for a while, suddenly, all of the faces are unblurred and you have no idea whats going on. For me, this happened when I had solved TEN out of sixty fates. It's totally infuriating in the absolute best way. Pope is cheekily calling you out for not paying enough attention the first go round, and it's amazing.
The book solves fates three at a time, and when I tell you it gives you a high, I am not kidding. The screen freezes for a fraction of a second when you get three right and then congratulates you, and its so surprising and random that I actually yell and celebrate every time. Obviously, I have a bit of a problem.
Sound Design
A lot of this game is done by audio only leading up to the memory freeze frames. The care put into making fantastic recordings with subtle hints and the perfect combination of information paired with the following cut scene is, frankly, genius. It makes the game completely immersive and between your senses, you can percieve the entire Obra Dinn world.
This game was a no brainer purchase for me, purely because of the artistic vibe and game premise, but I got so much more than I paid for. Usually I look up play times before I get a game to make sure it's worth it, and I'm glad I didn't this time. Apparently this game only has a playtime of 10 hours (which is insulting if you ask me), but even if you were able to beat it in ten hours, it would be 100% worth your time and money. It is such a unique work of art and I can't wait to finish it, and play something else by Pope in the future.
Played on Nintendo Switch
