Monochroma comes in fifty shades of grey, with a splash of red.
Like one in a dream, I race through a black and white world, my red scarf fluttering behind me like a raw scar across my screen. A little boy flying a red kite sprints just ahead, and I dreamily jog and jump in pursuit. Not a word is spoken for the entirety of Monochroma, but this game speaks volumes.
This is a game about art, about industry, about darkness and about childhood. It is about loyalty, it is about siblings. It is about the child-like attitude of falling down and getting back up again. Never have I felt so much empathy and emotion towards a game character as I have for the little boy I send forth into the dystopian world of Monochroma; especially one that never speaks.
Set in a fantastical version of the 1950’s, robots are being manufactured and sold to the residents of the city. You must guide the older of two brothers through the warehouse at which this happens, with your injured younger brother upon your back. You will uncover secrets along your way. But don’t worry – I won’t spoiler.
“Video games are far from being seen as a form of art”, say developers Nowhere Studios, and yet Monochroma invokes all of the emotional beauty that puts this statement on the line. The real art is in the relationship between the brothers – as the older brother, you gently pick up your younger sibling, and carefully place him to the ground as you work through the puzzles that allow you to continue. The gentleness of his movements, and the unspoken love between two brothers, is astonishing, particularly when their organic bond is placed in the foreground of a harsh and metallic world.
The puzzles themselves are nothing too challenging. The initial scene involves chasing your playful brother through a rural backdrop, hopping over some simple obstacles as you become accustomed to the controls (WASD/spacebar, classic). When your little sibling falls through the roof of a barn and hurts his leg, it’s up to your to carry him onwards. Carrying him on your back reduces your movement considerably, especially when jumping, so you’ll have to put him down while you manipulate your environment by climbing, pushing and pulling, until you clear your path. Despite this sense of freedom without your brother on your back is elating, it doesn’t detract from the desire to have him back in your care – he sits, face hidden in his hands in terror, innocently waiting for you and completely trusting that you will return for him.
Falling from too high a height results in the death of your protagonist, while placing your younger sibling in the path of an oncoming obstacle, such as a cart, will cause their death and you’ll have to restart the level. The vulnerability of your younger brother is forever on the surface, and your every action has you planning your movements to ensure his utmost safety. You find yourself in the shoes of your character, worrying and caring for this injured child.
You will need to find ways to reach higher points of the platforms by moving objects, swinging or climbing. Occasionally you will uncover a ‘secret’, such as a blossoming flower which gleams brilliantly red against the monochrome background. When you reach the factory and uncover the gruesome secrets of the manufacturers, a sense of urgency kicks in and the dream-like motion through the platforms ends. Now, it’s a chase. You are reminded that you are but a boy, in a world of adults and machines. You are weak and vulnerable, just like your little brother.
Some of the puzzles are a little more challenging and involve more careful thought and interaction with your environment. The constantly enshrouding darkness conceals ladders, ropes and obstacles, and exploration is essential. The chase scene adds pace and involves making rapid decisions to avoid a sticky end. Your interactions with objects are surprisingly realistic – things move and fall when they’re nudged or stood on, and not always to your advantage. The physics is unforgiving and the answer is not always obvious. The light and dark aspect, although obvious, is further played on with the detail that your younger brother is frightened of the dark and can therefore only be placed in an area of light. Sometimes, you have to create a source of light to be able to place him in a safe place. This direct relationship between your characters and the light and darkness of your environment strengthens the weight of the gloomy world around you.
Monochroma is simple. It is silent, bleached of colour besides the occasional striking gleam of red. But it points a finger at the dangers of consumerism, of the true meaning of the rise of industry and the power that we put into the hands of manufacturers and companies. It is uncomfortable real, not some fantasy game-world, but our own. This deep and meaningful message forms the backdrop of a much more emotional and important story – the story of brothers. Always loyal and gentle, you are the sole protector of your vulnerable sibling, forcing you to ignore your own fears and vulnerability in an adult world. I felt such a bond with the brothers I guided through this dystopia, which has been accomplished without any dialogue at all. Nowhere Studios have proven that games can be a piece of art, and this one will tug at your heart strings.
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
You must be logged in to post a comment.