While the town may be silent, and the children may be from there, the eeriness of the hollowed eyes, the run-down town and never-ending nightmares are certainly far from quiet.
Colourful yet disturbing
The game has a gorgeous hand-drawn aesthetic brimming with flair and mood. Because each set piece is so exquisite, something will catch your eye everywhere you go. Whether wandering the forest or in Lucy’s dreams, you will feel uneasy, from the character designs to the town. You’re not sure what’s going on, but something is occurring.
While looking somewhat dishevelled, the world of Silent Town is undoubtedly full of colour and character, with many interactions to be had with the other children and adults. These conversations will certainly lead you to learn that this colourful world is all but a sense of false security. You are in control of your main character “Lucy” whose life is placed in a world where emotion is frowned upon, you are not allowed to sing, or dance and everyone is supposed to stay quiet.
This setting is an old build into the game as Lucy initially begins playing ball with some friends. The night is the most feared town as this is when people have been missing due to monsters on the outskirts of town, so everyone makes sure to stay in until that is when your mother goes missing. Thus starting your hero’s journey to venture into the woods and truly discover what is happening to The Children of Silent Town, their friends and their family.
Point and click and sing…
While fundamentally, Children of Silent Town has the usual point-and-click elements, singing is a highly used unique mechanic. The town’s eccentric old lady once taught Lucy’s mother, Eloise, how to sing. Eloise taught Lucy how to sing while also playing the lyre. You discover the “Notes” of these tunes as you explore the universe. There are four songs, and you must discover the three notes for each to be sung. Consider the tunes to be something like magic. “The Children’s Song” is the first song you are taught. This song may be used to see someone else’s present thoughts, similar to mind-reading magic. Sometimes, you’ll need to mend someone else’s shredded or broken thoughts so they can recall something crucial to Lucy. Puzzles are used to achieve this.
Lucy’s songs reinforce the game’s themes of dread and optimism. Every time users use one of the songs, they are given a different version of the same problem, which is unique to each piece. Additionally, this concept allows players to switch up their usual object-finding and object-use strategy for something simpler.
The story isn’t one you could stay silent about
The game’s graphic style and decision to make the characters appear otherworldly add to the rather frightening story’s appeal. The combination of subdued colours, heavy shadows, and background music unsettles even the most routine acts, like buying bread. Moreover, it effectively raises the level of urgency in the early going by giving the impression that there is possible danger around every bend. The aesthetic comes to life as the game abruptly transitions into horror at various points, particularly during the dreams. As Lucy is tortured each night by the hand-drawn dream monsters, that feeling of dread and discomfort intensifies.
Lucy grows increasingly apprehensive of the grownups, confused that they won’t seek the missing individuals, and is even more upset that they won’t give her any explanation for what is going on. This alludes that they know far more about these monsters than they’d care to acknowledge.
Don’t Stay Silent about Silent Town
Children of Silentown‘s narrative is still the game’s main attraction, despite the inconsistent pace and tempo. The main subject of this story and the incidental events are nonetheless powerful and engaging. The little stories that Lucy glimpses in the townspeople’s minds, despite their isolation, are a nice perk for completing a riddle. Even if it doesn’t pay off, watching the town go from dread to optimism gives the game the necessary arc. In addition, it has a magnificent environment, exciting people that are all different from one another, and a gripping story that keeps you interested in what happens. This is recommended if you want to explore a gorgeously dark and tragic universe.
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S
Reviewed on PC
Grab your copy here https://store.steampowered.com/app/1108000/Children_of_Silentown/
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