Gaming: Wot I Think- Valiant Hearts: The Great War via Rock, Paper Shotgun
Wacky, wacky World War 1. Should I be weeping or clapping with joy? Valiant Hearts is one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever played, but I’m not sure what it wants me to feel. One minute I’m being shown the terrible price of war – witnessing the hideous aftermath of a gas attack or using a bonesaw to brutally save the life of a shelling victim – and in another I’m defeating a magnificently-moustachioed German zeppelin commander by making a dog play a church organ at him.
Most of the time I’m scouring the ground for a lever that will open a door or raise a lift, however. Despite deviations into stealth and the lightest touch of combat, and despite breathtaking scenery, this is at heart an extremely traditional, open-the-locked-door puzzle game. It can be a bit of a drag because its puzzles are usually immediately obvious but take a fair bit of schlepping about to achieve, yet continuing to play is absolutely irresistible because Valiant Hearts looks and sounds so good.
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