Developer: Mads & Friends
Publisher: Bedtime Digital Games
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5
Tested on: PS5
The Forest Quartet – Review
Video game stories have come a long way and aren’t afraid to touch on some more serious themes, enriching the experience by putting players in control. This is exactly the feeling that The Forest Quartet goes for. It tells a story of loss and grief, delivered through a short puzzle game to let players interact with the feelings of the characters.
Story
The Forest Quartet delivers a story about loss and moving on from grief. The titular big band recently lost its lead singer, Nina, and has now been reduced to a trio. These musicians want to honor their late friend in a way that she would love, playing a concert in her honor in the forest where they live. The only problem is that the musicians are overcome by grief and aren’t up for it. This is where you, the spirit of Nina, come in to help, visiting all of them to lift their spirits.
The game deals with a heavy subject and does so in a very tasteful way. All of the locations you visit represent the feelings the musicians are experiencing. A lonely person will be present in a dark and gloomy ravine, while the anger of another materializes in the form of a burning forest. All of this gives the characters a ton of personality, especially with the small sections of dialogue sprinkled in every now and then that shows how they became a band. You really get to know the characters and what Nina meant to them, which is especially impressive since the game is only an hour long.
Graphics
The art style of The Forest Quartet is easily described as simple yet beautiful. Most of the game takes place in a dark and gloomy forest that doesn’t look that special. Luckily, thanks to this, Nina her glowing dress and the bright puzzle pieces stand out, representing the light she brings back to the lives of her friends. The way the game plays with light helps deliver a memorable look that would otherwise be considered bland and uninspired. Another way the game uses its simplicity is in its character designs. None of them stand out too much and the people don’t even have faces, but the game greatly animates their movements and shows lots of emotions through body language.
Sound
Since The Forest Quartet is a game about music, it isn’t that surprising that it sounds amazing. The game features a melodic and relaxed jazz soundtrack, mostly inspired by the instruments the band members play, each having their own focus at some point. Together with these songs is the sound design, which utilizes a slew of instrument notes to represent the characters and their respective areas in the forest even more. While there isn’t a ton of dialogue in the game, all of it is voice acted and the performances are very good. This makes the short time you spend with the characters that much more memorable.
Gameplay
The Forest Quartet is a short puzzle game with a big focus on its narrative and themes. This means that there aren’t a lot of tough puzzles and there is a lot of attention directed towards the uniqueness of the gameplay elements and how they fit into the story.
Each of the band members has their own part of the woods Nina visits, with unique puzzle elements and usages of the simple controls. During your playthrough, you’ll have access to three distinct abilities: interacting with items, picking things up, and floating. While this sounds pretty limited, each section of the game has distinct puzzle mechanics that use your abilities in unique ways. This can range from connecting cables in specific ways to turn them into butterflies to looking for the right tunnels.
These puzzles don’t really offer a ton of challenge, and each of them is used only a few times before new mechanics are introduced. This is where the short runtime aids the game as none of the sections overstay their welcome and it keeps the pace going.
Conclusion
The Forest Quartet is a beautiful game that tells a touching story about loss and grief. A great presentation and exquisite use of light will pull players into its world and help immerse you from start to finish. The soundtrack sets the right atmosphere and it shows how music can bring people together. The Forest Quartet is a short game that is definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for a relaxing experience that isn’t afraid to pull at your heartstrings. The lack of challenge and short runtime can leave players wanting for more if they were looking for something more expansive.
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