![]() I never experienced any crashes or noticeable frame stuttering, and the game largely ran without skipping a beat. Where the Heart Leads largely delivers on its goal to have you participate in Whit’s self-examination while promoting similar thoughts for yourself however, it’s not without faults. (It’s not Indiana Jones running away from the bolder with the treasure in hand.) However, Armature handles this more mature subject matter well and respects that it’s not always easy to know the right way forward. I understand that doesn’t exactly sound like broad appeal. The game is never preachy and always poses these conflicts as complex and multifaceted rather than villainous and sinister. There are a few major themes woven through the entirety of the game: family conflict, relational fulfillment, and wealth inequality to name a few. ![]() You’re often put in the middle of conflicts or decisions where you’ll either be the appeasing peacemaker who tries to stabilize the situation or the fire-stoker who goes along with his brother’s schemes. Will you choose to build a corporate and functional sign for your client, or will you choose to make a statement that potentially upsets people but is truer to the way you see the world? Your older brother, Sage, represents the artistic struggle to create authentic and honest art but has nobody appreciate such bold and eccentric creations. Most major decisions will be centered on what you as a professional craftsman and artist should construct. This slower pace made me embellish my time with each new setting. There is a distinct style of colorful shapes and detail that flows together with the weather and atmosphere making it fun to leisurely explore. The expressive soundtrack complements the visual design of the flowing grass and natural shadows. None of the dialogue is voiced in this game, so if you don’t enjoy reading quite a bit of text, steer clear. Small touches like changing the font of characters’ names within their respective word bubbles give a unique flair to each personality. The art design of Where the Heart Leads is excellent, with a beautiful vibrant color palette, fitting soundtrack, and attention to detail. There is no chapter select option from the main menu, so if you want to go back and see what other decisions may lead to, be sure to save often. Each chapter can range in completion from 10 minutes to 3 hours, the latter being if you enjoy exploring each nook and cranny hunting for collectibles. It’s gratifying to see what your character can build and tear down, but this is little more than a button prompt mechanically. ![]() Most chapters also feature a building mechanic as you are a craftsman and artist who feels the pull to earn a paycheck without selling your creative soul to the highest bidder. This is a true narrative adventure game as you’ll spend most of your time speaking with people and making the occasional decision, eventually leading to a major fork in the road for your life, career, relationship, and so on. Large and small, each fork in the road has a relational cost and emotional benefit. After tumbling down the enormous chasm, Whit is faced with all the memories and decisions he made throughout his life. You play as Whitney Anderson, a husband and father of two, who attempts to rescue his dog from a spontaneous sinkhole that has just opened up in his front yard. With only a few shortcomings, game director Todd Keller and the team at Armature excel at telling a story that sticks with you for days after the credits roll. ![]() Striking a balance between surrealistic dream-like settings and serious subject matter, this narrative adventure game aims to make the player emotionally invested in the protagonist’s lovable yet flawed family and then make decisions that ripple out to real-world consequences. Where the Heart Leads by Armature Studios explores this retrospective type of narrative through a surrealistic art design, engrossing soundtrack, and memorable characters. Have you ever reflected on how you came to this chapter in your life? The choices you made, the events that happened to you, and the relationships along the way all brought you to this moment in time.
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