Today I played Blueberry Garden. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at games again. Firstly, this is not an in depth review. I will not be critiquing the graphics, controls, or the stupid high system requirements. Secondly,the only way I feel I can properly review this game is through narrative, so expect massive spoilers.
I booted up blueberry garden from the steam menu. The short opening cut-scene showed a running faucet, leaving me very confused. I was more than a little skeptical, knowing not much of anything about the game. The stark visuals and the strange character didn't help my confidence.
I started running around and experimenting with the controls. I learned that blueberries enhanced your flying and that the goal was to stack objects. Not the most interesting game I had ever played. Five minutes later I had a decently tall tower and was in half a mind to quit.
That is when I found the happy guys. I don't know if they have any official name, but you could tell they were enjoying the world. I spent some time watching them running around, eating fruit, and mating. I loved it. As soon as I realized that the trees were spreading seeds I had a goal: create a grove of trees and a colony of happy guys at the base of the tower.
I started on my project. I tried to learn how the trees spread their seeds. I started to bring my first couple of happy guys to their new home when I noticed something shocking, something absolutely terrifying. The water was rising! I finally realized what the point of the game was. I needed to turn off the faucet, stop this terrible flood, and save these oblivious happy guys. I knew why I was building my tower. I had neglected my duty.
I began frantically searching for more tower items. I knew there must be more, but I could not find them anywhere. I searched and searched, desperate to find yet undiscovered areas and solve the few puzzles I had found. I made little progress and the water was rising. The flourishing ecosystem I had suddenly become attached to and had vowed to protect was drowning.
After drowning once again in the rapidly rising water, I found I no longer spawned below the tower, but on top of it. I knew I had failed. I searched for a while longer, but it was in vain. But a few moments later the only dry land in sight was the top of my tower, and it wouldn't last much longer. I thought back on how uncertain I had been of the game when I had started. The water reached my ankles. I longed for the chance to create my idealistic little grove of happy people. The water reached my neck. I realized I had failed, that I was about to die. The water raised above my head, and I drowned.
I exited the game. I looked at the desktop. I nearly cried. In all my life only one other piece of media of has had this effect on me, John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men". Few people on these forums will deny that games are art, but there are some people out there are still disagree. Next time you here someone tell you that games are not art, tell them about the effect this game has had and then ask what they think.
Thank you for reading,
Alex Ratcliff.
I booted up blueberry garden from the steam menu. The short opening cut-scene showed a running faucet, leaving me very confused. I was more than a little skeptical, knowing not much of anything about the game. The stark visuals and the strange character didn't help my confidence.
I started running around and experimenting with the controls. I learned that blueberries enhanced your flying and that the goal was to stack objects. Not the most interesting game I had ever played. Five minutes later I had a decently tall tower and was in half a mind to quit.
That is when I found the happy guys. I don't know if they have any official name, but you could tell they were enjoying the world. I spent some time watching them running around, eating fruit, and mating. I loved it. As soon as I realized that the trees were spreading seeds I had a goal: create a grove of trees and a colony of happy guys at the base of the tower.
I started on my project. I tried to learn how the trees spread their seeds. I started to bring my first couple of happy guys to their new home when I noticed something shocking, something absolutely terrifying. The water was rising! I finally realized what the point of the game was. I needed to turn off the faucet, stop this terrible flood, and save these oblivious happy guys. I knew why I was building my tower. I had neglected my duty.
I began frantically searching for more tower items. I knew there must be more, but I could not find them anywhere. I searched and searched, desperate to find yet undiscovered areas and solve the few puzzles I had found. I made little progress and the water was rising. The flourishing ecosystem I had suddenly become attached to and had vowed to protect was drowning.
After drowning once again in the rapidly rising water, I found I no longer spawned below the tower, but on top of it. I knew I had failed. I searched for a while longer, but it was in vain. But a few moments later the only dry land in sight was the top of my tower, and it wouldn't last much longer. I thought back on how uncertain I had been of the game when I had started. The water reached my ankles. I longed for the chance to create my idealistic little grove of happy people. The water reached my neck. I realized I had failed, that I was about to die. The water raised above my head, and I drowned.
I exited the game. I looked at the desktop. I nearly cried. In all my life only one other piece of media of has had this effect on me, John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men". Few people on these forums will deny that games are art, but there are some people out there are still disagree. Next time you here someone tell you that games are not art, tell them about the effect this game has had and then ask what they think.
Thank you for reading,
Alex Ratcliff.