![]() ![]() The game never manages to effectively communicate scale or distance, and doesn't leave a lot of padding to account for these problems. Alas, the essential experience of playing A Story About My Uncle is clicking frantically on a surface that looks like it should be in range to grapple, but isn't. If this sounds like an recipe for creating fluid and exhilarating traversals across fantastic landscapes, well, that sometimes happens. Further along, rocket boots and an ability to recharge the grapple mid-jump show up. Within short order the game's protagonist can jump incredibly high and use a strange grapple ray to tug himself towards faraway objects or swing along behind them. Initially the suit can just break falls, but it rapidly gains new abilities. Looking for his adventurer/scientist uncle one day, he find an "adventure suit" and a portal to another world before embarking upon a first-person platforming adventure that's a bit too frustrating to be enjoyable. WTF We can't give this main character a name?ĭespite what the title might imply, A Story About My Uncle is really a story about a nephew. LOW Crossing a room full of floating blocks, then immediately turning around and crossing the same room of falling blocks. The use of markers help, but there is sameness in each environment that can make it easy to get turned around.HIGH Jumping from windmill to windmill in Star Haven. ![]() The environments at the start take place in very dark areas that makes it hard to see where the proper ground is and I was hoping for more open areas. This isn’t a horrible thing as many games can get by with one mechanic and A Story About my Uncle is short enough that the game doesn’t wear out its welcome. While you do get some upgrades to your grapple and jump, you’re still doing the same thing from start to finish. Face Plant:Ī Story About my Uncle is the classic example of a one trick game - Where there is one and only one mechanic that the entire experience is about. ![]() While the mechanic is integrated well, the game isn’t without its sore spots. While the game is based on a simple set of mechanics, the controls are fine tuned and the game is very challengingĪnd that’s really it for the game it’s a short experience built around this core mechanic of physics based swinging and it works.Īs with games like Portal, the challenge is figuring out how to use your unique hook to get through the environment and the use of swinging is sure to give advanced players a lot of ways to get through the game. Besides the story, there are hidden collectibles scattered throughout each level with your only clue is the sound they make when you get close. At the start you can only grapple once in the air but this will become upgraded as you go through the game. Once you are swinging in the air, you need to pay attention to your momentum in order to avoid colliding with anything that will stop you while making sure to grapple to the next point. Each area is full of markers from Fred that clue you into where you need to be going at any given point with checkpoints on the ground at key positions. Gameplay of a Story about My Uncle is all about momentum your suit comes with enhanced jumping capabilities and a grapple beam with both recharging whenever you hit the ground. After entering his house and messed with some of his machines, you find yourself teleported to another world inside a custom made adventure suit. The story is told through flashback as you are telling your son about the day you went looking for Uncle Fred who mysteriously disappeared one day. While it may be on the short side, it’s an exciting journey while it lasts. A Story about my Uncle came out last year by Gone North Games and is a good example of developing a strong base mechanic for your game and then building everything around it. ![]()
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