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Season: A Letter To The Future Review

The Meditation Game

By SashiPublished about a year ago 4 min read
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Start writing...Season is a unique game that requires a calm and peaceful environment to fully experience its still and reflective story. You play as Estelle, a young woman who sets out to document the end of a season in a world that is both familiar and unfamiliar. The change in seasons in this world is not just a change in temperature, but a total rebirth of the society that is sometimes influenced by people. The game is centered around themes of memory, community, and grief and is delivered through monologues and conversations that allow players to insert themselves into the story.

Estelle travels to the Tieng Valley, a farming village on the brink of a dam collapse, and uses her camera, audio recorder, scrapbook, and bicycle to capture images, sounds, and thoughts about the area and its remaining inhabitants. Players are free to stop anywhere and take photos of anything and create their own scrapbook filled with keepsakes from each location. With simple camera tools, players can document their journey and preserve a moment in time for future generations.

Season is a tranquil game that is best experienced by players who are willing to take their time and reflect on what they see, hear, and touch. The game can take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours to complete, depending on how much the player wants to soak in each scene. Though there is a definitive ending, the amount of content in between is freeform, and players are free to see as much or as little as they choose. The game often feels like a mindfulness meditation and players are encouraged to skip sights and landmarks if they so choose.

Overall, Season is a unique experience that is more like a book of poetry than a typical video game. It is a game that is meant to be savored, not raced through, and players are likely to get more out of it the more they see.

In "Season: A Letter to the Future," you play as Estelle, a young woman who sets out to document a world on the brink of change. In this fantastical land, the arrival of a new season means a complete rebirth of society, and it is up to Estelle to capture and preserve memories before they are lost forever. Equipped with a camera, audio recorder, scrapbook, and bicycle, she travels to the Tieng Valley, a lush farming village facing a dam collapse, to interview the remaining locals and document their experiences.

As you explore the valley, you are free to stop and capture photos and audio of anything that catches your eye, using simple camera tools to present each moment as you wish. These captures serve as keepsakes, and as you collect more of them, you unlock additional musings and artwork that can be added to your scrapbook. The idea is that by the end of your journey, the scrapbook will serve as a detailed record of a single moment in time, preserved for future generations to understand their ambiguous history.

With its tranquil, meditative atmosphere and poignant themes of memory, community, and grief, "Season" is best experienced by players who are willing to sit and reflect on their journey. Although the game has a definite ending, the journey is largely freeform, and players are encouraged to explore and discover as much or as little as they like. The game often feels like a mindfulness meditation, and its deliberate pace and beautiful comic book visuals invite players to take their time and savor each moment.

In conclusion, "Season" is a unique and thoughtful experience, offering players a chance to slow down and contemplate their surroundings in a fantastical world that is both familiar and unfamiliar. Whether you're a gamer or simply a lover of story and reflection, "Season" is definitely worth experiencing.

In Season: A Letter to the Future, you are invited to embark on a journey of reflection and introspection. As Estelle, you travel to Tieng Valley, a farming village on the brink of change, to document the outgoing season before it is lost forever. Armed with a camera, audio recorder, scrapbook, and bicycle, you interact with the remaining villagers, capturing their stories and experiences as well as the beauty and majesty of the valley in its final days.

Along the way, you are presented with a variety of themes, such as memory, community, and grief, that are explored through thoughtful monologues and conversations. You have the freedom to document your journey in your scrapbook as you see fit, capturing images, audio clips, and inner thoughts and musings. Through your interactions, you can unlock additional drawings, stamps, and other embellishments to further decorate your scrapbook, which will serve as a lasting record of your journey and a testament to the ambiguous history of the world.

The game is tranquil, with a delicate but impactful musical score and a beautiful pastel comic book visual style. It invites you to slow down and appreciate the world around you, rather than rushing through to beat the game. You are free to decide how much of the world you want to see, and the more you explore, the more you will get out of the experience.

However, this freedom can also be a challenge, as your gamer instincts may conflict with the game's intentions. You may find yourself struggling to balance the desire to find every hidden monologue and photo op with the desire to simply soak in the scenes and reflect. Nevertheless, Season is a unique and rewarding experience that will leave you with a sense of peace and stillness, like a delicate wave reaching up the beach.

pcplaystationaction adventure
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