Empathy becomes a video game in Harmony: The Fall of Reverie. It looks like a European comic with fine lines and pastel colors, its scores bear the signature of Lena Raine and it manifests itself on the screen as one of those many visual novels that are produced in Japan. Many influences at the same time unified and directed towards the same message: to what extent Happiness, Power, Chaos, Bond, Glory and Truth influence our destiny. .
A theme as ambitious as it is abstract. so own Don’t Nod, on the other hand. The creators of Remember Me or the Life Is Strange franchise once again interconnect mysteries and unusual powers when it comes to building characters and situations without losing perspective: making their stories have a special depth for the player. based on implicating him on an emotional level. Based on inviting us to talk face to face with the six aspirations of humanity.
Which does not mean that there is a huge stretch from graphic adventures to Japanese-style visual novels. And yet, that effort of Don’t Nod to experiment with the narrative itself and give the last word to whoever is behind the screen it had never been so easy.
Another thing, of course, is having to deal with the consequences of the decisions we are making.
Because in Harmony: The Fall of Reverie It is no longer about choosing the options that seem most interesting to us when it comes to moving forward or with those with which we feel most identified. Each action, each choice and the involvement that we can have is conditioned by the six aspirations, which appear personified in the game with their own voice. In a literal way.
And despite the fact that our link with each of the aspirations will show us the path to follow -or the options we have- in the face of each situation, we must assume the consequences. Or rather Polly, the link between two worlds and who gives the game its name: because our protagonist is Harmony Between the Ephemeral and the Dream. And that more than a great power, it is a huge responsibility.
Harmony: The Fall of Reverie: six aspirations. a single destination
It is said that in each era a new Harmony is born. A link between two worlds: Dream, the dream place where humanity’s aspirations live, and the real world known as Ephemeral. Both kingdoms coexist in balance and need each other, since mortals emanate the egregor that feeds aspirations such as Happiness, Truth or Power.
But, what would happen if in Ephemeral the dreams and the will of the human mind began to silence? To what extent would this break with aspirations jeopardize society and the very destiny of humanity? Polly not only are you about to find out, but you are the key to restoring that balance.
After a long absence, Polly returns to the Mediterranean island of Atina to look for his mother ursula. Five years have passed since the last time she was there, and the truth is that she has left many unfinished business that she has not had a special interest in resolving. However, the outlook ahead is grim: the megacorporation MonkeyKonzern control life and inhabitants and even monitor their activity and conversations with drones.
Precisely for this reason, it will be much more difficult for Polly to know the reasons for Ursula’s disappearance. And yet, her fate provides him with an opportunity. Or better, six different ways.
Returning home, Polly discovers a pendant that transports her to Dream, where do you meet Happiness, the first of the six aspirations that shape the passions of humanity. Her silhouette is that of a particularly happy little girl, the complete opposite of Power, the imposing aspiration of the will. Together, she makes a revelation to him: Polly is actually Harmony that mediates between the two worlds, and must save them at the same time.
The lack of aspirations of humanity has weakened the aspirations, and at the same time, these do not infuse their values, which has created a kind of vicious circle. And if the origin of the problem derives from MonoKonzern, the most singular thing of all is that the key to restoring the balance seems to be the same enigma that led to the disappearance of Úrsula. Given this, Harmony must take part, being aware that she will not achieve it alone. Not in Dreaming, not in the real world.
Don’t Nod experiments with the narrative of visual novels, but does not lose its identity
Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is a visual novel almost, almost manually. At least, in regards to his way of presenting his gameplay. The journey of Harmony is described to us through events that interact and speak to both the six aspirations (Happiness, Power, Chaos, Bond, Glory and Truth) as well as relatives and supporters of Polly’s cause.
Now, the fact that almost everything we see are text boxes seasoned with exquisite art does not imply that the player is limited to reading without interacting with the story: unlike other adventure games such as Detroit: Become Human or the Telltale sagas , we will interact in a simple and direct way with the tree of possibilities in each act and in each chapter under two conditions.
- As a general rule, once we make a decision, the rest will be cancelled.
- In addition, each decision will add or subtract aspiration crystals, so we will not be able to choose all the options unless we have enough crystals.
In other words: if we make decisions that assure us Power crystals, we will access a very specific story in a certain context that is not possible to access if we seek a peaceful path with Bond. And the same can be applied with Happiness, Chaos, Truth or Glory.
That does not mean that there are good or bad aspirations, for the record: if we always opt for the Vínculo path, which always advocates coexistence and kindness, we will not access bits of history that are decisive, although it is highly possible that other types of doors will open for us.
The way it’s designed Harmony: The Fall of Reverie it makes our progress in the Ephemeral world have an impact in Dreaming, but this works both ways. In the real world we will meet relatives, strangers interested in our cause and even some romance from the past and we ourselves delegate who to pay more attention to and how to mediate among all. Because on many occasions they will not agree.
Of course, despite the fact that the narrative is different from what has been seen so far in Don’t Nod, the recurring themes and values of the study in its previous games are not lost, betting on diversity and integrating inclusive language. Raising conversations that, despite taking place in the relatively near future, must be treated beyond the game itself.
A great little gem with a name of author
During the last few days Don’t Nod has allowed us to enjoy a limited, but very well finished pre-launch version of Harmony: The Fall of Reverie in which the care put into the project and the faith that the French have towards its message and symbolism is more than evident. That his presentation stands out so much from Japanese visual novels and that he has put a special effort into characterizing each of the aspirations is something that adds whole points to the whole.
In fact, we are not only talking about the artistic presentation and design of its environments and characters: as we mentioned at the beginning the composer Lena Raine (Celeste, Chicory: A Colorful Tale either Minecraft) seasons a very careful presentation and a special effort to offer all the dialogues with voices (in English) and perfectly localized into Spanish. Being all at the service of the message.
What’s more, until They have created a social network for you on Twitter to each of the aspirations that strengthen their nature and, in the case of Chaos, they leave us a few memes. Ideas that are definitely headed in the same direction: that these aspirations leave an impact in the real world.
Unfortunately, we will have to wait a little longer to see how the story ends. Although not too much.
Harmony: The Fall of Reverie It will be out in mid-June on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Of course, it won’t take you that long to get your hands on it: on the occasion of LudoNarraCon, Don’t Nod has enabled a demo of it. An appetizer that will not disappoint fans of the studio for a game that, like all those signed by the French, born to leave its own mark on the player.
- Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC
- Multiplayer: No
- Developer: DON’T NOD
- Company: DON’T NOD
- Launch: June 2023