More than just war

SEP 10 - Title: Valiant Hearts—The Great War

Company: Ubisoft

Genre: Puzzle/ adventure

Platform: All platforms and iOS

Valiant Hearts-The Great War is a story of four individuals whose fates intertwine — in a visually stunning 2D world  — through happenings in the First World War. Published by Ubisoft and developed by Ubisoft Montpellier, the puzzle-adventure video game brings to light the emotional struggle of different characters who are driven to fight and survive the War, not just for the sake of patriotism, but in hopes of seeing their loved ones again and re-uniting with them. Each character is driven by her or his own personal motive — be it love, family, friendship, revenge or simply moral duty. And it is through these motives that the characters manage to find the courage to stare at the face of death and overcome all the obstacles that come across their path.

The story begins in France where Karl, a German married to a French woman, is summoned to fight for his nation and is forced to part with his wife and infant son. Emile, Karl’s father-in-law, is also sent into the battlefield to fight for the French army. Emile, on duty, befriends Freddie, an American who has volunteered in the French Legion to avenge the death of his newly-wedded wife who was killed in the carnage led by Baron Von Dorf of Germany. And, just when the end seems to be near for these two, Anna, a young Belgian vet comes to their rescue. She is looking for her father who has been captured by their common foe Dorf to make weapons for the war.

The game progresses as you advance through four chapters  — alternatively switching between the four characters accompanied by a faithful canine who comes in handy while solving puzzles and getting you out of sticky situations. Speaking of the puzzles, this masterpiece of a story steadily unfolds as you pass through levels, solving environmental puzzles which do not keep you for long anyway. The riddles are very creative and intentionally made simple so that you do not lose focus from the primary story. Just in case you are hung up on something, there is a ‘hint’ feature that quickly tips you off. You mostly require your trusty hound Waltz to do half the job for you: given his convenient size which helps him get places you can’t reach. Plus, he is a cute distraction for the enemies — something that can seem a little odd at times. But regardless of all that , you are very less likely to get bored, although you will be pulling levers, throwing objects and sending Watlz into the tunnels in a lot of situations.

The chapters are inspired by letters written during the Great War and give us a glimpse of the horror and despair that followed the hapless souls who had to endure the dark times. The four characters contrast each other very well, and the differences become more evident as the game progresses. Freddie is a strong and brave soldier who will stop at nothing to avenge his bride while Emile is a kind-hearted elderly who mostly digs tunnels to guide others through, and occasionally uses his shovel to knock enemies out from behind. Anna is dedicated to aiding the sick and wounded, and also happens to be an exceptionally skilled driver. This, she proves while escaping German air-strikes. Karl, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to re-unite with his family, and for that, he goes on to master the art of stealth and con. 

The game is constantly spammed by historical trivia which mostly have little or nothing to do with the game and are just there to provide information and paint a more vivid picture of the War. Some might find it informative while others will only get annoyed.

Story

Valiant Hearts—The Great War is an excellent example of an exceptionally well-written emotional story despite being a war-themed game. It is rare for a game based on war to not glamorise violence. And although Valiant Hearts is entirely based on battlefields with raining bullets and fuming poison gas, it manages to evoke humane emotions: For it is not glory that follows victory but a sigh of relief. There is desperation and despair, but there is also a gleam of hope that accompanies the characters.

This is a story about people who find courage to do extraordinary deeds in the battlefield. They’re solely driven by love, and all they hope for is a better future. An excellent plot followed by a bitter-sweet ending.

Score: 10/10

Graphics

Powered by an in-house engine called UbiArt Framework which was previosly seen in Child of Light, the game is visually pleasing and sets the perfect atmosphere for the story and the gameplay. It is quite amazing to witness how further the creators can push the boundaries of 2D artwork.

Score: 9/10

Sound

The sound effects featured in the game suits the setting perfectly, and even without dialogues between characters, the narration manages to do justice to the visuals. The lack of speech during gameplay makes it more immersive while the amazing background music that accompanies the narration adds soul to the story. The voice acting of Emile might not sound anywhere close to being French, but the subtle tone during delivery is apt in keeping one on the edge of the seat out of anticipation.

Score: 9/10

Gameplay

Although enjoyable, the gameplay is not the game’s best suit. The gameplay elements are limited with each character and eventually the levels start to seem repetitive. And if you’re not looking to expand general knowledge, the historical pop-ups will rather distract you from the game.

Score: 7/10

Verdict

Despite being a masterpiece of story-telling and a pleasant experience, Valiant Hearts fails to hold up as a great ‘game’. It feels more like an interactive history lesson or a graphic novel — not a bad thing unless it comes to gaming. It seems, the developers probably wanted to target the more casual gamers. All in all, it is a heart-warming tale that delves into issues deeper and more personal than patriotism and glory.

Final Score: 8.5/10