The Sorrowvirus – A Faceless Short Story Review

Coping with sure points in video games will be difficult, regardless that many try and take care of topics like heroism, good vs evil, and lightweight overcoming the darkish. Within the final decade or so although others have gone additional, attempting to deal with trickier topics; psychological well being, alcoholism, and abuse. In The Sorrowvirus – A Faceless Brief Story the sport locations itself in a fantasy setting however inside that tackles topics like terminal sickness, mortality and torment. It’s a wierd, fragmented story that takes us on an intriguing and distinctive journey. However are we able to develop into contaminated with The Sorrowvirus? 

The Sorrowvirus looks like a part of a sequence of quick tales underneath the Faceless assortment. This one follows the journey of a younger man referred to as Wyatt Heyll, who has confronted sickness and cancers which have made his life expectancy quick. His determined mother and father give him, simply earlier than he dies, a wierd magical substance referred to as The Sorrowvirus. What this substance does is infect the soul of the topic and cease it from going into the afterlife. It takes Wyatt to purgatory, the place he can heal after which return to the waking world. However the draw back is that the cancers and diseases come again faster and shortly Wyatt is in an limitless loop; backwards and forwards between life and purgatory. His mother and father are nonetheless researching to discover a treatment however in the meantime, Wyatt is having to stay via this ache and horror. Your job is to information Wyatt via the unusual world and relieve him of his ache, and properly there are 4 completely different endings for you during which to attain this. 

The story and premise are fascinating and wonderful locations to spend a while in. As you journey all through the world, you decide up items of lore and narrative via paperwork and audiotapes. There are some creepy components too which contain dolls which have come to life, unusual tormented souls, and rooms that change orientation as you progress round them. The environmental storytelling – and the writing – are key right here to the sport’s development.  

Right here’s the rub. The Sorrowvirus – A Faceless Brief Story will take you roughly an hour to finish, as you look to soak up one of many 4 endings. BUT, there isn’t a save all through these run-throughs, with the entire thing designed to be performed in a single sitting. I can see why this has been actioned, however, truthfully, it’s annoying and would possibly put some folks off fully. Fortunately, it’s right here the place Xbox Collection’ fast resume performance comes into its personal. 

You play the sport within the first individual, capable of stroll round this amazing-looking enjoying house. You’ll be able to work together with gadgets and seize key gadgets to your stock; doorways, levers, and so forth can all be operated. But it surely’s extra about shifting ahead via the sport and exploring every space. There are clocks that you want to use as checkpoints in your means too, because the character must be rooted to time or he’ll lose his thoughts. 

Relating to the puzzles in The Sorrowvirus they usually aren’t very sophisticated in any respect, however that doesn’t imply some should not very nicely designed. You generally must learn all of the paperwork to get clues to padlocks, or simply study your environment completely. After the primary ending, once you return it is possible for you to to do stuff you haven’t accomplished earlier than and the environments will change in response to what has simply occurred; that is fairly intelligent. It additionally provides a superb cause for returning and attempting to progress the story additional. 

Visually the sport appears nice with its use of Unreal Engine 4. It reminds of Bioshock with reference to its artwork model, and at different instances to We Joyful Few. It’s definitely vibrant, uncommon, and thought-provoking all through. The lighting, environment, and a spotlight to element are excellent and the doll’s design is beautiful; nice work and a pleasure to discover the world. 

The music and soundtrack are extremely atmospheric as nicely, while the important thing storyteller importantly paints this universe nicely. There’s some good work happening from the actors concerned within the voice overs; that and the textual content bringing the entire thing to life. 

Regardless that you’ll solely spend a brief period of time with The Sorrowvirus – A Faceless Brief Story, it’s one that you simply’ll get pleasure from. It combines an intriguing narrative with a tremendous world that you simply’ll wish to spend a while in. I’m not wholly satisfied in regards to the choice to not be capable to save after every playthrough, since you take the selection away from the participant to dip out and in; I actually don’t assume it advantages the gameplay in any means. That is, nonetheless, a sport that deserves a number of playthroughs and gathering up all endings is a should.

So come and provides The Sorrowvirus a go and assist poor Wyatt escape the purgatory hell he’s dwelling in. 

The Sorrowvirus – A Faceless Brief Story is on the Xbox Retailer