Flower, Journey, and Papo & Yo are proof that you don’t need gun-totting action and bloody effects to have a great game. In these cases, it’s all about expressing one’s creativity. Well now, Giant Sparrow has come up with a new game called The Unfinished Swan that follows in this same path while offering gameplay as a first-person puzzler. Currently available only as a Playstation Network title, will it be able to succeed as a work of art or fail as an “unfinished†project?
The Unfinished Swan tells the story through the perspective of a boy named Monroe. The house he was living in was covered with paintings by his mother who was an artist. However, she never gets to follow through with her art work to the end. As a result, the walls are covered with loads of these unfinished paintings. Then one day, his mother passes away, leaving Monroe as an orphan. Being able to choose only one painting to bring with him to the orphanage, he picks his favorite, which is called “The Unfinished Swan.†One night, Monroe wakes up and discovers that the swan is missing from the painting. Additionally, he finds a strange door in his room which he enters through. The story then begins…
In terms of the gameplay, The Unfinished Swan is a really easy game to pick up and play. Your objective is simply to throw paintballs within your surroundings. In the beginning of the game, all you see is white. Thus, you’ll need to throw paint around you to reveal objects and part of the environment as you navigate and explore your world. While this sounds really straight forward, there’s an added twist as you progress from one chapter to the next. In fact, there are different elements and visual styles added to the gameplay. Later on, you’ll be able to grow vines by watering them all throughout the castle and the city. Eventually, you will be able to build within this dream world. The chapter progresses quite quickly to the next, thereby keeping The Unfinished Swan fresh and exciting. But with four chapters in total, it takes only a matter of a couple of hours to complete.
That doesn’t mean that The Unfinished Swan has little replay value. On the contrary, there are hidden golden letters which reveal another part of the story. Additionally, there are balloons scattered all throughout this imaginary world. With the help of the radar, you’ll be able to track them down, even if they happen to be in the same color as the background. Successfully collecting these balloons will grant you different tools to use during the game. For instance, you can end up with a hose, which makes the task of painting your world easier and more efficient since you’ll be spraying paint continuously.
Graphically, the game looks absolutely fantastic with how the image of the castle is depicted using subtle shading. The clean and solid colors further enhances the visual experiences. Every added color effect plays out like a coloring book. As a result, The Unfinished Swan embarks on an artistic path that’s creative and unique. I don’t think I have seen any other game that matches this type of visuals. Along with that, you’ve got the music and narration that together provides a soothing and satisfying impression.
Despite its title, The Unfinished Swan is far from being “unfinished.†In fact, it’s a masterpiece that’s worthy of an audience. While it may be short, it’s a nice game to get engulfed into a casual session. If you can appreciate the serene experience that this game has to offer, then you should capture this “swan†of a game from the Playstation Network for $14.99.
