This game title also happens to be the date of my birthday so immediately I was interested. However, it turned out to a lot less happy than I originally thought. June is usually a month of renewal and growth; however, June in this game is not the month but the wife of the main character. And now you already know where this is going.
Without giving away spoilers because it happens as soon as soon as the game starts, the wife has passed away due to a car crash. Several months has passed and the main character is reminiscing on those times and very dearly wishes he can take those moments back and change history. Then, something magical happens and he can control other people in the neighborhood that could have done different things to help prevent the accident. There is the boy, the hunter, the friend, and the old man. Each one has a strong effect on the situation that gives you hope that the situation could be changed. I won’t say any more about the story, but it does tug at your heartstrings and then at the very end pulls them completely out, so it was a fun experience.
The soundtrack is done by Steven Wilson — an experienced musician and producer — that creates an equal amount of bombastic rock and calming instrumentals. There are no voices, just sounds, and the characters have no faces, but they pull it off in a not creepy way. I am unsure if this is a true story, but I hope not because it would make it so much sadder.
I did have some small pet peeves with the game itself, such as that it could have been shorter even with the 3-hour play time. The cut scenes were sometimes too long and un-skippable which made for longer gameplay than needed to be. There were some nice collectibles but an unnecessary addition to the game. It also felt like it could have been an animated movie instead of a game.
3.5/5. It was OK gameplay wise, but the story and concept were its highlights, allowing for the audience to sympathize with the main character’s struggles of loss and grief.
The event that really moved this game from a 3 to a 3.5 was the after-credit scene which honestly completely shattered my heart. Play this game with a loved one nearby. On second thought, don’t, unless you want to cry more than you already are going to be.
