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0 Rue Valley is a narrative RPG developed by Emotion Spark Studio and published by Owlcat Games. There is currently no release date yet, but the game is available to wishlist on Steam right now. If you can’t wait, there is also a demo of the game that can be played right now.
Find out the truth
The journey begins with an introduction to a male protagonist, who is currently undergoing counselling. It is not known at this point what the story holds. However, it is not long before you realise something is not as it seems.
Gameplay
At its core, Rue Valley has the player explore and collect memories to try to decipher why they are stuck in a time loop. The time loop itself begins at 20:00 hours and finishes at 20:47. It is within this short time that you need to unravel the mystery. You are not alone, however, as there is a colourful cast who joins you. They each have their own complex emotional stories. But, they are also hiding unexpected secrets. Once 20:47 hits, you are transported back to the same opening scene. This time, with memories of what happened in the previous time loop.
These memories interconnect to unlock a bigger memory that helps to understand why this is happening to you. These are stored within a memory graph and can be viewed at any time. The story relies on you experimenting with different answers and timelines. Your choices impact the story, and will even make the player develop certain feelings which may block you from certain actions. However, you are offered plenty of opportunities to experiment with your choices. As, of course, you are stuck in a time loop. Will you figure out the mystery?
Graphics & Audio
I love the art style of Rue Valley. It presents itself like a comic book. This is in the graphics itself, but also the dialogue between characters. It just seems like the right start for the game. It also looks visually stunning. Especially when and how the time loop ends. It shows off how good it looks.
Of course, as stated above, this is only a 35-minute preview. So, it is hard to judge how the game will look and play. The only somewhat issue I encountered while playing was when the protagonist used the stairs. The majority of the time, it looked and felt good. However, there were a couple of times when he was almost stuttering up the stairs. I don’t think this is in any way indicative of what is to come. Especially when you consider this an Alpha build. Of course, there are going to be small issues such as this.
However, that is where the direct link to a questionnaire at the end of the demo is well received. There, you can place your thoughts and feelings on the demo, and anything you encountered that you wish for the developers to know.
Final Thoughts
Rue Valley has a lot of potential. The premise of the game sounds interesting, and I am absolutely in love with the art style. The 35-minute preview has honestly left me wanting more, and I will certainly be joining their discord server to find out more information. At this moment, there are no dates for when Rue Valley will be hitting stores. However, I would certainly implore you to give the demo a whirl yourself.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this preview.
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