Drowning

"This game won't be for everybody" is one of those cliche phrases that can mean just about anything. It's the kind of expression you can say about absolutely everything, since we all have different opinions and will never agree on any one game, no matter how good it is. But when I say that a game like Drowning won't be for everybody, what I'm really trying to convey is that it won't be for most people. This is a very niche and personal release that takes the player on an emotionally draining journey through years of crippling depression. There's not a single explosion or action scene, just a short and brutally honest walk down a long path with the story floating in the air. Like I said, Drowning won't be for everybody.

At first glance, Drowning looks like a pleasant stroll through a peaceful forest located next to the tranquil lake. But don't let the idyllic setting fool you, because what sits between those trees is nothing but sadness and self-doubt. This is a coming-of-age story about a teenager's battles with his inner demons. We experience his destructive thoughts while walking through a number of lovely locations, all while reading about his life living with depression.

Drowning plays out like a first-person visual novel, where we walk down a path and read one line of the story at a time. The story is told entirely from the teenager's point of view, starting with the first encounter and how this new "friend" changed his life for years to come. In about 40 minutes, the game takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride that attempts to show the thought process of somebody suffering from depression. It does this in a more nuanced way that simply making the protagonist sad, because we see how the illness permeates every part of his life, from friends to family to everyday hygiene.

As somebody who has battled depression in the past, a lot of the story rings true. I think it does a good job of getting you in the mind of somebody dealing with these thoughts and showing you what it can lead to. This is clearly the work of somebody with a deeply personal story to tell and, if nothing else, it succeeds at letting us into that kind of mindset. Whether or not it's a good game is a whole other matter.

Simply put, this is a game about walking in a straight line. Obviously there's more to it than that, but from a gameplay perspective, that's all you get. Most of the game revolves around simply walking from one line of the story to the next, but over time you'll notice that there are different paths you can take that will lead to new endings. And while I like the idea of changing the outcome, I wish the branching paths were a little more obvious. I also don't like replaying huge chunks of the game in order to get the different endings.

The problem is that a lot of this game feels like a chore. While I think the premise is good and the inner dialog can be intriguing, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. It's riddled with spelling errors and predictable cliches. It does a good job easing us into this kind of mindset, but never does anything interesting with it. The story is bland and endings aren't as satisfying as they should be.

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On that note, I really like the scenic stages and their soothing atmospheres. There were a lot of times when I just wanted to explore the hills and forests, but invisible walls block off most of the good stuff. To make matters worse, I feel like the developer missed a huge opportunity to visually convey our hero's mental state through these backgrounds. We're often reading dark and gloomy thoughts while walking through a bright and sunny forest, which felt like a mismatch. It's only at the very end where the graphics and story begin to line up, but by that time it's a little too late.

It's also worth mentioning that my mouse cursor remained on the screen the entire time, no matter how hard I tried to get rid of it. There are no options or ways to change the game, so I was stuck with that damn cursor there the whole time. I hope that eventually gets patched out, though I'm not sure that will change my opinion much.

The best thing I can say about Drowning is that the inner thoughts ring true and the emotions feel authentic. Unfortunately, as a game, there's not enough here to recommend. The pacing is painfully slow, the grammar is atrocious and the different outcomes are all a little too predictable. All I wanted to do was explore the pretty stages, but sadly that's not an option. Know what you're getting yourself into before you buy Drowning.