I’m not a particularly keen, or good, gamer. My PC games are mostly limited to a few Call of Duty titles (for the interactive, cinematic experience), a few variations of the Chinese game mahjong, chess, the magnificent Dear Esther (which has unfairly been described as ‘a walking simulator’), and quite a few LEGO games.
A couple of weeks ago I downloaded Valiant Hearts via Steam; it was on special offer. I finished it last week—it was brilliant!
Valiant Hearts is set during world war one, which ties it in nicely with the centenary of its outbreak.
It follows the journeys of four ordinary people’s experiences of war.
- Emile is a French farmer who becomes a prisoner of war, and later escapes.
- Karl is Emile’s (I guess) son-in-law. He’s a German, living in France, who gets recalled back to fight for Germany.
- Freddie is an American soldier who is fighting to avenge the death of his wife in a German bombing attack.
- Anna is a Belgian nurse who attends to wounded soldiers (both German and allied forces) on the battlefield.
Besides the playable characters there is also a dog, Walt, who can be used to solve puzzles. You can also stroke him, and tickle his tummy, which is a really sweet addition.
I found the game entirely gripping. From the artwork, to the music and sound effects, to the puzzles, to the characters, to the historical detail. While the characters and story line is fictional, it is based on historical fact which makes it all the more moving.
I love that one of the main characters (Anna) is a woman, and a strong woman at that. She is brave and compassionate.
I had read quite a few reviews before I played the game where people confessed that they cried at the end of the game. As the final level was loading I considered this. I had been moved by the stories, I had identified with the characters, but I didn’t feel this was enough to make me cry.
I was wrong. As the final level progressed, I cried.
If you’re looking for a great adventure-style, puzzle game, then I can thoroughly recommend Valiant Hearts. It gets a 10/10 from me.
