December 3, 2023 - Day 337 - NewPlay Review
Total NewPlays: 356

Game: Little Orpheus

Platform: Steam
Release Date: Sep 13, 2022
Installation Date: Nov 30, 2023
Unplayed:3d
Playtime: 21m

Little Orpheus is a 2.5D sideways-scrolling platform adventure game. This is a remastered version of the iOS/tvOS/macOS game which was originally released in 2020 on Apple Arcade.

The thing about #ADHD and game sales is that I absolutely have to be stoic in the face of FOMO. In spite of having so many unplayed games, and unactivated Steam keys, I still get drawn in by shinies. I bought one game that I'd been waiting months for a price drop. I bought the Prince of Persia bundle that I'd wishlisted at some stage, and which dropped to less than five bucks (and in hindsight may have been a poor choice).

Then there was this game, Little Orpheus. I stumbled across it, and it fascinated me, and AUS$4.12 later (thanks, Fanatical and your 5% voucher!) it was added to my collection of unplayed games.

Zero regrets.

You play as a Soviet interiornaut who has returned to Soviet Russia three years after disappearing on a mission sent to explore the interior of Earth and its suitability for colonisation.

This framing device is a voiceover interview between you and a superior, after your return to the surface, wanting to know where you've been for the last three years, and more importantly, where is the titular MacGuffin, "Little Orpheus", Comrade?

Thus far, it's been nothing but a few environmental puzzles, and some timing-based jumps with a couple of QTEs, with no combat.

If the whole game is like this, I will not mind in the slightest, because this game is a visual and auditory feast. The lighting and environments are gorgeous, and the classical musical accompaniment brings to mind the classic cartoon shorts of my childhood.

It's reminiscent of another platformer that I played earlier in the year that I was somewhat unimpressed with, and the thing that separates the two is the humorous narrative of Little Orpheus has me desperately wanting to keep going to see the story play out. Little Orpheus is:

5: Excellent

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