Silence

Review By Bobby “Biscuit Hipster” Davies

I’ve not played a point and click adventure since Broken Sword 2 on PS1. Somewhere along the way, I forgot how to quietly follow a story, solve puzzles, and care for characters.

Instead preferring combos, Capture the Flag, and far too loud sports cars. Silence for Nintendo Switch made me remember what I’ve been missing. If you’ve ever enjoyed one of Telltale Games’ offerings, then you’re in luck.

This is Daedalic’s lifeblood. Taking control of Noah, you’ll search for your sister, Renie, lost somewhere in between life and death. Starting in the air raid shelter that you were bunkered down in for safety you’ll explore the beautiful world of Silence, every frame a Kubrick-esque painting that you can’t help but enjoy every inch of, especially with a docked switch.

Despite the game being three years old and a rerelease on Switch everything still looks wonderful. Animations and models feel human, yet stylistic, and the backgrounds feel almost handpainted.

The game truly sells you on Noah’s claustrophobia and Renie’s more innocent worldview The puzzles are perfect, finding the right balance of challenging, yet fun to figure out and with hints a mere click of the left stick away you’ll never be stuck for too long.

Of course, we do fall into the trope of puzzles that have to be completed in a certain order, but it’s part of the genre so we can’t criticise that too harshly.

My only real gripe with Silence is the lack of touch screen controls for this version. They could have been simply implemented without being obtrusive and ruining the experience.

If the PC version can use mouse and keyboard, I see no reason to be limited to a controller here. Being able to feel like I am actually interacting with the world as opposed to merely controlling an avatar would have been perfect.

A lot is often made of the “Switch Tax” that older games seem to suffer from when ported over, and Silence is no exception. It’s inevitable that people will baulk at the £35.99 price tag when the same title is available on Steam for less than £10, but this is truly a title worth it.

Curl up on the sofa, or even in bed with the Switch out of the dock and get intimate with this title. Get attached to Noah and Renie, fall in love with the world, and relax before bed.

Overall Score – 8/10

The change of pace that Silence offered me was refreshing and reminded me of a simpler time. One filled with wonder and amazement like Renie’s.

Badger

Life long gamer and Geek, Considered by most to be of doubtable sanity. never seen without my trusty Stetson

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