Art can be for all eternity or manifest in an ephemeral way. Aspire: Ina’s Tale knows how to be both at the same time. Wondernaut Studio writes a short story, which can be enjoyed and can be overcome in a single afternoon, but through it it also gives us images, some verse and takes us to dream worlds that we will treasure in a very special way. It’s a platforming adventure, but definitely It’s art.
Art with author denominator: the recognized Brazilian poet Luiz Sampaio -who at 68 years of age decided to venture into video games and found the Wondernaut studio- wears the very tenuous plot ties Aspire: Ina’s Tale with his words. Making the video game a poetry in motion while tending shameless ties in the playable to references like LIMBO or GRAY. Retaining his feelings of melancholy and overcoming the controls, but achieving a unique and distinguishable visual identity.
Because the world of Aspire: Ina’s Tale is precious, even at its most gray and gloomy levels. Even in the sections where we should be more cautious. Sometimes it is minimalist and very subtle in the details and other times it knows how to take advantage of the contrast of colors to convey the atmosphere that best suits with. Ina’s journey of self-discovery, our protagonist. And it is that the mere fact of going through the sets that the Brazilian studio brings us gives added value to a simple adventure in the forms and contents, but generous in conveying emotions.
And is that Aspire: Ina’s Tale it might not compete to be the indie breakout of the year. And that his puzzles have a very well measured balance when it comes to being challenging, fair and easy to understand with a couple of exceptions. But it makes the player stop every few sections to admire the image that is manifested on the screen. Let your eyes roam every bit of the stage in search of clues or simply to revel in the talent of its creators and their constant successful endeavor to transmit sensations through shapes and color.
Elements that do not make the dream trip of Aspire: Ina’s Tale is especially enjoyable, that give meaning and meaning to the secrets that will be revealed to us through its different scenarios and, finally, they achieve that the conclusion of the adventure leaves a very good taste in the mouth. The same kind of sensation that occurs when you finish reading a well-written short story when it manages to connect with the reader. A milestone that Wondernaut Studio achieves based on platforms, color, puzzles and poetry.
A journey of self-discovery through visual poetry
Ina has awakened after a long sleep, but when she opens her eyes, she does not recognize the ground on her feet or the walls that surround her. The young woman with the long red hair sits up with vague memories and lots of questions. His first steps help him discover that he is inside a huge metal structure. A tower. As she begins to become aware, she comes to a conclusion: she is locked in a gigantic prison that seems to have a life of its own.
A prison of contrasts. Of lights and shadows. Of nature that sprouts from the ground, from the walls and falls from a ceiling that is rarely reached with the eye; and also of gears, artificial lights and levers not so accessible that give access to new rooms. New plots of the same prison. A jail whose walls are so wide that they even create moving landscapes. But, after all, a prison for all intents and purposes. And Ina is willing to do anything to get out of it.
The good news and the not so good news is that Ina is not alone. Throughout her journey, the determined young woman will meet different guides who seem to have a more or less clear idea of what is happening in the tower. However, the discovery of the truth is part of the way, and it must be the young woman herself who interprets and gives meaning to the answers when they are manifested to her. The not so good part is that in addition to guides, in the tower you will find different kinds of dangers and threats.
Threats of their own free will, conveniently hidden between the gears and the darkness, who will be dedicated to assault Ina. To pursue it until it is reduced and eliminated. To make his spirit part of the tower. And it is before these beings where our protagonist must wield her will and determination to continue advancing and, ultimately, escape from the tower.
Puzzles, poetry and platforms
Although there are some sections that invite you to get lost, complete Aspire: Ina’s Tale It won’t take us much more than four hours. Perhaps a lot less if we are a little savvy with puzzles and understand what is happening on the screen. That which, the good if it is brief is twice good and the message that Wondernaut Studio seeks to convey from the awakening of our protagonist to the final measures does not require more. The extra time that we decide to give it will be to be amazed by seeing its landscapes.
At the gameplay level, Aspire: Ina’s Tale follow in the wake of LIMBO or Inside Based on taking advantage of a large stage that we will travel in side scrolling and with platform mechanics to add narrative elements. However, there are aspects that give it its own voice. There are dialogues and interaction with other characters, our heroine manifests her own will throughout the game and there is a message and a theme that evolves throughout the adventure.
Definitely, Aspire: Ina’s Tale conveys emotions without finishing giving the feeling of adventure. Rather, it is a journey of self-discovery. Which inevitably leads to comparisons with GRAY, although in this case we can be eliminated and we will be exposed to dangers. To be fair, the number of enemies that we will face – and without going into details – are counted on the fingers of one hand and we have plenty of them; but some of them are quite insistent.
On the part of the puzzles, and as we already mentioned, the difficulty is very well calculated. Their amount is just right and, in essence, they are based on taking advantage of three specific abilities (light, the ability to lift objects and the ability to make them larger) to be able to continue advancing. Entering the final measures we will have to know how to combine the three skills, although at no time is it possible to flirt with the mechanics of the metroidvanias. They are simply a challenge that connects the narrative and evokes Ina’s growth process.
A maturation process through a story that lasts as long as it has to, no more, no less, but who knows how to reward those who want to get lost a little more than necessary with some different loose pieces of the great puzzle that can only be found if we decide to deviate a little from the established path. Sometimes memories of our own guides, sometimes pieces of Ina’s past.
Achieving that Aspire: Ina’s Tale excel in the artistic, which also applies to an exceptional soundtrack and game with the whole, enjoy the playability and manage to bring genuine emotions to the player. And although it does not derail formulas and mechanics already seen and well known in other independent games, the journey of Ina genuinely conveys the good feelings of works with an author’s name. Even in its most challenging sections, there are.
The Opinion of VidaExtra
Aspire: Ina’s Tale it is a pleasant surprise. One of those few games with a soul and a voice of its own They appear almost dropper every year. It may not add much to the adventure platformer genre, but it knows how to make its mark on the key issues and, in the process, treats the player to images with a touch of color and minimalism that deserve to be framed.
In fact, walking through the tower is a very pleasant experience in which all kinds of architectural styles and images converge that convey sensations to the player. He knows how to be dark and hopeful when he plays, but also colorful and enigmatic in the most delicate and relevant moments.
Definitely, the game completes in an afternoon or two if we’re not overly inspired, and that is not bad when the message you want to bring is achieved. Extending Ina’s journey longer than necessary or bringing in more characters and enemies by giving her overtime would be counterproductive. But logically It is up to us to clarify all aspects.
Elements that, added, make Aspire: Ina’s Tale in one of the last indie candy 2021. A simple game with a lot of soul. A debut feature that radiates identity from its creators and, despite being a video game, is poetry in motion signed by Luiz Sampaio.
Aspire: Ina’s Tale
Platforms | Xbox (reviewed version), PC and Nintendo Switch |
---|---|
Multiplayer | No |
Developer | Wondernaut studio |
Company | Untold Tales |
Launch | December 17, 2021 |
The best
- An exquisitely minimalist and very colorful artistic section
- The difficulty of its puzzles and challenges is very well measured
- Well-hidden secrets that add nuance to the story
Worst
- Very short and not too replayable