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Valiant Hearts: The Great War (PS3) Status: Finished playing I started playing this game on Saturday 8 November, 2014 // I stopped playing this game on: Thursday 27 November, 2014
Current opinion of this game
Well worth playing.
November 27, 2014 12:54:09 AM
I've finished the game and have debated going back to get all the trophies and that sort of thing. I'm still undecided. Mostly, want to pick up all the historical items just to see what they are. However, I'm not all that excited about doing all the gameplay again - but I guess I won't have much of a choice in that. The end is, as expected, quite emotional and, I suspect, rare in videogames. There are several games where the/a protagonist dies - but never in this fashion. An interesting statement on war and its futility if anything. Especially after everything you went through with this character.
November 20, 2014 08:59:30 PM
I've been playing this partly because it was recommended and partly because I'm preparing for a talk I need to give soon. I'm glad for that! One of the more interesting things for me so far is how much I've been learning about WWI and how good a job the game does at weaving real history into the game and, for me at least, making me curious about looking stuff up. It helps that the artwork is gorgeously stylized and interesting to look at. This game feels SO MUCH like playing a european comic (bandes dessinees, to be specific) that it's kind of hard to describe. I've always been a fan of them, having read a fair share as a kid, and I feel (could be wrong) that this game feels, plays, and looks like something that's very much a part of that tradition. I'm having a hard time articulating what I mean by that...but here goes: Visual aspects aside, "bandes dessinees" comics (for me) have an interesting mix of realism/authenticity with moments of wacky/craziness. While still being "serious". The wacky/crazy moments are sort of like gags that happen, but all the characters play it straight (e.g. Tintin). So, in Valiant Hearts you're solving a puzzle in a realistic environment and next thing you know you're in a chase sequence dodging cars and bombs while the explosions are synchronized to, say, the can-can. So, serious - and then moments of outlandishness. I guess I would say that the creators have either captured the sensibility or are working/creating in that context (which makes sense because the game was made by Ubisoft Montpellier). Downsides so far? None really - I mean the game hasn't been challenging at all, BUT I don't consider that a bad thing. It's also been interesting to play while my (young) kids watch and ask questions (what's that green stuff? - chlorine gas, try explaining that!).

Valiant Hearts: The Great War (PS3)