Unavowed (Nintendo Switch) – The test

Today, we are going to tell you a story proposed by the American independent studio Wadjet Eye Game in 2018. A story that has received quite a few awards on the independent scene and which finally arrived on Nintendo Switch in 2021. A paranormal story about a world inspired by our reality. A story that we were able to read through our joy-cons in order to be able to talk to you about it at length here. It is therefore a question of knowing whether the notoriety of this Unavowed is deserved.

Let's admit that it lacks translation

This is the first observation that we will make from the beginning without elaborating on the subject of the story. Our test being intended for a French-speaking audience, it goes without saying that it is difficult in this context to give a very good score to a story if the French translation is absent. So, by default and for the sake of understanding for the French public, it goes without saying that we must deduct points, particularly for a game focusing on its history and its texts. This is a standard that we have applied to other productions, even those that do not necessarily center their experience on the story.

Once this parenthesis at the start of the test is closed, let's go into slightly more detail on this story which seems to have been at the heart of much praise. We play our own character, an individual who finds himself involved in a case involving the supernatural. One thing led to another and we became a member of the Unavowed organization, an association of individuals from our world interacting with the supernatural and investigating this type of affair. With members not even having a human appearance, others who manipulate flames or even others who interact with spirits. Unavowed is not necessarily a very large organization, but each of its members has their specialty related to the supernatural.

The story begins after we have defined our protagonist's liabilities. This past has an influence on the progression of the story to come, and the subtleties of writing linked to this type of choice are numerous in the game. Something which will motivate the most curious to play and redo the story to have some subtleties changes to discover as well as multiple endings. Let's return to our start of the game: we see that our character is possessed by a demon, and that it is a sorcerer named Eli who is responsible for our exorcism. A wizard with the look of an American gentleman with a classic salaryman's outfit and a hat to match. The plot also takes place in different locations in New York in a very 90s vibe, a very pleasant journey into the American city of that era.

Eli is the famous fire-manipulating individual we were talking about. It is after the rescue by Eli that we join Unavowed. During our investigations in New York, increasingly involving the supernatural, we will be joined by other individuals or entities. Notably Logan, a medium who interacts with spirits and who is accompanied by Kaykay, the ghost of a child around ten years old helping him in his practices. There are also other members who then join us, and whose discovery we leave you with the surprise of as well as their development in this complex plot: a supernatural story in our contemporary world, weaving its web through our different protagonists but also in the temporality and eras developed in the game.

From the beginning, and until the end, Unavowed plays the card of mature, raw and violent writing. No matter the choices or the ending you are heading towards, the quality of writing is consistent and it is even more of a shame not to have a translation for everyone to enjoy. There are many twists and turns depending on the choices you make and many poignant revelations await you around the corner. Not everything is necessarily surprising and depending on your literary or cinematographic culture, it is possible to predict certain outcomes. However, classicism does not mean poor quality when it is done well. Unavowed will certainly be able to engage fans of the occult and the supernatural in its plot of around ten hours in a straight line or more depending on each person's motivation and game plan. The pace of the story is good, but we will understand that those who are less motivated after a first run may find the game too short for the price offered.

Let's admit that it's a genre that can put you to sleep

We mentioned it but Unavowed focuses on its story, it is also a Point'n click, so you will understand the reasons for this strong point. Once again, its story is of quality despite some development imbalances or the presence of some very secondary characters. That being said, if you're a fan of the supernatural and aren't too squeamish, the experience is worth a look. This sensitivity that we evoke goes beyond words that are hard to read or hear. But since we are at this point, let's talk about the sound ambiance of the game which accompanies very well the supernatural plot of the game, its events, its temporal and geographical context. There are themes that we forget, that go around in circles or that thrill us less, but overall the quality is there.

The English dubbing and voice acting allows you to better immerse yourself in the game and better immerse yourself in the personality of each of the characters. Certain passages can be violent to hear verbally, justifying the pegi of the game. Thus, Unavowed is not necessarily a Point'n click to give to everyone. The dubbing helps to keep us in suspense despite a few lines of dialogue that are empty and less inspiring than the key moments of the game. In addition to the rather good soundscape, it is the visual work on Unavowed that can strike the mind. The style is in a genre of 2D pixel art going hand in hand with the very 90s vibe of the context of the game.

In this style, Unavowed offers a more than adequate rendering, with, as in the genre or as in a Visual Novel, passages with key illustrations to give a semblance of staging and make an impression. Images that are not always pleasant to see and which can offend the sensibilities of a certain audience. Beyond that, it's the very dull style, with dark colors and rather detailed creature designs that may offend an immature audience. This coupled with the soundtrack, Unavowed succeeds in depicting a supernatural atmosphere, immersing us in a fictional universe close to ours (or at least in a certain era) and potentially making us feel a certain unease.

However, in its 2D pixel art style inspired by the 90s, we must at the same time note the fact that despite all the efforts made in the ambient work, the style does not allow a more impactful staging than the key illustrations. Unavowed thus fails to make certain passages even more impactful through a static 2D staging that is dated and ultimately specific to its graphic style. You will have to use your imagination to find a certain emotional impact. But once again the pixel art work is good and goes hand in hand with the plot even if we understand that some players may not appreciate this overly heavy atmosphere and would potentially have preferred the same plot with more lightness and color. Also, remaining subjective, we did not find any particularly charismatic character in their design. Furthermore, staying with this style and comparing to other point'n clicks on Nintendo Switch, it is cleaner and prettier. That being said, Unavowed remains clean, unique and pleasing to the eye, both on portable and on TV.

Before discussing the gameplay, it is necessary to understand that this retro and poor staging can contribute to a certain fatigue when following the progress of the game. Particularly during certain empty passages just moving your character from one point to another following some poor dialogues. The voices we hear then become the only factor keeping us awake despite ourselves. A fatigue that is not alleviated by the gameplay nor by the classic progression of a Point'n Click. We spend most of the time going through dialogues then clicking on each element of the scenery to gather information and clues related to the procedure to follow. However, you have to stay awake to make choices that subtly change the scenario and its progression at certain times.

Furthermore, as in most games of the genre, progression is linear despite the possible choices and multiple endings. Linear since traditionally in the genre, certain passages cannot be passed if you have not triggered a certain event in a certain order, something which can even potentially block progression. This despite the skillful way of subtly changing events depending on the choices we have made. There are also passages where we play with an ally and in which we must interact with their specialty. Thus, taking the wrong ally can block progression or force unnecessary back and forth that fans of the genre are familiar with. Likewise, with the interactions between the elements of the scenery and our inventory, there are times when we will necessarily have to find a certain object to obtain at a certain time if we want to progress and solve certain puzzles that are not always easy to understand.

Then, despite the possibility of playing by touch, the interactions between the inventory and the decor remain tedious and bizarre. The genre of Visual Novel like that of Point'n click remains quite particular, linear and niche, of which we understand that the lack of gameplay interaction can put certain categories of players to sleep. And it's not all this linearity and its back and forth that will help newcomers to the genre wake up. This is where a good story, its twists and turns, its dubbing, its soundscape and its staging can give rhythm and then ensure that we keep a close eye on it all. It's a shame that the very outdated staging and its lack of translation potentially encourage boredom among the French-speaking public and will not help motivate them to play the game more than once.

Unavowed is available on theeShop at the price of fifteen euros.

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