2023-06-29 09:47:48
Small independent game signed by the Bordeaux studio Un je ne sais quoi, “Dordogne” dazzles with its soft and singular artistic direction, with decorations made entirely in watercolor.
Pack your bags! In Dordogne, we follow the character of Mimi, a 32-year-old Parisian, who goes in search of… a memory. That of a summer, when she was 12, that she spent with her grandmother, Nora. Now deceased, the latter left a box in her house in Dordogne, which might help Mimi pick up the pieces of her memory.
Visually, Dordogne is a slap… but soft as a caress. Granny’s house, the landscapes, are all vibrant watercolor paintings, in which it is possible to walk. A setting that magnifies the wild nature of southwestern France. Nearly 180 paintings were produced by Cédric Babouche, the game’s artistic director and watercolor painter. “Almost everything was a first draft”he explains in an article published on the Steam video game platform. The result is vaporous, luminous and terribly comforting.
Exploration between present and past
In this family home, the heroine finds, through collected objects, lost memories. “Flashes” then propel her into the past. That summer, in the Dordogne, where everything changed. The player finds himself in the skin of Mimi as a child. A little “city dweller” convinced that she will be bored for a whole summer at Grandma Nora’s, but will learn to appreciate this environment conducive to adventure and discovery.
The “Dordogne” game allows you to explore the Périgord landscapes. (Umanimation / A je ne sais quoi)
A few phases of exploration, prompted by the collection of objects, compensate for the linearity of the game. Places, objects should have several lives explains Nora to little Mimi. These objects transport us to different temporalities, each with its own stories. The past is invoked by means of photos, sounds recorded on cassette, poems lying on an old notebook, feelings which resurface. Some tracks are revealed without being fully exploited, like elusive reminiscences.
As Mimi’s investigation progresses, the story takes a darker turn. Family conflicts shed light on the estrangement that has taken place between the little girl and her adored grandmother. Letters lost in the house unearth resentments of yesteryear. They give meaning to the words, the emotions that the child Mimi picks up (literally) during her adventures, like Tom Thumb finding his way thanks to his pebbles.
The Dordogne game uses words, images and sounds in its narration. (Umanimation / A je ne sais quoi)
The narration takes precedence over a very light gameplay. The game is generally divided between cinematics and mini-games. Puzzles presenting little difficulty, sometimes almost incidental. Make tea, brush your teeth or cook: the game fits perfectly into the trend of the coy game, with a progress without pitfalls, conducive to contemplation. Dordogne is a love letter to the countryside seen from the height of a child, a poetic walk that warms the heart like a beautiful summer followingnoon.
We liked:
The watercolor landscapes that take our breath away. The feeling of being on vacation. Endearing characters, which we discover thanks to the objects collected. The possibility to play in Occitan !
We liked less
A few questions that remained unanswered. The duration of the game (3 hours) a bit short. Having to wait until next year to go to the Dordogne because the holidays are already organised.
Dordogne, 14.99 euros, developed by: Umanimation, Un je ne sais quoi, published by: Focus Entertainment. Available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch.
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