The Unfinished Swan is a game of childish wonderment and discovery where everything along its path is a new and intriguing curiosity for you to explore. This game is flawless, enriching and deeply enjoyable and has the ability to keep you wanting more even after you’ve completed it. The Unfinished Swan is a beautifully captivating tale that’s told in a storybook manner by a softly spoken woman who straight away manages to captures your attention as though you were back in nursery school. You’re first introduced to a young boy called Monroe and his mother who loved to paint but who was always better at starting things than finishing them. Her most favourite of all her paintings was the Unfinished Swan who’s missing a bit of his neck. When Monroe’s mother dies, leaving Monroe alone in an orphanage, the only thing Monroe has left of her is this single painting. One night, the young boy awakens to find a door in his room that he’d never seen before. The swan in the painting has someone mysteriously disappeared leaving nothing but a blank canvass. Figuring the swan must have gone through this door, Monroe enters it too; and that’s where the story really begins.
Gameplay
This game had me confused when I first played it because you’re quite literally left staring at a blank white screen with a tiny, barely noticeable crosshair in the middle. There’s a grey balloon in one corner and apart from that, no HUD. I wasn’t even sure if the game had started or not but after a tentative press of the controls I heard my own feet on the ground, I pressed X and heard myself jump and land. I was intrigued. After some running about on this blank canvass I found that you could launch what seemed to be large balls of ink and suddenly; I had found a wall, made apparent the large splatter of ink now staining the white abyss in front of me. I did the only natural thing; I spun in a circle and splattered ink in every which direction, revealing above me beams of wood and on one of the walls a door, it’s shape just about recognizable through the contrast of black and white. The door couldn’t be opened and it took me a little longer before I found a corner to the room. I could only see where I was going by splattering ink in front of me and where the very edges of the splat met with the white canvass revealed to me detail; a bench, bamboo, tiny black blades of grass . I could hear birds tweeting and distant the distant twinkling of what sounded like a wind chime. I almost stepped into a lake, so intent I was at exploring this strange new world, but was saved when the embankment was suddenly made visible in front of me. Experimentally I threw some black balls of ink in front of me, revealing a few grasses and whilst some of the ink balls plopped into the white water and sunk beneath the water's surface, those that remained were eaten by a few large fish that leapt from the murky white water before me. A frog croaked and I saw it briefly before a huge sea monster dived out of the lake and snapped it up right before diving back down and out of sight again. Stumbling backwards dramatically I suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable in this blank, white world.
The entire game isn’t like this; a blank white canvass for you to splatter ink on, but the first few areas are and it’s so satisfying to reveal things like iron gates, a castle, the boardwalks over the lake as you carefully tread only where you’ve uncovered. The game changes things up just when it’s about to start feeling repetitive by adding in very simplistic additions like painted on shadows to help you find your way around. Later on there are some really interesting puzzle elements and environments such as a terrifyingly dark forest where you can activate glowing baubles of coloured light to temporarily illuminate the area before you’re injured by unseen creatures. Every time you’re introduced to a new mechanic for traversing the landscape you’ll be fascinated and amused at this new feature and the sudden contrasts that it has caused in the surrounding environment.
Though there are no other characters in the game, other than the swan himself, you don’t feel entirely alone due to the narrative and the storyline that you’re following. The story itself is primarily told through simplistic, hand drawn storyboards that are very basic in appearance; black and white outlines with a little delicate colouring in here and there. Some areas have large storyboards on a wall or piece of scenery that, when you throw a ball at them, they melt away into the page of a book with an accompanying image. The same woman who tells the story before and after levels will read out the page in gentle, soothing tones as though reading a children’s book and it’s such a quaint way of finding out what’s going on that you actively search for each and every page so you don’t miss a thing. If you enjoy a good plot then this is the storyline that will keep you playing as more and more is revealed about the unusual, dreamlike world you’ve entered and the ending is a curious, but lovely, thing.
Graphics and audio
Though the graphics are simplistic and understated they are extremely pleasing to the eye. The entire world is so perfectly pieced together that the simplistic nature of the graphics merely showcases the confidence of the developers. This game doesn’t need incredibly high definition graphics because it’s a world of paint and canvas and in this world less is more. Colour is done perfectly and there’s a great emphasis on making things stand out like the black on the white, bright vibrant colours on a black canvass and the shocking green of life in a dead city. Nothing looks unappealing or boring and there’s just enough detail to make something feel full yet not overcrowded which is a mistake that could have been very easily happened in the city environments. Overall the game has a lot of levels that it feels really substantial and each chapter has a different element that keeps it really fresh and interesting. What’s even better is that that starting level’s world isn’t just white out of random decision; the storyline explains it as you progress through the game so it’s not just a game where you play at being an artist. There’s a reason and a good, solid narrative behind everything and also lots of interesting little bits that makes every new area worth exploring and appreciating.
Overall
There’s plenty of artistic indie games out there on the market but none of them quite like The Unfinished Swan. The healthy mixture of storybook narration and the constant engagement with your imagination makes this a game that bucks the trend and encourages you to look at the world from a different perspective. If you enjoy games that are different, imaginative and beautifully refined then this game is for you where every new challenge and puzzle is more creative and original than the last. Though it may be a short game it has plenty in it to keep you occupied and it will take a good handful of hours to finish everything and, even then, it’s an experience you’ll really enjoy playing through again. This is quite simply a gorgeous game.
Gameplay
This game had me confused when I first played it because you’re quite literally left staring at a blank white screen with a tiny, barely noticeable crosshair in the middle. There’s a grey balloon in one corner and apart from that, no HUD. I wasn’t even sure if the game had started or not but after a tentative press of the controls I heard my own feet on the ground, I pressed X and heard myself jump and land. I was intrigued. After some running about on this blank canvass I found that you could launch what seemed to be large balls of ink and suddenly; I had found a wall, made apparent the large splatter of ink now staining the white abyss in front of me. I did the only natural thing; I spun in a circle and splattered ink in every which direction, revealing above me beams of wood and on one of the walls a door, it’s shape just about recognizable through the contrast of black and white. The door couldn’t be opened and it took me a little longer before I found a corner to the room. I could only see where I was going by splattering ink in front of me and where the very edges of the splat met with the white canvass revealed to me detail; a bench, bamboo, tiny black blades of grass . I could hear birds tweeting and distant the distant twinkling of what sounded like a wind chime. I almost stepped into a lake, so intent I was at exploring this strange new world, but was saved when the embankment was suddenly made visible in front of me. Experimentally I threw some black balls of ink in front of me, revealing a few grasses and whilst some of the ink balls plopped into the white water and sunk beneath the water's surface, those that remained were eaten by a few large fish that leapt from the murky white water before me. A frog croaked and I saw it briefly before a huge sea monster dived out of the lake and snapped it up right before diving back down and out of sight again. Stumbling backwards dramatically I suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable in this blank, white world.
The entire game isn’t like this; a blank white canvass for you to splatter ink on, but the first few areas are and it’s so satisfying to reveal things like iron gates, a castle, the boardwalks over the lake as you carefully tread only where you’ve uncovered. The game changes things up just when it’s about to start feeling repetitive by adding in very simplistic additions like painted on shadows to help you find your way around. Later on there are some really interesting puzzle elements and environments such as a terrifyingly dark forest where you can activate glowing baubles of coloured light to temporarily illuminate the area before you’re injured by unseen creatures. Every time you’re introduced to a new mechanic for traversing the landscape you’ll be fascinated and amused at this new feature and the sudden contrasts that it has caused in the surrounding environment.
The gameplay is not challenging and it’s not really supposed to be. There were a few times where I was unsure about how to continue or go about something but after some wandering about and looking around it becomes pretty apparent what you’re supposed to do. It’s not a negative thing that the gameplay is unchallenging because you’re there to experience a journey, not a struggle, and the constant shifting of puzzles means it doesn’t feel boring or one-dimensional. As an added gameplay element there are hidden balloons to find in each level which you activate by throwing balls at. It sounds like a silly, childish thing to find but they’re actually extremely difficult to locate due of the nature of the environments. For instance, balloons early on in the story are pure white to blend in with the blank white canvass of your surroundings and the only way you’ll find them is by seeing them shift against a partially splattered black and white backdrop. Finding and unlocking the balloons is purely optional and you can always go back to levels you’ve already completed to try and track them down. The purpose of them is that you can unlock special abilities such as a balloon locator, a water hose used for throwing ink in a long stream or the ability to stop time, put down a lot of ink balls that remain suspended in the air, then restarting time and allowing them to splatter the scenery all at once. This last one is particularly useful for when you’re throwing water that fades away quickly instead of the permanent black ink of the earlier levels.
Though there are no other characters in the game, other than the swan himself, you don’t feel entirely alone due to the narrative and the storyline that you’re following. The story itself is primarily told through simplistic, hand drawn storyboards that are very basic in appearance; black and white outlines with a little delicate colouring in here and there. Some areas have large storyboards on a wall or piece of scenery that, when you throw a ball at them, they melt away into the page of a book with an accompanying image. The same woman who tells the story before and after levels will read out the page in gentle, soothing tones as though reading a children’s book and it’s such a quaint way of finding out what’s going on that you actively search for each and every page so you don’t miss a thing. If you enjoy a good plot then this is the storyline that will keep you playing as more and more is revealed about the unusual, dreamlike world you’ve entered and the ending is a curious, but lovely, thing.
Graphics and audio
Though the graphics are simplistic and understated they are extremely pleasing to the eye. The entire world is so perfectly pieced together that the simplistic nature of the graphics merely showcases the confidence of the developers. This game doesn’t need incredibly high definition graphics because it’s a world of paint and canvas and in this world less is more. Colour is done perfectly and there’s a great emphasis on making things stand out like the black on the white, bright vibrant colours on a black canvass and the shocking green of life in a dead city. Nothing looks unappealing or boring and there’s just enough detail to make something feel full yet not overcrowded which is a mistake that could have been very easily happened in the city environments. Overall the game has a lot of levels that it feels really substantial and each chapter has a different element that keeps it really fresh and interesting. What’s even better is that that starting level’s world isn’t just white out of random decision; the storyline explains it as you progress through the game so it’s not just a game where you play at being an artist. There’s a reason and a good, solid narrative behind everything and also lots of interesting little bits that makes every new area worth exploring and appreciating.
The game not only looks stunning but it sounds brilliant too. In those early moments of the game sound is all you’ve got to go on to find your way around. That clang of hitting an iron gate with a ball of ink as it suddenly appears before you; strikingly black, now partially swung open is wonderful. The tell-tale clacking of your feet on a tiled roof and the creaking and groaning from an unseen construction tower is all incredibly atmospheric and it’s these little things that you really notice. The music is lovely too. Initially subtle and pleasant, childlike almost, the music dips and dives into something a little more sinister or a little more majestic as your environment changes and the game progresses. The voice acting is also quite simply spot on. The soft tones of the storyteller drops you straight into ‘bedtime story’ mode whilst the odd little grunts and noises that your character plays are cute, simple but effective and really do make Monroe come to life.
Overall
There’s plenty of artistic indie games out there on the market but none of them quite like The Unfinished Swan. The healthy mixture of storybook narration and the constant engagement with your imagination makes this a game that bucks the trend and encourages you to look at the world from a different perspective. If you enjoy games that are different, imaginative and beautifully refined then this game is for you where every new challenge and puzzle is more creative and original than the last. Though it may be a short game it has plenty in it to keep you occupied and it will take a good handful of hours to finish everything and, even then, it’s an experience you’ll really enjoy playing through again. This is quite simply a gorgeous game.
