"The big draw factors here are the beautiful art style as well as the story being relayed to
us..."
(Image Source: The Chinese Room)
Developer: The Chinese Room
Platforms: PC | Mac | iOS | PlayStation | Xbox | Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 5
Release Date: September 13, 2022
Genre: Side Scrolling | Adventure
Official Synopsis: "The year is 1962. NASA is trying to put a man on the moon but in a remote corner of Siberia, a Soviet cosmonaut is heading in the other direction. Ivan Ivanovich is dropped into an extinct volcano in his exploration capsule, Little Orpheus, to explore the center of the earth.
Ivan vanishes, emerging three years later claiming to have saved the world. In a top-secret bunker, he is debriefed by the fearsome General Yurkovoi. Little Orpheus casts players as Ivan as he recounts an adventure beyond belief: a tale of lost civilizations, undersea kingdoms, and prehistoric jungles deep below the Earth’s crust."
Little Orpheus is an easy-going, story-heavy, side-scrolling adventure originally made for
the Apple Arcade in 2020 that has made its way to consoles this year. It was created by UK
developer The Chinese Room, known for the popular Amnesia: Dark Descent sequel, Machine for Pigs. It is a far cry from the indie horror genre, instead taking cues from classic family adventure tales like Flash Gordon and taking place over the course of 8 episodes.
The story follows Cosmonaut Ivan Ivanovich as he explains to General Yurkovoi his whereabouts for the last 3 years. We experience the platformer through flashbacks as we are introduced to an increasingly extraordinary and captivating world on the inside of an extinct volcano.
The big draw factors here are the beautiful art style as well as the story being relayed to
us through Ivan’s dialogue with the General. Its wit and humor are noted as strong points
in various reviews, with most of the focus being put on the writing and presentation. In a post Dark Souls world, a more laidback romp such as this may seem a bit tame in comparison at least in terms of difficulty, but here at Kashcroe, we welcome the chance to take it easy every now and then and absorb a well put together narrative experience without the controller breaking stress associated with many games nowadays, indie and Triple-A alike.
Get Little Orpheus here
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