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Wandersong |OT| A Musical Journey in Whims-E♭
- Thread starter Wozman23
- Start date
OP
OP
Been excited for this one for quite a while, but sadly might not get to try it for a little while. I'm planning on grabbing a Switch this week, but I'm now working around 75 hours between 2 jobs and have family coming to town next week. Curious to see what others think if anyone else is grabbing it.
Played for about 2 hours for my first impressions video (in russian, but there's a cool straight gameplay clip towards the end!), loved it. Very comfy indie game about music and the power of it. And an awesome adventure too! Reminds me of Night in the Woods + adventuring in something like Grim Fandango, but without moon logic and with a lot of music things going on.
This game is SO charming. Can't get enough of the dialogue, story, and world. Gives me the same vibes playing through Golf Story did this time last year.
Finally gotten to a point where you name your character though, has been anything mentioned about a canon name? Thinking of just going with Bard
Finally gotten to a point where you name your character though, has been anything mentioned about a canon name? Thinking of just going with Bard
Well, this crept up on me out of nowhere. Definitely interested in purchasing it on Switch soon! So many games to buy these days.
Didn't realize there was an OT for this game, I'm loving it so far! I've finished Act Two and just having so much fun with the game. I like that it's a lot more laid back than some of the other releases I've been playing lately. It's definitely the kind of palate cleanser I was needing. Plus the characters and their stories are both humorous and emotional. I also love how expressive the Bard is. He reminds me of Wind Waker Link in so many ways, so much character is shown in just the facial animations.
Also: Great job on the OT!
Also: Great job on the OT!
This seems my kind of a game. The thing is I have too much to play already. I have to think about it. Definitely getting it at some point.
Edit: OK, just bought it :D
Edit: OK, just bought it :D
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Really excited to finally dig into this! Tonally it seems like the kind of thing I've been in dire need of this year.
Wow, just got to Act 4 and this game is amazing. I never know what to expect in a very Paper Mario sort of way (the first three entries consistently surprised me in that series). And just when I think a gameplay loop is starting to get stale it shifts gears to something new. Truly one of the greats in subverting expecations in meaningful ways; and this applies to nearly every aspect.
Shame this game doesn't seem to be getting much attention though :/
Shame this game doesn't seem to be getting much attention though :/
I liked the shop, where I had to help with
a new jingle to sell the merchandise
The thing that's holding me back from purchasing this is that despite everyone saying the gameplay keeps changing it up on a regular basis, all the video reviews seem to indicate a rather one dimensional gameplay (essentially Simple Simon).
Do the mechanics really feel fresh at each turn?
Genuine question, I really am very interested in it!
Do the mechanics really feel fresh at each turn?
Genuine question, I really am very interested in it!
The mechanics don't change completely (you are still essentially singing your way through) but how each Act plays out feels very fresh and different. The closest thing I can relate this to is a game like Paper Mario TTYD where the way each chapter plays out is pretty unique (most notably Chapters 3, 4, and 6).
It absolutely gets more dynamic than this though. For some examples:
- Using different notes to move platforms in different directions
- Using different notes to move time forward and backward in addition to speeding up and slowing down
- Using different notes to steer a boat
- Using different notes to change the direction of wind tunnels that propel you in said direction
- Using any note to activate anti-gravity spheres within a certain range of your voice
All of the above combined with the compelling characters, story, and world have made this one of my all-time favorites. As I said earlier, nearly every aspect of this game was frequently subverting my expectations. It's been a long time where I didn't have a vague idea how a game would play out moment to moment, and when I did have a vague idea, it more often than not turned out to be wrong. Even for simple side/fetch-quests Wandersong managed to surprise me. Will likely dive back in for a second play-through within the next month, which I don't tend to do so quickly with story-focused titles.
I really just hope it's selling okay at this point...
Thanks for such a detailed reply, it certainly sounds like it does a good job of feeling fresh. Will certainly give picking up this title some serious consideration .
There are 7 acts in total with Act 5 being the longest and Acts 1 & 7 the shortest. Once you beat the game you unlock a scene select that lets you jump to specific parts of each act. Useful for picking up any missed dance moves or revisiting old dialogue.
Haha wow. I'm tempted to go back and do the same to watch that scene but think I would still feel too bad knowing its meaning
I mean, I haven't seen too many other comparisons to Paper Mario tossed around. I did see the Destructoid reviewer mention Color Splash (and the series as a whole minus Sticker Star) but, while that game has it's merits, I would definitely more closely compare Wandersong to the narrative structure and unpredictability of the first three titles over the last. Even the designer of game said he's not a fan of the series lol
But it definitely scratches that same itch for me as Paper Mario, TTYD, and, to a slightly lesser extent, Super Paper Mario in terms of a whimsical adventure that remains deep and meaningful and always knows how to surprise you in spite of a deceptively straightforward main task (collect X amount of Y things). This game is full zany characters, settings, and plot points but is able to flesh all of it out in such a natural way that its world not only makes sense but feels lived in.
Haha seriously cannot praise this game enough. While I would agree that the platforming could be improved, it, or any other aspect, never felt like a hindrance during my playthrough.
I get what you're saying. Paper Mario 1-3 are the only great PMs anyway. Wandersong seems to capture a similar sense of whimsy with a colorful cast and vignettes like Paper Mario. I just bought it so I'll see how it goes.
Only an hour in but this Wandersong is won-der-ful. Definitely getting Paper Mario and Night in the Woods vibes. I love how much heart it has.
Act 2 fun:
Act 2 fun:
I spent way too long trying get the perfect jingle for the candy shop.
You can never spend too much time on that! :-)
Currently on Act 4. I don't think I've seen a Switch game that has been this efficient to tell the story and emotions through the Switch as this game. It's like the font tricks and HD Rumble in Golf Story, but much more refined.
Similarities are there, but a much more whimsical and happy tone than Night in the Woods, IMO.
In addition to the tone differences mentioned by jariw, there's more of a focus on gameplay here than Night in the Woods. Still not a strong focus on gameplay, but it is certainly better incorporated. Lack of interesting (to me at least) gameplay and those pesky dream sequences are the two things preventing me from replaying NitW.
I'm completely stuck in this game, well I think I am unless the game has glitched on me.
I'm currently in Act 5 standing with
I'm currently in Act 5 standing with
a blue moth/bunny thing. It's just me and him, and all the game is allowing me to do is sing, but nothing happens when I sing? I can't move or jump either.
Weird,
I assume it was in the Spirit world towards the end of the act? Was it in one of the pitch-black sections?
Noticed another bug at the very end of that chapter with two characters having duplicates of themselves that you could interact with (although no dialogue resulted)
Noticed another bug at the very end of that chapter with two characters having duplicates of themselves that you could interact with (although no dialogue resulted)
Similar in dialogue, talking animals, ghosties, and a couple of the acts take place in towns that kind of give that vibe. Also, like NitW, this game can be laugh out loud funny.
I hope it keeps getting good press and people don't sleep on this. It is consistently surprising in the best way possible.
Reviewers seem to like it as well. Currently 87 on Metacritic (which is in the region as indies like Stardew Valley, Owlboy, Axiom Verge, Iconoclasts) with 7 reviews:
https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/wandersong
https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/wandersong
Hey I've been playing this and am about to beat Act 4, but I'm stuck on one segment:
How to I get that piece of the Earthsong where the crown is shaking on the bottom and there is a musical line that I'm suppose to follow? The crown does 2 beats and I tried moving the right stick over to every direction when it shakes to the rhythm, but nothing happens. What am I suppose to do on this portion of the game?
Third place for me, after The Gardens Between Us and Synthetik. Very good.