Review
Annie here!
Today I played The Year After, a carefully-crafted short story game that can run on a GameBoy. While I didn't cry, it captured me for a little while the way only a good game can. It's definitely worth the half hour it takes to play.
Music & Art
The first thing that caught me was the music. Well, not just music, but the soundscape. The audio pulls you in completely and puts you in the perfect emotional state to experience this game.
It also contains some beautiful and very nostalgic GameBoy-style art. I especially love the use of colour.
Story
I'm going to assume that you, dear reader, are like me and appreciate starting a game completely blind. What I will reveal, however, is that this game contains choices. It may not be entirely clear when you are making these choices, but during my playthrough I felt a sinking feeling begin to settle on me, telling me I had done something terrible and I would soon face the consequences.
And face them, I did. The Year After will make you feel deeply about fate, love, and death. It will allow you to undo your decisions if you so choose, while stroking your hair and reminding you that no matter what you choose, pain is a part of life. As is death.
Takeaway
Waxing poetic aside, if you enjoy being whisked away to an emotional zone for a while, give The Year After a try. I only played it once but I think I'll play it again to see a different ending.
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