Disturbed

Sometimes life seems to be a kinetic visual novel, because it provides us with no options and we are just stuck watching it unfold in front of our eyes. Obviously, we can always intervene and take the story into our own hands, but it feels like the end result would be the same no matter how clever our ideas might be.

Disturbed is a simple point & click adventure game that puts you in the role of a poor farmer who realizes that he has no option but to go away in search of salvation. Given the fact that his future points to certain death if he doesn’t act quickly, it would appear that going away into the unknown is actually a much more desirable option, which is why he just picks a direction and starts walking.

The whole game is about his journey and the dangers that await him, although it’s worth noting that the writing is not exactly sensational. In fact, it can be a tad disappointing most of the time, because the gameplay resumes to simple trial & error when it comes to whether you die or you continue your quest for a few minutes longer.

Every now and again the game asks you to choose whether to follow one path or the other, and it’s usually pretty difficult to say which one is the most dangerous. Sometimes you can examine certain objects closer and even find useful items, such as keys that open doors later on. However, it’s still very annoying that you are the victim of randomness in almost all cases, which makes it difficult to really appreciate the story.

As for the graphics, they are all just a couple of black and white drawings made in pencil, which creates a unique mood throughout the game. Granted, the style and the quality of the artwork is not the greatest, but at least it’s original. The soundtrack is nothing out of the ordinary either, which is a bit of a bummer, because great music and some well-placed sound effects would have made quite the difference.

All things considered, Disturbed is not a bad game, but it needed more time in the shop when it comes to writing and the quality of the story. However, the idea is engaging, and it would be nice to see it improved in the future, or in a different form.