Finding Paradise Review (Indie Fanatic)
Finding Paradise is the 3rd (2nd full) installment in the To the Moon series. The story follows two individuals; Dr. Watts and Dr. Rosalene. The two provide a service that allows individual's to have another chance to live once again from the beginning. The only drawback is that it's only in the individual's head. Due to how the service works, the last thing these individual's will remember is the second artificial life they live in their heads, and because of this is only offered to those that are on their deathbeds.
The story encompassed within Finding Paradise isn't one that tries to hide the overall narrative. Perceptive players may realize early on what is going on, and others may realize only when the game tells them. The answer is always there to begin with, the pieces are just out of order. In the process of reviewing the patient's (Colin's) life the player lives and experiences another's lifetime. By the end, Watts and Rosalene must discern what Colin most desired and provide him with it. Some may wish for riches, status, or a dream vacation, Colin's wish isn't quite as simple and cannot be easily explained. The story doesn't stand out due to luck or various other events, but because of how simple it is. Colin's story could easily be our own experiences and his desire in life to be what many of us also hope to achieve. The story in Finding Paradise works effectively because of how easily players are able to relate to it with their own experiences. Which in turn allows players to empathize with the characters feelings in certain events.
The Music and Art of Finding Paradise are intricately sewn into the story as well. The music and sounds amplify the mood of the scenes and can turn what was a seemingly humorous moment back into a serious one. There wasn't a single moment while playing where I felt that the music didn't fit, or noticed an obvious loop in a track. The music here flows seamlessly into the next scene. The art is all original and beautifully animated. There are multiple minute animated details that further draw in the player ranging from the playing of an instrument, to a character taking the extra step to lay down on the ground. Simple movements we see in our everyday lives but in many pixel based games are often overlooked or unneeded based on the genre. It's the care that is placed into these small details that further bring the game together and allows the narrative to flow seamlessly from one point to the next.
The puzzles of the game served as a reference point for unlocking a memory through a physical means from the player. This was likely to stimulate not only the idea of how memories are tied together through repeating objects of interest in our life, but also the action of recalling a memory. That moment in time when we stop to recall and think upon a memory from a long forgotten moment.
In the beginning I didn't like how slowly it seemed the characters walked, and instead tried to find a way to progress around the map faster. It wasn't until I went through a few memories that I realized I didn't care about that anymore, and now having finished the game am glad there wasn't a run. The game told the story at its pace and no faster. When it wanted you to run, you would run; when it wanted you to walk, you would walk. This kept the game flow consistent but also allowed the player to establish a connection to the story and dwell in the moment on the events within each memory.
It likely comes as no surprise that by the end, when the story has been played out Colin passes. The service is only provided to those on their deathbed after all, and yet despite this I still felt as if I had lost someone close to me when that heart monitor finally fell flat. That's when it really hit home just how well Finding Paradise was able to get me to care about the characters and their story. It's games like these that remind me why I continue to play smaller indie titles over games from larger studios. Because at the end of the day the stories that stick with you are the ones that left an impact on you. It's the games that made you care about the lives and stories within them, and that is exactly what Finding Paradise has done for me. I look forward to playing the rest of this series, and the other stories that are left to be told. We only live once, but if you had a chance to live again, even if it's all in your head, would you take it?