On Sunday, I graduate from the dark depths that we know as high school. Some consider this period to be an incredibly formative part of who we become as people, yet all I'm able to draw out of it is pointless "stoned" philosophical remarks and a mild indigestion.
I don't like attention and if I had it my way, I would rather get my diploma in the mail but I know my family would disown me if I took that route. So, I have been strong-armed into sitting through countless rehearsals with a lot of people whom I doubt I'll ever see again. I don't like people and I'm looking for anyway to escape.
One of the places I've been able to escape to, is the horrible wasteland of the first World War.
The one thing that Valiant Hearts offers it's players is an incredibly well written story. At a glance, the story weaves 5 separate plot lines together in a way that I thought was only possible by Quentin Tarantino. The story of Emile, Freddy, Ana, Karl & Marie (and Walt the Dog) is so well crafted that it made me forget about my real life. To me, a good story allows me to over look issues a game might have, and this game certainly has its share.
Namely, the game play of Valiant Hearts does feel lackadaisical at points. A 2-D puzzle game set in WWI doesn't sound like a fit on paper, and as proof, there were points where I felt like having a gun would have solved a lot of situations I found myself in. However, the game does make up for its sluggish nature with it's pacing. After finishing the game, Steam clocked my time at 7 hours. It's not a long experience by any means, but I'm sure you could milk another hour or two if you spent the time getting all the collectables.
Overall, if you are looking for a solid story to loose yourself in, definitely give Valiant Hearts a shot. It will tug at your heartstrings at every turn, and the puzzles are just difficult enough to make it challenging. You'll love the game, if you give it the time it deserves. Easily, one of my favorite games I've played in recent memory.