In Best Month Ever!, the Warsaw Film School’s Video Game Directing department tells the story of Louise and her biracial son Mitch living in rural America in the 1960s. As a terminally ill woman with limited time to live, Louise promises Mitch that summer will be the best month of his life, and commits to finding him a home. Despite its intriguing set-up, it fails to deliver on its promises of emotional punch.
As a narrative and choice-driven game, Best Month Ever! Switches between playing as Louise and Mitch depending on the situation. Louise’s choices ultimately affect Mitch’s upbringing. The choice effects the various meters, but it’s off by default, so it’s unclear how it will affect Mitch. A person may get shot after disagreeing with someone at dinner because the choices themselves aren’t adequately explained.
At its core, Best Month Ever! tackles racism from the 60s, but it also tackles the sociological and cultural implications of Louise being a single, white mother to a biracial child.
Playing the game was frustratingly glitch-filled, and restarting the chapter was necessary on several occasions. Luckily, chapters are relatively short — there are 12 in total and the game’s runtime is around three or four hours, so even restarting doesn’t mean going back too far. The controls feel clunky, and it’s not as smooth as you’d expect.
The game is a short, enjoyable narrative that perhaps suffers from high ambitions that don’t quite pay off. Glitches can bring the entire experience to a halt.
Pros:
- The core story is engaging.
- Graphs with visual appeal.
Cons:
- Too many things to do.
- Hard to manage.
- Gaming glitches.
Five out of ten for this game.