A floating hospital with a mystic grandma as a patient? Narrative adventure Wayward Strand offers this and many other mysterious tales to discover as 15-year-old journalist Casey Beaumaris. As you roam around for three days and write your paper about the history of the flying hospital, the game helps to transport you into the quiet and mellow life of the elderly residents of the hospital.
While a rhythmic, gentle, sparse acoustic guitar is used to create the music, a serene and tranquil environment is maintained throughout its approximately six-hour duration. Its cast of characters is just as colourful and colorful as the creamy pastel aesthetic it uses to tell its story. It is clear that this choice of art style is reminiscent of cartoons for young children. As soon as you enter a room, the walls lower down as if they were a theatre curtain, giving the impression that you were watching a play. The visual style of the show does not deter the older audience, in fact, it only adds to its endearment, which is backed up by the fact that it focuses mainly on an age group that is rarely given the spotlight in entertainment media.
There are more than 20,000 lines of script in the game, so a second playthrough is almost certain to lead you back to do more dialogue. The game is, however, difficult to replay when you cannot fast forward or skip dialogue. Furthermore, this game has only three save points, each at the end of one chapter. Thus, you will definitely think twice before closing the game.
Pros:
Cast and setting are both excellent.
A soothing piece of music.
There is so much dialogue going on.
This game is designed to be played multiple times.
Cons:
Points are sparse.
There is no skip button.
This game is 7 over 10.
