This is a review of a game Valiant Hearts: The Great War. Valiant Hearts is a puzzle adventure game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier. The game is set during the events of World War I. The story starts in 1914 when the Austro-Hungarian Empire declares war on Serbia, following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and the game accurately breaks down how the war expanded to other regions and territories.

What is the Game like to Play

Well, it's a side-scrolling game for the most part and the control system is very simple. Some characters have special abilities like wire cutting or hitting soldiers on the battlefield. There are also some QuickTime events in some instances but generally, it's a pretty easy game to pick up and play without having to learn a hundred different button combinations.

You play as a variety of characters on different sides of the conflict with their stories interjecting at various times. So, it's a game about war without being an action-packed shooter, it's more about the impact of war on regular people but the game will be educational for anyone who doesn't know anything about world war 1.

Each character has a different story and the developers have done a great job of stitching all of these characters together with the war as the backdrop. You'll find yourself in very varied situations during the multiple levels such as trench warfare, bomb disposal, escaping a POWs camp, or just being a medic. The game is as much of an educational experience as it is a gam,e throughout you're given historical information about the war which includes photographs of some of the horrific facts about the atrocities committed on both sides.

Graphically, the game has a hand-drawn style and it's beautiful to look at graphics are simply muted in terms of color but it really suits that somber mood of World War I. The story is narrated by a voiceover hand the actor in question does a very good job. The sound effects in the atmospheric ambiance really had some good depth to each of the different scenarios but it's the music that's fantastic in my opinion. The soundtrack is beautiful and haunting every piece of music accentuates the experience especially at the more somber moments

What's Good and What's Gad

What's good: The game tells the story of World War I in an intelligent and mature way. The graphics are simple but effective the game is varied and shows you all different sides of the conflict. The voice-over and music are excellent, it's an educational experience, and a gameplay is varied and constantly throwing different scenarios at you.
What's Bad: Some of the controls can be a little bit awkward but barring that small issue, I can't fault the game.

What's the Verdict

Valiant Hearts: The Great War is a powerful and moving game that tells the tragic story of World War I in a mature way. The game avoids any exploitative content or the glorification of war, instead, the developers went for a more emotive and intelligent approach. It will shock you at times I mean I knew a little bit about World War one but some of the historical facts I learned from Valliant Hearts were really shocked me. So, if you want an interesting enjoyable, and powerful story wrapped around a well-constructed game then Valiant Heart is a great option. I'd recommend it for anyone who likes historical things about war or someone who doesn't know anything about World War I or if you want to educate your kids about history. When you reach the end, you have this sense of satisfaction like you've played a really good game but you've also learned a lot so I would strongly recommend this.