The month of June is known to be quite lively in terms of game announcements, gameplay videos and other demos, and this year 2022 is no exception to the rule. Approaching the Steam NextFest, we had the opportunity to play a little early in several respects. For my part, I set my sights on We Stay Behind, a narrative adventure unfolding a diary of influences that hardly leaves anyone indifferent: from David Lynch over here, from Stranger Things over there, all sprinkled with a bit of Firewatch. So I went for it, stars in my eyes, and after 15 minutes, I came out with questions in my head, and the desire to learn more!
A comet is about to wipe out the small town of Laburnum Creek. Laura Tanner, renowned author, goes to the old spa to interview several residents who refuse to leave. But there is something rotten at the heart of this picturesque town. Curious characters and surreal encounters await Laura on an enigmatic journey between dream and reality. Will Laburnum Creek succeed in charming Laura? Will she be able to find out the truth?
With such a synopsis, I was not choosy for long. So I launched the demo (in English only for the moment) which offers a simple Play or Quit option. After loading for a few seconds, here I am at the edge of a lake, on the edge of the forest, with houses and a resident in the distance going about her business. I take a quick tour of the owner before going to talk to the famous Maggie, who asks me if I slept better than the day before... Possibility to choose the answer that goes well, then end of discussion... Larger -thing to do, if not take my van to meet Mr. Lovell, so he can tell us his story and Laura can write her paper.
Driving is reduced to its simplest device, since you just have to press the accelerator, the vehicle turning automatically to avoid leaving the road, probably so that you can follow the discussion without being distracted. Note also that the dubbing - English/German on release - has not been done, so apart from background music and birds chirping very loudly (audio mixing concerns?), we don't will hear no character voices. Too bad for immersion, a problem probably linked to the progress of development which still has many months ahead of it. Technique and animations are also at a discount. I was struggling around 30fps with a more than decent setup, and avatars have an annoying tendency to slip on the terrain. Don't worry that everything will be fixed by the release!
Arrived in front of Mr. Lovell, the story settles and captivates. The latter tells us a little about his life, at first melancholy and calmly, then will begin to panic and freak out more and more as the dialogue progresses. We therefore understand that in addition to this comet which threatens the city, an evil prowls in the city of Laburnum Creek, and that it attacks all the residents. In an excess of madness, the man yells at us, inviting us to leave the city... So we see our author leave the place, fade to black, end of demo with music that is moreover sympathetic.
The demo of We Stay Behind does its job perfectly: intrigue the player and make you want to see what's next! A lot of work remains to be done on this title which still has no release date, but I can't wait to rest my hands on it and learn more about this story which indeed seems to draw its influences from very good works.
