XBOX REVIEW | Keeper

Like everyone else, I discovered Keeper through the Xbox Games Showcase this year, and I was delighted to see a new Double Fine Productions game in development, along with a world that looked very interesting. I was expecting an emotional adventure through this seemingly desolate world, but did it meet my expectations, or was it something different altogether? Let’s find out together, shall we?

Things I liked!

• Graphics | You can see the Double Fine Productions DNA throughout the game, starting with the graphics themselves. It hits a similar tone to Psychonauts, but even though it’s not stop-motion, it did remind me of claymation/stop-motion games, such as Lost in Random and Harold Halibut, as well as movies such as Corpse Bride, Wallace and Gromit, among others. But I feel like Double Fine Productions has made some of their games reminiscent of this style previously, and I’m glad they brought it back. The use of colours remains central to their art, feeling relaxing, beautiful, sometimes dark and sad, but also nearly psychedelic at very specific times, it’s nothing extreme though, so I don’t think you should worry much about it.

• Soundtrack | For quite a while, I felt like the soundtrack filled an emptiness, but it was only when the most extreme situations began, and what I call a new “chapter” started, that I realised how much it changed in response to those shifts. In short, the soundtrack complemented each section quite nicely: staying calm when everything was as expected, then accelerating and even changing styles when needed, giving it more personality. The sound effects were also pretty good, having the appropriate impact whenever needed, including the weather, doors, and fauna, among other objects.

• A mysterious world | When you start playing Keeper, you’ll be instantly intrigued by the world it’s set in. It begins with a seemingly post-apocalyptic scenario: abandoned villages, strange creatures that appear to be the result of mutation, a gigantic snail-like being in the background with numerous shells attached to it, and bizarre flora and fauna, reminiscent of deep-sea life, that react to your light. A dark swarm of flying creatures looms, among many other mysteries you’ll gradually uncover. The key here is that the game remains mysterious, which it does frequently, leaving space for you to wonder: what is this world, and how did it come to be? Some of the story and information about characters and creatures is revealed through achievements, which I found to be a rather unique way of unveiling the world to the player.

WARNING: From this point onward, I’ll be sharing spoilers that may diminish the surprise you’d otherwise experience while playing. If what you’ve read so far has piqued your interest, I recommend stopping here and playing the game for yourself before continuing.

• Surprising game mechanics | I expected the whole game to be a straightforward exploration game, where you only controlled the lighthouse throughout the entire game, shining your light to move forward, this does happen, and quite well. I’d have given the game a solid 8/10 and called it a cosy little emotional game, which would have been fine, but they decided to make it double fine (see what I did there?). The first surprising game mechanic I want to highlight is time-travelling to solve puzzles, where you travel through the past, present, and future using the available scenario to your advantage to progress. The bird also changes when you do that, dying in the future and becoming an egg in the past, which was such a nice little detail. Now, one of the big shifts comes when you fall off a cliff and become a ship with a light attached to it. It instantly felt like a completely different game to me, reminiscent of a few ABZU sections, with the light also being crucial to your progress.
  
  An even bigger surprise to me was when a creature destroyed you, leaving only the light itself intact. When this happens, you fall onto some plants, quite some time passes, and you’re struck by lightning, making you move again as a burning “wheel”, reminding me a bit of Exo One when you’re moving fast through surfaces. It isn’t a very long section of the game, but it does have a deserved amount of time. Lastly, I don’t consider the last section as much of a “chapter” as I do the others, as I’d say it only lasts for about 30 minutes, but it is very cool nonetheless. This is where you become a four-legged, dragon-like creature with a ship’s body, an anchor, part of a lighthouse, wings made out of cloth, just like sails of a ship, and can run, leaving a trail of fire behind you. This section was very cool, but it leads you to the final one, where you solve a few simple puzzles that lead you to the end of your journey.

Mixed & disliked!

• One minor problem | I only recall this happening once, but it’s worth noting that the game froze for a couple of seconds. It’s nothing worrisome, as the rest of my journey was completely smooth.

How long did I play the review before publishing? 4 hours and 40 minutes
How long to beat the story? 4 to 6 hours
How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 9/13
How long to achieve 1000G | 5 to 6 hours
You’ll love this game if you like these | Journey, ABZU, Exo One

CONCLUSION

Score: 90/100

I only expected Keeper to be a good and simple game, but it went well beyond my expectations, surprising me with its mechanics, visuals, and a Soundtrack that enhances the already prestigious reputation of Double Fine Productions. A very well-crafted journey through a mysterious world, with lots of wonderful surprises along the way.