Developed by Wildboy Studios and Published by Untold Tales, embark on an adventure of ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree. Inherit the role of a young warrior named Estra as she journeys through Midgard to unveil the truth behind her father’s death.
Valhalla awaits. Let the music flow.
Listen, Skald, and write me a verse
Our story begins with Thygon, the chief of a remote village, returning home from a night of revelry. Tragedy will strike as his village is felled to ruin, leaving only himself and his daughter Estra. Entrusting her with the sacred crystal passed down by generations, she escapes with her life. 10 years later she will embark on a quest, to find the answer to the questions that plague her. What happened that night? What truly happened to her father? Only time will tell.
First and foremost ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree is a lovingly crafted rhythm-based game. Where your actions play as orchestra to a scene unfolding. The music is amazing, each an atmospheric synth that helps scenes play out like cinematics. The hand drawn style reflects the synthwave design, such as cool colors in shades of blue and purple stand in contrast to the neon. The bright blue, for instance, is heavily featured in various ways that make the scene. Stylistic is an understatement when it comes to describing how the games aesthetic is presented.
Yggdrasil awaits us
The primary mechanic in ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree is the musical Rhythm game. Left or right beats appear on the screen, in button presses or being held down. As you press the corresponding keys to the beat of the music, the scene will unfold, depicting your actions and success. As you travel the game world, you will be able to level up various skills through a skill-tree. Augmenting your playthrough to better suit your style in a rhythm game of all things is one of the more unique choices I’ve seen, and honestly it works. Definitely worth looking into, even if the difficulty of the game doesn’t seem to change much outside of setting it.
Beyond the musical battles, you find various other puzzles throughout the world. Many bar your path and progression, others hide lore and secrets. Backtracking with knowledge you have to locations you pass will unlock more of the world for you to explore. The story of this game is deep, and you will uncover many interesting paths for you to traverse. Finally, the Norse Mythology influence coupled with the visual design of this game is astounding. Honestly, it’s one of the coolest takes on the subject I’ve seen in a while.
This Ragna-Rocks!
ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree is a game of loss, lore-rich themes, and breathtaking music and art. Should you have time to play this title, I highly recommend you do so. The gameplay is solid, the puzzles don’t outstay their welcome, the aesthetic is an absolute vibe.
FINAL VERDICT
GOOD
GOOD
ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree is a game of loss, lore-rich themes, and breathtaking music and art. If you have time to play this title, I highly recommend you do so. The game-play is solid, the puzzles don’t outstay their welcome, the aesthetic is an absolute vibe.
