Rue Valley Review – You Will Rue The Day You Skip This

Not a single day in our lives is repeated. From the moment we wake up to the elusive instant we drift away in our sleep, nothing we do is ever the same. Yes, it could be similar, but the thoughts that we have and the microexpressions we notice and react to with the people we interact with echo into the ether forever. So how could we ever take into account the countless possibilities of our behavior and those around us? In the case of Rue Valley, with a simple but effective premise: let our hapless protagonist Eugene Harrow recreate the same 47 minutes of a day over and over again.

Bored out of his mind at a psychologist’s session, every time loop begins at 8PM on the dot. With no explanation of how our protagonist got here, what the intention of being dragged away to this motel called Rue Valley in the middle of nowhere and a handful of secrets to discover, there is an investigative approach to how everything works. A clock on the upper right-hand corner of the screen reminds us that every action we engage it takes precious time, and once it arrives at 8:47, a massive explosion occurs, and it’s all over. The day must start again.

Facing each of the characters that have a lot to say and hide thanks to newfound information by snooping around or asking questions, each cycle stays relevant because tidbits are revealed on each go. It also helps that Eugene is severely depressed in the beginning, to gently ease you in on the game’s ever-increasing scope. A woman violently kicking a vending machine for coffee, a reckless driver hitting a transformer and making a run for it, and a chatty motel receptionist are but a few of the characters to start making sense of things.

Eventually, the desert reveals a more varied set of places to explore, including a gas station, a diner and more, trying to follow on each of these clues is intriguing in their own right. Because Eugene is condemned to relive these 47 minutes until he finds why this is happening, questioning each of these NPCs is the bread and butter of the game. Confronting them with unexpected behaviors can slowly make them slip a bit of classified intel that can you can piece together in your mind map as you progress. A problem and solution that surprisingly intervenes at all times, and we do not usually take it into account, is always prevalent here: Eugene’s personality.

Before the game gets going, you will need to decide the main character’s personality traits: how decisional, social, and emotional he can get. A double-edged sword, this means that while being sociable in some situations can help get him out of trouble, that also can get him into uncomfortable situations because of how nosy he is. And even though being highly emotional shows signs of empathy in heartfelt conversations, it can also ramp up his stress and dramatic flair when confronted with the supernatural aspects of this impossibly nightmarish situations.

The smartest play Rue Valley does is not biting off more than it can chew. With well-established parameters, it never feels too overwhelming to follow the several paths to completely understand what is behind this unthinkable conundrum. But just like everything falls under its own weight, this could also provide a less than stellar experience for some. Because the intentions and inspirations that Eugene needs to follow to move forward are so strictly set in stone, the lack of flexibility means having to walk a straightforward line is the only way. Although initially presented with seemingly endless choices, the structure lends to desiring more from what is established.

Verdict

Rue Valley is an isometric narrative RPG that triumphs in its magnetic writing. Every succinct conversation feels like it was made for an exquisite novel. Certain dialogues, with Eugene or otherwise, ring sincere to the point of making you invested in these characters’ lives, even beyond the current predicament the protagonist is in. Its colorful comic book art style captures the attention of its clever angles by using the maximum amount of striking color palettes in its brief day and night cycle. Finally, its ingenious problem-solving to get out of this mess weaves a web of intrigue that by the time it wraps up, it will have you wanting for more.

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