Seasons After Fall

There's always been a debate about whether or not video games can really be considered works of art. Then one comes along with a look and a sound that takes your breath away, settling that debate. Seasons After Fall is one of those games. It's easy to see that a lot of care went into the game's presentation, and it's easy to get lost in the world the game creates. Kids, in particular, will fall in love with the little fox as he runs through the forest. If it was based solely on presentation, Seasons After Fall would be a very calming and relaxing cartoon.

The problem is that this is still a game, and it's the gaming part of it that gets frustrating. One of the hardest things about Seasons After Fall is trying to figure out exactly where you're supposed to go. It's not that the game's puzzles are difficult, but just finding them is a pain. There's not much guidance to help direct you. Since you're already supposed to backtrack throughout the forest, using the seasonal powers to get somewhere new, it makes things more infuriating when you make a long trek to an area and realize that you don't have what the game needs right then. Plus, even as gorgeous as the scenery is, the areas blend together in such a way that you might find yourself going in circles for a while before realizing you missed one little jump. It might be confusing and even irritating at times, but that doesn't mean Seasons After Fall isn't something special that deserves to be checked out and enjoyed.