A Brilliant, Mind-Bending Journey Through Infancy
Most of us can’t remember what it’s like to be really young; a baby.
My earliest memory is from about three or four years old, feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square. Some say we don’t remember being born because it was such a traumatic experience, and our brain locks it away. But what about the first words you speak? Or the moment you began to crawl? Or the first time you saw a dog? I would love to remember those moments.
But what if a baby is aware that it is one, as well as being able to self-narrate its experience? What if it then finds it has supernatural powers? This is the premise of Goodnight Universe. And take it from me, it’s utterly brilliant.
Isaac’s Secret
Goodnight Universe is designed to be used with VR or a webcam to control the movements and actions. But for us on the Xbox, it’s just the good old-fashioned controller we get to use. That may make you feel as if you’re missing out a bit, but I forgot about this extra feature after just five minutes of playing the game. Why? Well, for me, the story is so good and the gameplay is so much fun, that it supersedes the need for any fancy tech.
You play the role of a six-month-old baby called Isaac, who starts the game with a smooth, self-narrated older voice coming from within, questioning everything about the world and his role in it. He meets his grandfather, who then sadly dies that night. Then we are introduced to the rest of the family: his mother, father, and late teenage sister. We see them through his eyes, talking to him and caring for him. He is always questioning the limits of being a baby and not being able to communicate.
But when some strange symbols are found in his deceased grandad’s old journals, they awaken something in baby Isaac. He now has the ability to move objects around the world, all via the power of his mind. He can also read his family’s minds and see what they are really thinking. But when a stranger spots these abilities, things take a turn for the worse…
Emotional Echoes
I’m not going to spoil anything else about the story, as I don’t want to ruin your Goodnight Universe experience. What I will say though is that the story pushes along an excellent adventure; one full of many twists and turns. The writing is exemplary, with some moments of beauty, comedy and commentary on what it’s like to be human. The characters are so gorgeously three-dimensional too, with great stories of their own, and once again, so well written. I would go as far to say that there are a couple of story beats in the latter part of the game that could have come straight out of an Oscar-winning movie, and these moments have stayed with me for ages.
Mind Over Matter
Gameplay is simple, mostly as you take in Goodnight Universe in the first person, through the baby’s eyes. You can look at objects around a room, for example, and click on them, and there might be an interaction in terms of narration or something you can grab. The moment the powers start kicking in though, presents further options; for example, you can move things with your mind. Or you can go into someone else’s thoughts and turn into the inner conversations.
There’s a fun section in the beginning where you want to scare off your sister’s druggie boyfriend by pretending the house is haunted by moving objects, scaring the hell out of him. Later on, you gain more powers, and there are additional action-focused on-rails sections where you have to use the powers at the right time to progress. It’s simple in terms of mechanics, but the developers have used it well and are always surprising as you progress through the game. If I have one tiny criticism, it is that some moments aren’t quite as accurate, especially in the more fast-paced action sections, as I would have liked.
Shifting Realities
Goodnight Universe has a wonderful, colourful world that is told through a baby’s eyes for the most part, so the perspective is cleverly designed. Later in the game, it goes to different places that remind at times of the Portal universe, particularly in terms of visuals. The game never lets you rest on your laurels though, and will change the visual storytelling, including a late-game narrative that is beautiful and so inventive, combining hand-drawn animation, 2D, and 3D in the same breath.
Audio is excellent as well, with an amazing voice cast. There is some beautiful self-narration for Isaac, and then you have the comedic family; the grandad is delivered via some proper stellar casting as well. Frankly, the soundtrack is brilliant with some amazing sound effects and audio design.
An Emotionally Twisted and Uplifting Gem
I don’t care about the lack of fancy camera tracking on my Xbox. What I do care about is having an uplifting and emotionally twisted story that makes me consider the lives of all those found in-game. I also care about game mechanics that surprise, allowing the player to do things they may not have necessarily done before in their gaming sessions.
Goodnight Universe does all of this and much more. Get it downloaded.
Important Links
Goodnight Universe, from the BAFTA-Winning Creators of Before Your Eyes, Launches on Xbox and More this November – https://www.thexboxhub.com/goodnight-universe-from-the-bafta-winning-creators-of-before-your-eyes-launches-on-xbox-and-more-this-november/
Buy Goodnight Universe on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/goodnight-universe/9nt35fwnb5pc
