Slow-Burn Thriller Draugen Coming To Consoles February 21st
Does anyone else remember when walking simulators started being a thing? There was a huge split in the community between people that felt the games were a step forward in the art of storytelling and people that thought they weren’t really games. It was a weirdly fierce debate for something that boils down to, “would you be okay with games not being about killing people all the time?” I feel like a lot of the vitriol mostly has to do with the subject matter, as this genre fo narrative experience tends to lean heavier into emotions and social issues that make certain members of the gaming community feel that uneasy twinge of self-realization. In either case, it would be cool to take a time machine and show a younger me just how far the genre has come.
Draugen first released back in May 2019 to some pretty mixed reviews. The game follows Edward Charles Harden, an American looking for his lost sister in the Norwegian coastal city of Graavik. Accompanied by his young ward Lissie, he must uncover the clues of what happened in this empty picturesque town. As you can imagine, things aren’t as idyllic as they initially seem. That mostly means walking around, picking up items, and turning them about. It’s got a fair bit more gameplay than your average walking simulator, but be warned that this isn’t an action game. There are no spooky ghosts to run from or murderous villagers to suplex. I personally really liked it. It’s an undeniably gorgeous game, rich with deeply unsettling mystery just beneath the surface. Most of the criticism comes from how the game ends, which I won’t spoil for you.
The game was written by Ragnar Tørnquist, the mind behind such creatives tales as The Longest Journey series and The Secret World. So if you’re in the mood for a story that takes its time, you should definitely check out Draugen. Previously only available on Steam, Draugen is coming to the PS4 and Xbox One on February 21st. If you missed the game on PC and want to check it out, you can grab it now on Steam for just $20.
