A game can be both calming and anxiety inducing at the same time. Emma: Lost in Memories, created by Sand Bloom Studios, puts you in the shoes of a young girl who is running in a very dangerous world. Beautiful to look at, relaxing music, and the panic of seeing your death coming moments before it happens are all apart of this interesting game. You can not fight, the only way to progress is to run, slide and jump.
Emma is a young girl who sees an owl outside her grandma’s porch. The owl flies away and Emma gives chase. It becomes apparent that she is not in her own world. The ground and cliffs start to disappear as soon as she touches them. Emma can only run and jump to get to the glowing light at the end of each level. There are other things in the world that can hurt her. Sometimes, it is sliding under spikes. Other times, she must climb or slide on a wall. The owl is always one step ahead, but Emma is determined to catch it.
The ground disappearing makes Emma a real race against time. She will only run one way unless you make her change direction by bouncing off a wall. The margin of error is very slim. You will see very quickly if you have made a wrong decision. The controls are precise, but sometimes you have to let go in order to reset for your next move. In one stage, I could not understand why I could not climb after jumping onto a wall. Once I realized that I had to let go in order to push up, the stage made more sense. Not easier, just more understandable.
If Emma was only about getting to the end of the stage, it might only take a few tries to beat. There is an added objective however. A purple feather, from the owl, is located in different parts of the stages. It is usually not right next to the exit. This presents a fascinating challenge once you figure out that there must be two different ways to beat the stages. Sometimes it is obvious, sometimes you think there is no other way.
The art of Emma is hand drawn and has a very dreamy air about it. In the background, windmills share the same space as a giant head. You travel from hills to snowy landscapes to deep dark caves. You might think that this game has no real story, but after beating levels, you get a quote that seems to suggest something larger at work. I have only played a little bit, but I am starting to wonder who exactly the little girl is. She might be the grandchild of the old woman at the beginning, or she might have a different connection.
Emma: Lost in Memories is a game that seems simple, but becomes much more challenging as it progresses. The stages are only one screen, but the developers make that one screen work. I was surprised that while playing, I did not suffer rage when I failed. I studied what I did wrong and tried something new the next time. You might start forgetting what to do, but take a breath and try again. The ground might disappear, but you have the ability to move past it. Just search your memory and remember.
8/10
Available on PC and Mobile.
Product received for free
