The World Is Changing In Ways We Can't Explain : A Blankspace Review

By Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, XBox One, XBox Series XS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5

We review a lot of visual novels here at A-to-J, and it always a treat when one stands out from the crowd. Blankspace is a cross between an escape room simulator and a visual novel, and it's out now on just about all major platforms. It's developed by NoBreadStudio, and published on consoles by Penguin Pop Games, and we're going to be taking a look at it on the Nintendo Switch. There's a lot to get into with this one, so let's just get right to the review!

Blankspace's plot is quite a weird one, and I can't really give away many details without spoiling some of its best moments. I guess I do have to cover it at least a bit, but don't take my vagueness as an indication of a weak plot; it's anything but that. Blankspace puts you into the shoes of a guy named Chris who wakes up handcuffed to a pipe. Horrible as this situation may be, at least he's not alone. Joining him in this room is a girl currently asleep on a couch across the room, a couch which she is also handcuffed to. The movement causes her to stir, and the girl introduces herself as Beryl. Though in the same bind as Chris is, she seems to know a bit about what's going on. She doesn't really give too much away though, and they do have bigger fish to fry at the moment. Together they figure out the puzzle required to get to the keys that will unlock their handcuffs, but they soon realize that they'll have to solve many more puzzles to get out of the room that they're seemingly trapped in. Speaking of that room, it's plain, grey, and seemingly devoid of life. Depending on choices the player makes, the duo can become unlikely friends, or they can remain untrusting of each other. Chris knows that he needs Beryl's help, but she's clearly hiding a lot from him. There isn't a whole lot of time to deal with the secrets though, as the puzzles in each room keep ramping up in terms of complexity. Who is Beryl? Why are they here? Who set this all up? Those questions are answered eventually, but it takes a while for things to get going. Chris can barely remember what happened the night before, so there's quite a bit to sort out first. It also doesn't help that the rooms seem to change on their own too...

I'll circle back around to the story in a bit, but I want to cover gameplay first. Much of the game is played in a visual novel format, complete with dialogue trees and multiple choice responses. These sections are exactly what you'd expect: Two character portraits talking over a static background. There's nothing wrong with that gameplay formula, but Blankspace delivers something that is far more unique than your standard visual novel. In between the dialogue sections, you're allowed to freely roam around the rooms in an adventure game-style format. Each room will have several areas to explore, and they'll also be packed with puzzles, hints, and necessary items. Your goal will always be to get to the next room, but that typically involves a string of puzzles that often culminate in a very big one that often uses several of the separate gameplay elements. The puzzles are also quite varied, with some involving math, sequences and logic, and even classic inventory puzzles too. It all comes together to make a really neat system, though I do think that there's more than a little moon logic going on with some of the solutions. I don't want to get into specifics, but there were some puzzles that I still don't know how the answer works. (Some I cleared through simple trial and error!) There isn't really a hint system either, though Beryl will help you out in certain situations. I don't want to make the game sound impossibly hard, but it just might push your brain to its limits more than once.

I've played many games that have mixed together visual novels with other gameplay genres, but something about Blankspace's combination of gameplay strikes me as particularly unique. The escape room subgenre of adventure games isn't exactly unknown to me, but it is one of my favorites. I'm a sucker for adventure games in general, but I love ones that basically place you into a locked room that you have to work your way out of. This is funny since I actually can't stand escape rooms in real life. Not only did I find a visual novel themed escape room to be quite entertaining, but it has a lot going for it beyond that. The puzzles all seem very well thought out, and some (sort of) have multiple solutions. There are also several puzzles that require backtracking, or the use of items that you thought were red herrings. It's not exactly a completely open-ended game, but there is a lot of freedom in how you go about completing your tasks. My only real gripe with the gameplay would have to be the overall length of the game. Blankspace is a pretty short experience all things considered, and there were far less rooms to escape from than I was expecting when I booted up the game. This limitation is probably due to reasons I'll get to in just a second, but it didn't change the fact that I was left wanting more.

I really don't want to get too deep into Blankspace's plot, but there are some parts that I think warrant further discussion. I just mentioned the game's length, and I'm pretty sure that it had to be short due to the story it’s telling. It's not that the plot is simple or direct, but it doesn't really leave a lot of room for fluff. Halfway through the game you'll learn most of the secrets behind what's going on, and that's also another slight negative. While there were still some twists to be had in the second half of the game, Blankspace reveals most of its hand quite early. The mid-game revelations were so intense that I actually thought the game was coming to an end then and there. It would've made it almost unreasonably short, but I didn't really see how the game could continue. Continue it did though, and there were still plenty of puzzles to finish. I don't want to make it seem like I thought the game's writing was bad, since I think it's the exact opposite of that if anything, but it felt strange to reveal so much, so early. Having said all that, I do think the twists were quite shocking, and I grew to care about both characters by the end. Neither is particularly likable in the traditional sense, but there's a realness about them that makes them endearing despite that. It's not often that a game leaves me wanting to know more about what the characters after the game or before it, but that's what happened here. Though the plot and gameplay both have their own issues, I still feel like they combine to make this one of the best games I've played in recent memory. Yeah, that's a crazy thing to say partway into a review, but maybe I'm taking a page from the Blankspace playbook.

With plot and gameplay covered, let's move towards presentation. Discussing the graphics of Blankspace is a bit difficult, since the game world is pretty bland on the surface. Everything is very grey, and there isn't a lot of detail in the environments themselves. There are also only two characters, and I have mixed feelings on their designs. Beryl is fine for the most part, though there were times where I felt the fan service was laid on just a little too thick. Chris, on the other hand, is another matter entirely. I'm not sure if I'm just reading too much into it, but Chris looks like Squall, but if Squall were ripped straight from the pages of a "How to Draw Anime" book. It's not just the hair and jacket either, as his mannerisms made me wonder if that's what an IRL, club-visiting Squall would be like. I don't want to make it seem like I hated the designs through and through, and there's lots of other things worth praising too. Bland or not, the game world does contain plenty of small details, and it also mixes in 3D objects in a way that makes them stand in sharp contrast to the 2D characters. This otherworldly look adds to the overall unsettling atmosphere, and I thought it was a really cool touch. The overly grey world also allows the few splashes of color to take center stage whenever they do show up. Add in the sheer variety in the character portraits and CGs, and you got a decent looking game.

Even though I just ranted about the graphics not being the best, I unfortunately have to do the same thing in regards to the game's sound. Blankspace features a soundtrack mixed so low, that I actually wondered if it even had music at all. I played through the entire game without even noticing any bit of it, and realized I couldn't recall a single piece of music for this review. I actually had to go back to the game just now to check it out, and I still don't know what to say about it. Calling the music "atmospheric" may feel like a cop out, but that's really what it is. It exists to exist, and it's more random sounds than memorable melodies. At the very least, I can say that it doesn't get in the way of the gameplay, and the clicks and beeps that come with completing some of the puzzles were very satisfying. Unfortunately those are pretty much all the sounds you get, as there is also no voice acting here at all. I of course wasn't expecting to find fully voiced dialogue in an indie game like this, but it always feels like a missed opportunity when a game with such a small cast doesn't have it. A mixed bag overall, but I guess I've heard worse.

I already mentioned that Blankspace was a short game, as I was able to clear it in a bit under three hours. I did get stuck on a few puzzles here and there, so I assume that my time is about the average. Some players will have more or less depending on reading speed and puzzle solving skills, but I think you get the idea. There are several endings to get though, so there's plenty of replayability. I'm not totally sure what all the endings entail, but I do know that there is a "true" one, and that's the one I managed to get on my first playthrough. This is one of those games that I like to compare to watching a movie, and with that in mind, I think its current price tag of $9.99 is pretty much perfect. It also is the same price across the board, and didn't pick up any extra dollars when it made the jump from Steam to consoles. I am sad that the text-only epilogue DLC didn't make the transition, but said DLC was also 18+, so it's understandable. Short is relative, and I do think you get a lot of bang for your buck here. There are even some bonus spot-the-difference puzzles for those looking for a little more, though I personally didn't bother with them since I'm not really a fan.

Even though Blankspace falters a bit on the presentation side of things, I still think that's it's one of the best games I've played so far this year. That's pretty much solely due to its plot and unique gameplay elements, though the entire package is pretty great all around. Fans of visual novels and adventure games will want to pick it up right now, with special mention given to those who are fans of escape room mechanics. There really aren't many games out there like this one, and I'm glad this game fell into my lap for review. It totally surprised me with how good it is, and I think it'll do the same for you. Grab it now on whatever platform you can, and thank me later. See you in the next one.

Check Out Blankspace on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/blankspace-switch/

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Story: A
Gameplay: A-
Graphics: B
Music/Sound: B
Value: A

Overall: A

Pros:
+ A unique mix of escape room puzzles, adventure game mechanics, and visual novel art and dialogue scenes.
+ The plot is free of fluff, well-written, and full of twists that are sure to shock the player.
+ The puzzles really make one think, and are quite challenging in a good way.
+ Though the cast and setting are small, there's something about the game that will make you care about the two characters before long.
+ Multiple endings, plenty of optional dialogue sequences, and even bonus puzzles, make this one highly replayable.

+/- It is worth mentioning that the game does deal with some heavy topics such as abuse, depression, and suicide. Discretion is advised.

Cons:
- The graphics are a bit on the bland side.
- Not only is the music barely there, but there also isn't any voiced dialogue either.
- While I'm not exactly surprised that the Steam DLC was not included, I do find it sad that we don't get the text-only epilogue that it provided.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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I make my best decisions drunk, thank you very much!

#Blankspace