She and the Light Bearer | PC Review

Welcome to the forest, O Bearer of Light

Come and see beings of fairy tale who welcome thee

Dancing grasses, laughing flowers, in hope and tears, the forest cheers

Come and hear stories of wisdom treasured so dear

Stay and ponder, stay and wander, Learn the wisdom, reach the answer

Come in deeper, O Light Bearer, into the forest’s heart

Where the light fails to penetrate and the truth slumbers so deeply

Come and find…

Find the Mother

She and the Light Bearer is a mix of visual novel and point and click adventure game, with the emphasis on the former. The game is created by Brigitte Rena for Mojiken Studio, an Indonesian indie game studio, and it’s published by Toge Productions, also from Indonesia. They describe the game as “a blend of a music album and adventure game that borrows its aesthetic from storybook and fairy tales.” The game put emphasize in the art, poem, dialogue, and music to deliver a story about forest and “Mother.” With such a lofty description, can the game deliver on this promise?

Once Upon A Time In A Vibrant Forest With Somber Secrets

She starts with a group of kids weaving baskets. They’re all tired but they go on, because it’s important for the festival that’s coming up, a sacred week of celebration for coming of age. The kids don’t want to weave the baskets, but it’s their punishment, because they wrecked them while playing. When they complain about it, Grandma White gets angry. But instead of punishing them, she decides to tell them a story about how the festival came to be, and why it is so important. A story about a firefly.

Here Be Monsters

In this game you play a firefly, the titular Light Bearer. You are on a quest to find The Mother, the creator of everything. You need to find her to prevent horrible things from happening, to save the forest, and to bring back harmony to the world. On your quest you explore this mysterious and dangerous forest and come across many interesting creatures who have quests to complete and wisdom to share. But can they help you find the Mother before it’s too late?

Neverending Story

When playing this game, this interactive novel, two things came to my mind: The Neverending Story and old-fashioned pop-up books. The Neverending Story, because of the unknown danger fastly approaching the idyllic home of the firefly, with him desperately looking for the woman who can save the world. And the pop-up books for the sense of wonder those 3D fairy tales instilled in me.

She and the Light Bearer really is a beautiful fairy tale, with a good and kind message, almost a sort of myth. The puzzles are not difficult, and serve more to push the plot forward than as roadblocks along the way. They are part of the story, of the wisdom that the Light Bearer needs to learn in order to find the Mother.

Through the Forest, Into the World…

This is not a long game, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s like a good book that ends at exactly the right moment, leaving you both fulfilled and wanting more. It’s also not a difficult game, meaning that the story rolls along nicely, and the point and click controls are very straightforward.

The graphics are cute, but with a shadow of darkness. The characters are quirky and memorable, speaking a kind of gibberish that almost sounds like a real language. I couldn’t really place the setting; I got both South-American and anime vibes from the hand-drawn artwork. It also didn’t strike me as very Indonesian either, but since that’s where Studio Mojiken is based, it must have been of some influence. It has a very distinct style that I enjoyed a lot.

Let’s Get Lost, I Know The Way

So did the game deliver on this promise? Absolutely yes, While some might find it too short, I found it a fun and deep experience. I honestly don’t know if Brigitte Rena has made any other games or if this is her first one, but this one surely makes me want to see more of her work.

“I have always loved poetry, myth, and fairytale. During the making of the game’s prototype, I was heavily inspired with the story of mother earth,” said Game Director and Artist Brigitta Rena, “I want to show the beauty of nature through this game.”

This game can be played by any age above 6 and be a satisfying, poetic experience, framed by beautiful music that lifts it up even more. It’s a gorgeous little gem for people who want to get lost for a few hours.

This review is based on a copy provided by Toge Productions for coverage purposes.