If Found… | Switch Review
Most people have at one time or another wanted to peek into someone’s diary and read their thoughts and secrets. Dreamfeel’s If Found… gives you the opportunity to do just that. This title isn’t so much a game as an experience, and I enjoyed every second spent with the lead character Kasio. Seeing the world through her eyes made me feel every emotion on the spectrum and touched me deeply.
The Story of a Girl
As soon as you delve into the nostalgic world of If Found… you become invested in Kasio. She’s a transgender woman living in Ireland during the ‘90’s, and she has documented her feelings and the events that have shaped into who she currently is. She’s struggling with family issues, discovering her sexuality, bonding with her friends, and trying to live in a world that doesn’t understand her. A second storyline sees her as an astronaut named Cassiopeia, where she’s discovered a black hole. I’ll admit this particular storyline didn’t grab me as much as Kasio’s life did, but the two eventually become beautifully intertwined.
The story is told with care and respect, and a feature that I thoroughly enjoyed was the ability to tap the Y button when an Irish term or location appeared, and have the definition, the pronunciation, and interesting facts pop up about the specific word or site. This was a tool that helped me understand and appreciate the story on an even deeper level. I was amazed at how well the developers fleshed out Kasio, and how expertly they documented the experience of a queer woman in such a religious and unaccepting world.
Exquisite Beauty
The graphics are incredible, and drenched every scene in lush colors and beautiful handwriting and sketches. I felt like I was actually reading an authentic diary, and the main mechanic of the game was that much more effective. To progress Kasio’s story, you literally have to erase the past. Once you’ve read a diary entry, it must be wiped away. I hated having to delete such gorgeous art, but felt like the emotional connection was so much more powerful for it. I also loved using my finger to erase the writing and images. It just felt more personal and satisfying. You can just use the buttons to do this if you’d prefer, though.
As I mentioned previously, there isn’t really any gameplay besides the erasing mechanic. This is a visual novel that wants to transport you to a different place and time, and eschews mechanics such as dialogue choices or movement in the effort to fully put you in Kasio’s shoes. This does leave the game extremely linear and without much replay value, but is effective in its execution. It also doesn’t overstay its welcome. You can complete If Found… in about two hours, and even though I was left wanting more of Kasio’s life to delve into, the length feels perfectly tailored.
The Final Goodbye
If Found… is a stunning look into the life of a young woman who is trying to discover who she really is. A short but sweet story, gorgeous graphics, and gameplay touches such as the erasing mechanic and the info about Irish terminology add to the overall immersion into Kasio’s life. If you’re looking for an hard-hitting emotional visual novel to dive into, I highly recommend this gem.
To hear me talk more about If Found…, be sure to listen to Episode 319 of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 1:06:00 time stamp.
This review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy of If Found… provided by fortyseven for coverage purposes. It is also available on PC and Mac via Steam and iOS.
If Found...
$12.99
Pros
- Incredible Story
- Beautiful Graphics
- Perfectly Implemented Features
Cons
- Little to No Replay Value
- Very Short
