The Gallery | Xbox Review

FMV games always intrigue me. They can encompass so many genres and really immerse the player in the cinematic experience by allowing them to influence the story. Aviary Studios’ latest entry into the world of full-motion video, The Gallery, is a compelling narrative that drew me in and kept me glued to the edge of my seat for both (yes, both) of its campaigns.

Dual Perspectives

The Gallery has two story campaigns. One takes place in 1981 with a female lead. The other occurs in 2021 with a male protagonist. The fascinating aspect is the fact that the roles are gender-swapped in each story, and the same actors play their counterparts in the opposite tale. The 1981 campaign stars Anna Popplewell (The Chronicles of Narnia, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn) as Morgan Haynes, the art curator for Argyle Manor. George Blagden (Vikings, Black Mirror) portrays the antagonistic Dorian. The 2021 storyline sees Blagden as Haynes and Popplewell as Dorian.

Argyle Manor is hosting an exhibition to showcase a prominent artist’s portrait of the Prime Minister/a famous Instagram influencer (depending on which era you choose to play through) the following day, and Morgan is struggling to bring in customers. After locking up the museum, they realize someone is still in the portrait area fiddling with a chair. They introduce themselves as Dorian and ask to paint your portrait. You can either oblige them or protest, but you’ll be taken hostage no matter what. Dorian is hellbent on making a statement about the world’s current state to the nation, and you are their catalyst.

 

 

Controlling the Narrative

At this point, your choices have consequences on the story. Morgan can either lose or gain relationship points with Dorian, which influence your ultimate chances at surviving the encounter. I appreciated that all of your choices aren’t as clear cut as they appear to be. A few times, I selected what I thought would be the best option but ended up losing some of Dorian’s trust. This really encourages you to think about your next move. There is added pressure with a limited time period to select an option, though, so don’t spend too long pondering.

 

The Artist’s Point of View

The 1981 campaign has 12 different endings, while the 2021 campaign has only 6 different endings. I personally enjoyed the 1981 storyline slightly more than the 2021 narrative, but they’re both excellently crafted. The performances are all uniformly excellent, and each campaign felt like a genuine film. Each story took around 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete, making it easy to play both back-to-back. I do wish dialogue hadn’t been reused so much for both paths, though. It made certain scenes repetitive and some choices were repeated in each. This is really my only nitpick with The Gallery. On the plus side, if you decide to try for a different ending, you are able to skip past scenes you’ve already watched and just select choices. Some of the topics and incidents may not sit well with some players, so I do advise checking for potential triggers before playing.

The Final Verdict

The Gallery has two fascinating campaigns that feature excellent performances across the board while also addressing serious subjects in its narratives. The multitude of different endings and the ability to skip scenes you’ve already witnessed add a high replay value to this title. If you’re not a fan of art, even casually, the story may fail to hook you and some topics may be triggering. If this sounds up your alley and you’re looking for a good FMV game to sink your teeth into, though, The Gallery is an excellent selection.

 

This review is based on an Xbox copy of The Gallery provided by Renaissance PR for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Google Play, and PC via Steam.