Finding Paradise
Finding Paradise
Finding Paradise, développé et publié par Freebird Games, a été rendu disponible le 14 décembre 2017. Ce titre constitue le deuxième épisode complet de la série To the Moon et propose une expérience racontée autour du Dr Rosalene et du Dr Watts, dont le métier particulier consiste à offrir à des patients en fin de vie la possibilité de revivre leur existence depuis le tout début, mais uniquement dans leur tête, afin d’accomplir ce qu’ils auraient voulu faire. La procédure est si lourde que la nouvelle vie devient le dernier souvenir avant le trépas, et il est précisé que l’on peut aborder ce jeu sans avoir joué aux opus précédents.
L’intrigue suit les voyages des deux médecins alors qu’ils parcourent les souvenirs d’un mourant pour exaucer artificiellement son dernier vœu. Ils s’attachent au patient Colin, également nommé Colin Reeds dans le scénario, dont la vie semble coupée en deux, et tentent de résoudre le mystère d’un souhait paradoxal : changer quelque chose sans rien changer du tout. Les praticiens traversent ainsi des mémoires perplexes pour satisfaire cette demande contradictoire.
Le jeu emprunte aux genres aventure, arcade, jeu de rôle, indépendant, point-and-click et réflexion / puzzle. Il est disponible sur PC (Microsoft Windows), Android, iOS, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S et Linux, et fonctionne sur le moteur RPG Maker. Les indications de durée ressortent à 5 Hoursh pour l’histoire principale et 5½ Hoursh en approche complétionniste, pour un prix de 9,75 EUR. Les scores agrégés affichent 81 sur Metacritic, 86 sur OpenCritic et une note moyenne de 83,61.
L’accueil critique repose sur plusieurs témoignages présentés comme des avis. RPG Fan a ainsi partagé que « Finding Paradise is a memorable experience that may last me a lifetime, like a good book or film. The care placed into each scene is one of the reasons why Fin… », tandis que Multiplayer.it a jugé que « Finding Paradise is the sequel that To the Moon deserved. ». Un joueur sur Metacritic a indiqué « --- [88/100] --- After playing To the Moon and enjoying it so much, I decided to try Finding Paradise. And having finished the experience, I can say that Freeb… », et un autre a relevé que « This story is more down-to-earth than the original, for which I'm especially grateful, as I love a good drama or tragedy, but the original wasn't that. It was … ». Sur Steam, un avis positif souligne « Absolute Neil Watts moments. ».
Médias
Avis des critiques et joueurs
Critiques de la Presse (Metacritic)
« Finding Paradise is a memorable experience that may last me a lifetime, like a good book or film. The care placed into each scene is one of the reasons why Finding Paradise is such a masterpiece. Each string of dialogue, each reference to other games, every joke, and every pixel — they all feel deliberate and labored over, yet also so smoothly executed, as if effortless. »
« Finding Paradise is the sequel that To the Moon deserved. »
« Finding Paradise is simply a narrative masterpiece that knows how to discuss important topics like the search of happiness. A significant maturity growth in Kan Gao's writing. »
« Finding Paradise is another well-told and profoundly meaningful story in the To The Moon saga. An amazing soundtrack, great artwork and clever, realistic writing all come together to bring this charming, touching and deeply human tale to life. »
« In our life as gamers, in fact, Finding Paradise has impressed as a memory that can never be erased. »
« The characters are profoundly written, have a lot of heart, and the story is as sad as it is exhilarant. […] I recommend Finding Paradise (and the predecessor To the Moon and the connecting piece A Bird Story) to everyone who loves well-written characters and thrilling stories und has no problem with the almost non-existent gameplay. »
« Thanks to a very good story, Finding Paradise is another masterpiece from Kan Gao. Different from To The Moon, this new game explores the great themes of human nature, and it's absolutely unforgettable. »
« To the Moon's sequel delivers again a beautiful story that goes beyond our expectations. If you want to live a story about life and happiness, play it. »
Avis des Joueurs (Metacritic)
« --- [88/100] --- After playing To the Moon and enjoying it so much, I decided to try Finding Paradise. And having finished the experience, I can say that Freebird Games has blown me away for a second time. In fact, despite the short runtime, the lack of gameplay variety, and the limited freedom granted to the player (which is acceptable anyway since we're talking about a narrative adventure), Finding Paradise maintains an exceptional audio design. Just like in the previous entry, the background OSTs and the crucial use of silence during the best climactic moments really steal the show. The storytelling is spectacular, even if, surprisingly, it sits just a slight step below To the Moon (probably due to my personal taste): the plot is nothing short of heartbreaking, so much so that I found myself tearing up multiple times throughout the experience. To sum up, Finding Paradise is a highly worthy sequel to To the Moon; it takes its foundations and uses them to build a phenomenal story. I can't wait to play Impostor Factory! »
« This story is more down-to-earth than the original, for which I'm especially grateful, as I love a good drama or tragedy, but the original wasn't that. It was too much of a "dramatic drama," with heartbreaking sentimentality where everything could have been resolved much more simply and quickly, even with the old man's wife's character. This game also features a difficult life story, but it's not as "forcedly heartbreaking." On the other hand, the gameplay is still overly simple and superficial, which means the author hasn't developed the project to a new level in all these years between his games, but simply delivered another story in the same package. It's not a bad game, but I can't particularly praise it either. I still don't understand SUCH a rating, but since that's the case, I can recommend giving it a try and returning your money if you don't enjoy it (if in Steam). And if you do enjoy it, as many have, based on its rating, then it's simply your game. »
« [SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.] »
« [SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.] »
« I enjoyed it because I felt like I was part of a simple movie. Drowsy in the middle. »
« A sequel to one of the best Indie games ever made, this game has the same problems as the first one, but doesn't have as good of a story. It is still a very emotionally satisfying journey, but you can find yourself scratching your head a few times. If the story is the main thing that keeps your game alive, you can't make it too complex. I think Finding Paradise almost manages that. »
« [SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.] »
« Finding Paradise is one touching narrative game. Took me almost 4 hours to complete. There are less “puzzle-y” aspects than in “To The Moon” but I liked that, so I could focus on the great story. A story with sad moments, happier moments, even some horror-lite bits. Lots of cool humor, like in To The Moon. In a nutshell, if you liked To The Moon, you’ll have a great time and a touching experience with Finding Paradise. »
