A Void Hope Review- The Perfect Platformer For A Rainy Day

When I previewed A Void Hope, I had high hopes for what would happen to the unfortunate couple Keegan and Gilda. Their world begins to crumble around them at the hands of an unknown, amnesia-inducing virus, and you’re left with very little information as to what to do next. As recommended by the developers, I decided that I would finish the whole game in a single, four hour sitting.

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I don’t know if it was the rainy atmosphere outside my office window or the grim reality of Keegan and Gilda’s world, but the ambient music perfectly captures the eerie uncertainty of survival in an apocalyptic city. There is hope, however dim, so long as you can keep moving forward. Memories play a large role in uncovering the past, and seeking them out will piece together more information on what’s required to create a cure. The data locked within the computers can only be unlocked by a puzzling mini-game, which was both refreshing and repetitive.

Gilda will encourage you to find the things that matter most for the cure, like unlocking the computers or finding the researchers’ lab. Keegan, meanwhile, will focus on getting to Gilda and recovering memories of his relationship with his wife as you carefully comb through each layer for new rooms and pathways, narrowly avoiding Empties in tight spaces and using your wits to unlock the next area.

Both characters have the same inventory, so there’s no need to backtrack or struggle through the latter half of the game without the tools that brought you through the first time round.You’ll definitely need those tools, as you’re not alone in the city.

The Empties–people who have lost themselves entirely to the virus–transform suddenly, and you’re never sure whether they’ll remain humanoid or shift into a howling beast that hunts you down. You don’t know when or where they will appear, making every person in the background a potential threat. It’s even more nerve-wracking when other background characters point and shriek like banshees. The enemies evolve as you get closer to finding a cure, urging you to move faster or backtrack to the last area to avoid them.

Very little is explained in A Void Hope, but it encourages your mind to wander. All you need to know is that you want to save your family, and that drives you to find a cure no matter what. The researchers haven’t been able to find a cure yet, so Keegan and Gilda may hold the key to the city’s salvation.

Each level highlights Keegan and Gilda’s struggle to make a home against the odds. I sought out Keegan and Gilda’s memories, and their desire to have a family amid the chaos of the virus made them deeply endearing. Glimpses of their life before the viral outbreak reveals their goals for a life beyond the ruins of the city, and memories from after Keegan is infected showcase the duality of hope and reality. Both characters have the opportunity to share their side, allowing you to interpret how that affects the larger picture.

It’s easy to get lost in each level, though you’re free to go back at any time and search for missing objectives and unlockable areas. I went back numerous times to fully explore the city and unlock additional levels I otherwise would have completely missed.

A Void Hope isn’t perfect, especially as this lack of explanation leaks over from the narrative mystery into a frustrating vagueness about the task and the tools at hand. But so long as you keep moving forward and look for objects that stick out, you’ll find your way eventually.

While Keegan and Gilda are mostly silent, their memories carry depth. However, the nature of the interpretive narrative does take away from moments where the two characters could interact more, as the dialogue seems to dance around the subject in favor of the eerie tone and mystery of the virus.

I would have loved to see more memories and more elaboration on the virus, the Empties, and the backgrounds of our protagonists. Getting to know the characters and world are things I look forward to, and A Void Hope leaves me wanting to learn more about the strange phenomenon and the anomalies that result from it.

The best part of this game, however, is that you won’t miss much by the time you complete it. You’re free to explore at your leisure, though you’ll be guided to the conclusion one way or another. How you interpret it depends on how much you’ve learned about Gilda and Keegan, and how much faith you have in their relationship. It’s a short, bittersweet story of love, devotion, and hope.

A Void Hope

A Void Hope is a puzzle-platform game with a stunning pixel art style, developed by Elden Pixels for Nintendo Switch and PC. It weaves a dark tale in which a couple must confront reality in a collapsed city.

Released

February 29, 2024

Genre(s)

Adventure , Puzzle , Platformer

ESRB

Everyone 10+ // Mild Violence

Pros

• Short and contained narrative
• Easy to grasp mechanics
• Worth replaying levels to complete all objectives

Cons

• Little to no explanation for how to use items
• Vault computer puzzles can be repetitive and frustrating
• Sudden enemy transformations can kill you quickly, setting you back a few areas

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