This article is written by StarGame Connoisseur Ye Shu
preface
There's a game that has multiple nominations in TGA 2021 but hasn't got one; it's called "Solo" and Chinese players who like "Two-Player Trip" know very little about it; how good is it? The game has a 97% positive rating on Steam. What's so bad about it? The game doesn't support Chinese (good news, this downside is gone, just a few days ago it was announced).
Its style is strange, its worldview is also strange, the characters are doing outrageous things, but the game tells a serious and warm story about making up for mistakes and repairing the heart. Its name is Brain Voyager 2.
Niche studios that don't forget their original intentions
If you want to ask how the studio that made Brain Navigator got started, the answer may surprise you. "We were walking on that sloping glacier and I was like, 'We're going to have to account for it.'" But we ended up safe. Then I thought, 'Okay, it looks like I'm going to start my own company.' A near-return adventure on Nepal's glacier drove Tim Schafer crazy, and Double Fine Studio was born.
(Photo by Tim Schafer)
The studio's first film, Brain Voyager 1 (2005), was inspired by team members' memories of summer camps. As a newly formed small studio, they have to develop their own engines and make new IP in a garage, and they often work overtime due to the lack of relevant experience in making 3D platform jumping games. During this period, there were also problems with funds, but the studio survived this difficulty.
However, the result of such efforts is that "Brain Voyager 1" has sold less than 100,000 copies. The studio struggled to develop Legends of the Beast in 2009, which achieved good results. Since then, the studio has successively developed "Matryoshka Adventure", "Broken Time", etc., and also explored business models suitable for themselves, such as "developing several works at the same time to ensure stability" and "directly facing players through crowdfunding to ensure autonomy".
(Double Fine's mascot)
After so many years of precipitation, the studio has accumulated some word of mouth, and is known among fans for its cult. So in 2015, they did not forget their original intentions, set up the project "Brain Voyager 2", and in 2016 raised more than 3.8 million US dollars of fan crowdfunding, ready to show their skills, another five years.
In 2021, "Brain Crew 2" was released, nominated for TGA Game of the Year, Best Game Director, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Double Fine used its own efforts to hand over a satisfactory answer to players.
Travel between the wonderful adventures of the brain
"600 miles of synaptic fibers, 5.5 ounces of furnace fluid, 1500 grams of complex nerve material, and a bunch of 3-pound dreams" is Brain Voyager 1's explanation of the brain. So what's so wonderful about the brain? Compared with the surprise brought by these dry words, after experiencing the "Brain Navigator" series, the player's magic of the brain may be more shocking.
The so-called "brain navigator" is a psychic who enters the brain of others to heal people's inner wounds and solve people's psychological problems. Our protagonist, Raz, is a man with this special ability. He loved to watch "True Psychic Stories" since he was a child, entered the "Whispering Rock" summer camp in the first generation, became a brain navigator intern, and entered the brain astronaut headquarters in the second generation and became a junior agent of the brain navigator. Let's talk about the past works of the "Brain Navigator" with you.
The "Brain Voyager" series is divided into three works, namely "Brain Voyager 1", "Brain Voyager: Diamond Ruins", and "Brain Voyager 2". These plots are closely linked, that is to say, more than ten years have passed in reality, but the Raz in the story has only passed a few days.
In 2005, Brain Crew 1 was launched. The story tells the story of Raz being invited to Whispering Rock summer camp to learn the basic skills of a brain navigator and foil the conspiracy of instructor oleander and evil doctor Robert to rule the world. (The picture quality of the game is relatively old, it is recommended that you spend an hour to see the commentary cloud.) ）
In 2017, Brain Voyager: Diamond Ruins was launched. The story follows the mission at the end of the generation and tells the story of Raz's journey to rescue truman, the leader of the brain navigator. (Unfortunately, the game is only available in VR.) ）
In 2021, Brain Voyager 2 was launched. The story immediately follows the diamond-shaped ruins back to the passenger plane of the Brain Crew Base, telling the story of Raz looking for the behind-the-scenes commander of truman's kidnapping and exploring the truth of the "Six Masters of Psychic". (The game reviewed in this article has memories of one and diamond-shaped ruins at the beginning of the game, and can also be played directly)
If the first is to introduce the concept of brain navigator for players and show the tip of the iceberg of the brain navigator world, then the second is a great supplement to the brain navigator worldview, after playing "Brain Navigator 2", players can almost sort out the ins and outs of everything.
Compared with the first generation entering the brains of Sasha, Mira, Oleander and others, to understand the stories of summer camps and teachers; in the second generation, we can enter the brains of Otto, Compton, Cathy, Helmut, Ford, Bob, Lucy and others to understand the history of the establishment of the Brain Voyager Organization and the inner story of the "Six Masters of Psychic".
(Psychic Six, from left to right, "Otto, Compton, Ford, Bob, Helmut, Cathy")
Why is the seemingly unhurried Brain Crew Organization surging undercurrents? Why are there seven founders of the Brain Crew Organization? What is Raz's family background? The answers to all the questions are also available to the players in the game.
Thousands of people have a thousand thoughts, but they are not serious
The most attractive thing about the "Brain Voyager" series is the picture, everyone's brain is different, and the corresponding world form is based on the owner's life experience and exaggerated, which makes people feel both real and absurd. Each brain can bring you a unique visual experience, sometimes eerie, sometimes warm and cute, sometimes dazzling, sometimes contemplative, and can be called the ninth art. Let me give you four examples to take a peek at the end.
(Roberto's Brain)
Roberto is an evil dentist and brain doctor, and players can see the chaotic oral world in Roberto's brain at the beginning of the game. The messy blood vessels and littered teeth feel disgusting, but unexpectedly fit his personality in reality, and dentures everywhere seem to hint at the final outcome of this mouth. Honestly, I don't want to spend a minute on this brain.
(Helmut's brain)
Helmut, one of the "Six Masters of Psychic", because the brain needs to recover the five senses for a long time separated from the body, so the world of the senses is monotonous and unique. The world of the visual eye is green as the main color, and a large number of the same color and bokeh screens are used to create a dazzling sense of impact and a sense of illusion in the sensory world.
(Grandma Raz's brain)
Grandma Raz, who looks very kind, is an amiable grandmother figure, but the actual identity is very mysterious. Just like many elderly people, Grandma likes to use textile items to pass the time, so the composition of the brain world is textile. At the same time, the items have been passivated, giving people a feeling of gentleness and comfort.
(Gristol's brain)
Gristol, the prince of Grulovia, could have inherited the throne and enjoyed a rich life, but lost everything because of his father's fainting. Therefore, he is very unwilling in his heart, and what he fantasizes about in his mind is also the glory of the former country and the pride of his future restoration. The game's graphics are documentary, designing the place as an opera, allowing players to watch the performances of paper people, as well as highlights and children's praises, which is both stiff and ridiculous, and people can't help but sigh.
Diverse world gameplay Slightly monotonous combat experience
The collection system of Brain Voyager 2, seemingly complex, ultimately points to one point, that is, casual collection! In the game, players can collect cards to craft upgrades, collect phantoms to upgrade, collect emotional baggage can also be upgraded, collect golden blocks or upgrade!
All in all, if you are not a player who is particularly perfect, you can collect as much as you want, and a variety of upgrade methods are used to ensure that players will not be stuck because of the level. (Of course, there's nothing wrong with the card leveling, and the game even comes with an invincible mode..... ）
In the game, players will open the Brain Navigator skills with the main plot, including: melee combat, air transfer, PSI explosion, mind fire control, floating, remote sensing, psychic link, time bubble, projection, and the points obtained by the upgrade can be used to upgrade the skill. If you can flexibly use various skills, the player's speed of passing the level will be greatly accelerated.
What fits the theme of brain sailors is not only skills, but also memories. Memory is also an important collection in the game, through the collection of memories, players can understand the brain master's unknown story, this setting cleverly complements a lot of character details, but also makes the image of the main characters of "Brain Crew 2" more plump.
The monster design of "Brain Crew 2" is also more suitable for the theme of the game, such as people's common emotions, such as "bad ideas", "doubts", etc. are figuratively transformed into monsters, and they also have their own characteristics and simple ways to deal with them.
Unfortunately, due to the fast speed of the battle and the poor feel of the blow, the player will not use the skill to take advantage of most of the time, and the coping method I use is a simple general attack + PSI explosion, which has a feeling of "random punching and killing the teacher".
My favorite part of the game is the breakthrough part of each brain, as a 3D platform creative game, Brain Crew 2 optimizes the operation feel, the judgment is clearer, and the level is more interesting. Like Compton's silly kitchen, Fersa's three-dimensional pinball, all make players enjoy it. Each mini-game can bring you a unique sense of ease and pleasure.
Reconcile with the past Reconcile with yourself
"Our most respected institutions, our heroes and ourselves are flawed. We all make mistakes... And we sometimes need help... But we should all have a second chance. "These are the words that Fersay, as a senior, said to Raz, the new Brain Navigator Junior Agent.
As newcomers, Raz has seen the great achievements of many predecessors, and also seen the unbearable past of their predecessors; as predecessors, Fersa has seen the growth of new people and the bright future of new people.
It is true that none of the "Psychic Six Masters" of their past is not very glorious, but this does not prevent them from becoming great people. When Raz helped untie their hearts one by one, the seven people who were falling apart would still be reconciled and choose to hug when they said goodbye. They may not be the most perfect brain navigators, but they must be the most successful and happiest brain navigators.
Are you in front of the screen stuck because of the past? Have you faced up to your flaws? Have you made up for your mistakes and given yourself a second chance? "It is better to try to give yourself a chance, face the past calmly, accept your imperfect self, and bravely move into the future." Brain navigators can do it, and so can we.
Wait until we are relieved of all sorrows, until we are aware of the impermanence of the world, and we meet in the old place.
epilogue
What "Brain Voyager 2" brought me was not only a visual feast of more than ten hours, but also a spiritual journey to release the past. Double Fine Studio uses bold imagination and excellent gameplay to construct a wonderful brain world for players, depicting a warm adventure about redemption.
If you like to see a scenery and enjoy a story in addition to adventure, then Brain Crew 2 will definitely give you an unexpected and moving experience.