Valiant Hearts: The Great War review

The First World War is not often used as a backdrop for games. If this happens, you usually have to do shooter with a brutal (first-person) more striking. Is that Valiant Hearts: The Great War theme used it very unique way? The game allows 2D puzzles centrally and looks further apart: cartoonish.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War uses real letters as inspiration and thus tells the story of four characters: Emile, Freddie, Ana, and George Karl or actually five, because there is also the dog Walt. At first you think these characters have nothing to do with each other, but their fate is signed by the First World War and, ultimately, all the storylines together. Something like Love Actually, only less obviously feel good.

Own heart and soul

It's weird to see how Ubisoft piece by piece the most interesting and unique games dishes out. After the fantastic Child of Light does Valiant Hearts: The Great War is now more or less the same: a downloadable cheap game (15 euros) presented on a tray with a gameplay of confidence eight to ten hours.

Plus: this game has its own heart and soul. Valiant Hearts: The Great War is a game that stands head and shoulders above other games protrudes.

Continuous puzzle

That's all in the way of approach in a war you expect a shooter. Valiant Hearts: The Great War is a puzzle game. Constantly find yourself in situations where you need to figure out what to do. Ana is a doctor and care of people. Often they need people tinkering, which is done via quick-time events.

Between the care they need by puzzling then she gets on the floor and she sees someone SOS call anywhere in a building. Well, how do you get there? And if you need a moment later by another door, then what is the code? Consult your brain only.


The other three characters are continually puzzling. You still need to help people to walk, think again, and so on from one point to another. The gameplay is ridiculously fun and addictive.

Logical thinking sometimes useful

And the puzzles are exactly the right level: sometimes easy, when you think about how you progress as well at other times. It is never too easy and you never reach the moment you throw. Controllers with the balance is perfect.

Sometimes you just have to think logically. Then you want for example to write a letter to the home front, but you have no ink and paper. The spring is not so difficult: just give a bird a blow on the head. But the ink, how do you get there? There's a man down who wants to give your ink. But he wants something in return: a sock.

Hard times in a war

Yes, these are difficult times in the war. Everyone has what it takes. You want to necessarily ink and therefore is looking for a sock. Hanging on a wire and grab him quickly and bring it to the one male. Bring on the ink. No, he will not. Sock He wanted a clean sock! You go back to walking.

A little further you see people doing laundry by hand: hoppakee, you throw the sock even in the soapy water. Then you bring the sock back to the male. Now, finally you get the ink? No sir wants - obviously a dry-clean sock so you go looking for a fire. That leaves you dry the sock; finally: the gentleman is satisfied and you get the sock with it.

No discussions yet follow all

Another charm of this game is the way of presentation. Cartoon style, built on the same engine that was also in Rayman Origins. Real talk of dialogue is not there. The people murmuring something which sometimes poorly understood fragments: merci, and bon chien but more than ten words, the game certainly is not.

The nice thing is that you then have any 'conversation' and every cry for help fully understand. Valiant Hearts: The Great War gets it done to greatly in response to experiences and feelings with few resources. One way this happens is with the regular support of piano music. In a trailer was already the music of Ludovico Einaudi, a composer like no other to hit the right chord with his piano sounds.

Dear faithful friend

Another strength of the game is a dog. A cute little dog acts as a thread through the story. Continuously you must solve puzzles by working with the quadruped together.

The dog may blow in places where the characters can not. Then he is able for example to get what you're going to need to blow something up. Somewhere dynamite
Free history lesson

Another special feature is the depth in Valiant Hearts:'s The Great War. Something you do not need to take into account, as a player, but as for the enthusiast can. And then you get there so easily a few hours extra pleasure.

Throughout the game, as all come true facts from the First World War back. This is Valiant Hearts: The Great War is not just a fun game, but just get a free lesson in the nasty events of history.

There is plenty to collect, including fifty letters and documents. Like walking through a museum when you look at all of those documents. Goosebumps. That someone writes that he wants to tackle when they return back to his old job but who says the young man alive back home are going to achieve?

Looking for historical items

The other items that collect are not wrong. The historical items hidden in everywhere. If you pick it up, which you can click and read some more about the First World War. Then you learn that people's first gas attacks contested by urinating they hung their face. Cloths on or you learn that there are dead rats were eaten. This kind of information you get along so if you throw yourself completely into the game.

Few downsides

Now you may ask yourself: know the game than any negatives? Yes, but those are few. The biggest drawback is that the game is naturally rich in historical items, but those items nine times out of ten are not visible. You then grab them by chance by standing in corners and X key. This had better be expected, especially for collecting lovers among us. Another disadvantage is that the quick-time events Ana are not always fascinating.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War is approaching perfection

But hey, let's be honest: the game is approaching perfection. Valiant Hearts: The Great War was immediately impressed last year in Paris by the striking and beautiful cartoony style puzzles. Surprising the game eventually manages to offer even more thanks to a second deeper layer. The deeper you dig, the more beauty offers the game. A game that gets under your skin and love, friendship and sacrifice-centered.

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