Rue Valley

[h3]Two Sentences[/h3] Rue Valley is a stylish, conversation-heavy narrative RPG built around a time-loop structure and psychological themes, with a very eye-catching comic-inspired visual identity. I found this game to be surprisingly relatable on a very personal level (no details sorry). [h3]Top 3 Least Favourite Things[/h3] [olist] [*]Over time the transitions [b]really[/b] add up [*]Certain points in the game have you traveling back and forth between multiple locations across several “loops.” This becomes tiresome, especially when the payoff doesn’t quite land - though that was mainly because I already knew where the plot was heading [*]The occasional spelling mistake / voice line repeating over itself can be distracting [/olist] [h3]Top 3 Favourite Things[/h3] [olist] [*]Surprisingly funny [*]Montages (montages in general always remind me of the Rocky movies) [*]Dissecting plotlines and playing detective [/olist] [h3]Final Thoughts - Disco Elysium[/h3] I've seen many comments and reviews about Rue Valley being like Disco Elysium and although I get why people use it as a reference point, I don’t really see the value in comparing them. Disco Elysium’s multiple skills, Thought Cabinet, political alignments, and skill checks create genuine emergence meaning different builds and choices create meaningfully different experiences, failures, and insights. Rue Valley uses lighter personality axes (rather than deep skill systems) and a memory graph. Many players and reviewers note that these systems often feel more cosmetic or constrained; dialogue options and outcomes tend to funnel toward the same path more often. Disco Elysium is a full role-playing game that happens to have no combat. Rue Valley is closer to a narrative adventure / point-and-click with RPG flavor and time-loop puzzle elements (influences also include Outer Wilds and classic adventure games). Judging Rue Valley by it's similarities to Disco Elysium misses what it’s actually trying to do: use the loop as a metaphor for being trapped mentally and force focused, iterative problem-solving within a small cast and location. Expecting the same level of reactivity and “failing upwards in wildly different ways” is asking Rue Valley to be a different game than the one it set out to make.

I was pleasantly surprised by this game. After reading too many negative comments about it, I was expecting to be somewhat disappointed. But I had really liked playing the demo, so I decided to give the game a try during a sale. And I actually really enjoyed it! I got completely engrossed in the explorative gameplay. And I quite liked the game humor and aesthetic. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3785632428 I don't understand why the game has been compared to Disco Elysium so much. Maybe it was a marketing move, but it only did the game a disservice. Many players were expecting to play something that the game simply wasn't. Apart from both games being isometric and text heavy, Rue Valley gave me zero DE vibes. The two games are nothing alike. Rue Valley is just doing its own thing. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3784735874 Rue Valley is a narrative adventure focusing on the mental journey of a content writer named Eugene Harrow (the player), who, after a life-changing Incident, has been mandated to undergo psychotherapy. The setting is peculiar, to say the least. We find ourselves in the middle of nowhere, staying at a motel in an isolated desert town called Rue Valley, while attending therapy sessions in a motel room. Shortly after our 1st session, we realize that we have become trapped in a 47-minute time-loop, forced to relive the same evening over and over again. To understand what is happening and try to find a way to break the loop, we start exploring and investigating our surroundings, while also confronting our own inner struggles. This is the first time-loop game I've played, but the gameplay reminded me of the exploration games The Invisible Hours and Eternal Threads. Both have similar gameplay mechanics, where we uncover the plot by watching events that occur at a given place and time. As we progress, Eugene's intentions, discoveries, failures, and conclusions, are presented in the form of a mind map (which looked like those I've seen in some Sherlock Holmes games), which works like a journal. It contains important clues about our progress and what we could investigate next. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3786503585 At the start of the game, we get to choose 3 psychological traits whose strength can change depending on our mood, the weather, or some personal event we experienced during the game. These traits influence choices available during dialogue, but they didnt seem to have much impact on the overall story. Which is probably shaped more by our investigative work through the town, and by how much we discover about ourselves and the different life stories of Rue Valley's inhabitants. In my playthrough, I had choosen to be sensitive, calculated and extraverted. I tried to thoroughly explore every nook and cranny of the game, and I got an ending I found satisfying. The main downside I see with the game is its slow pace, due to the waiting mechanic and repetitive gameplay. Events we need to attend only occur at specific times and places, requiring us to travel there and/or wait for them to become available. While the devs implemented numerous amusing things to do while waiting (such as reading a comic book, doodling, or playing in-game video games), it sometimes felt like a bit too much, as I was eager to see what would happen next. Once, I had to spend at least 6 loops to fully read some documents, because it took me 45 min of each loop to reach them, leaving me with only 2 min to actually read them... Overall, I really enjoyed the investigative work we had to do in the game. I actually found the time-loop gameplay quite addictive and engrossing. I would recommend the game to players with an investigative mindset and don't mind taking their time to find the right info.

just beat the game and ill say this: it failed as a game but it succeeded as a story just such an obnoxiously finnicky game first 5 hours were amazing and then the repetition sets in you're kinda doomed to fail the first time you play but unlike DE i think repeated playthroughs arent all that entertaining you're more or less just rushing to the ending hoping you can save a few very crucial inspiration points also it's not as well written as DE but like how many other games are? like 5.

(Français, lire plus bas) EN 🔷You play as Eugene Harlow, trapped in a time loop that begins at 8:00 PM in your psychiatrist's office in Rue Valley. Your goal is to find a way out. 🟩PROS🟩 + The story is quite... surprising. :) + The art direction is perfect; the visuals are stunning. I LOVE IT! + Isometric view. + Excellent voice acting. + An intense psychological experience if you take the time to reflect on the psychiatrist's words and the events. It tackles powerful themes (grief, depression, etc.). + The deduction mechanics are interesting without being overly complicated. + Commentary from our "inner voice." + There are 2 (two) possible endings. + It took me about 17 hours to finish my playthrough, far longer than I expected! + Manual save option. 🟨COULD BE BETTER🟨 +/- The player has to do a lot of back-and-forth movement to solve problems and understand the loop. Unfortunately, this is inherent to the time-loop concept; while repetitive, it fits the narrative. +/- Lots and lots and LOTS of dialogue and text to read. +/- There were parts of the story I didn't quite grasp, even after completing all the side quests and getting the "good ending." +/- Playing with a controller, I sometimes struggled to select objects to interact with and had to switch to the mouse for greater precision. 🟥CONS🟥 - Not much exploration. Few locations to visit. - There's a whole subplot involving Mars and the colonies, but it isn't really fleshed out. - I was left wanting more answers regarding the Rue Valley water supply and Jason Burns. ⭐⭐⭐⭐Rue Valley drew me in with its narrative focus and art style. Honestly, I don't like time loops at all, whether in books, TV shows, movies, or games, but I wanted to give this one a chance despite the mixed reviews. ---> I am pleasantly surprised by this little game. Eugene is depressed, exhausted, and seeing a psychiatrist. Trapped within the misery of his own mind, he finds himself locked in a time loop. Is it real? Is there a way to break the loop? You might think Rue Valley offers a sci-fi story, but in reality, it delivers hours of therapy and self-discovery: a human tale about trauma, depression, and grief, and how to move forward if you're willing to see things differently. I won't lie; having undergone years of therapy myself, I felt deeply invested in this story, especially regarding Dr. Finck’s analysis of Eugene’s memories. It was fascinating, and I saw myself in some of the things said, which prompted me to reflect on my own life and experiences. For that reason, I’m left with a positive impression of Rue Valley, despite its flaws. The gameplay is simple: you interact with your surroundings and talk to people to gradually piece together what’s happening. When the loop resets, you have to try different approaches to see what changes or if you can learn new information. Your character also takes on certain "statuses" that influence his behavior. As for the story, there are many intersecting lives (residents who cross paths or avoid one another) but there are also elements of the lore, specifically regarding "Coral Destiny" and Mars, that remain rather vague and, in my opinion, underutilized. Perhaps that was a red herring, a way to make us think the game was heading into sci-fi territory when it was actually a human drama all along? In any case, it is a poignant story with a meaningful message. I come away from it feeling hopeful (probably because I got the "good ending", though I imagine it’s a different story for those who got the "bad ending"...) and revitalized. I needed this. -------------------------------------------------------- FR 🔷Vous êtes Eugene Harlow et êtes coincé dans une boucle temporelle qui démarre à 20h00, dans le cabinet de votre psychiatre, à Rue Valley. Votre but sera donc d'essayer de vous en sortir. 🟩EN POSITIF🟩 + L'histoire est assez... étonnante. :) + La direction artistique est parfaite, les visuels sont magnifiques. J'ADORE ! + Vue isométrique. + Excellents voices actors (sous-titres en français). + Expérience psychologique intense quand on prend le temps de réfléchir aux mots du psychiatre et aux évènements. Les thèmes abordés sont forts (deuil, dépression...). + Le travail de déduction est intéressant et pas trop compliqué. + Les commentaires de notre "voix intérieure". + Il y a 2 (deux) fins possibles. + Environ 17 heures de jeu pour terminer ma partie, c'est bien plus que ce à quoi je m'attendais ! + Possibilité de sauvegarder manuellement. 🟨POURRAIT ETRE MIEUX🟨 +/- Le joueur doit faire énormément de va-et-vient pour résoudre les problèmes et comprendre la boucle. Cela fait malheureusement partie du principe de la boucle temporelle, donc même si c'est répétitif c'est cohérent avec le récit. +/- Beaucoup, beaucoup, BEAUCOUP de dialogue et de texte à lire. +/- Il y a certaines choses que je n'ai pas compris dans l'histoire, alors que j'ai fait toutes les quêtes secondaires et que j'ai eu "la bonne fin". +/- En jouant à la manette j'avais parfois du mal à sélectionner un objet avec lequel interagir, je devais repasser à la souris pour plus de précision. 🟥EN NEGATIF🟥 - Pas vraiment d'exploration. Peu de lieux à voir. - Il y a tout un truc avec Mars et les colonies mais ce n'est pas développé plus que ça. - Je reste sur ma fin concernant l'eau de Rue Valley et Jason Burns. ⭐⭐⭐⭐Rue Valley est un jeu qui m'a attiré par son côté narratif et sa DA. Honnêtement, je n'aime pas du tout les boucles temporelles (ni dans les livres, ni les séries/films, ni dans les jeux) mais j'ai voulu lui donner une chance malgré les reviews moyennes. ---> Je suis agréablement surprise par ce petit jeu. Eugene est dépressif, fatigué et suivit par un psychiatre. Il est enfermé dans la misère de son esprit, puis se retrouve enfermé dans une boucle temporelle. Est-ce réel ? Existe-t-il un moyen de casser la boucle ? On pourrait croire que Rue Valley nous offre un récit de science-fiction alors qu'en réalité il nous offre des heures de thérapie et de compréhension de soi : un récit humain qui nous parle de traumatisme, dépression, deuil et comment aller de l'avant si on accepte de voir les choses autrement. Je ne vais pas vous mentir, moi qui ai fait des années de thérapies, je me suis sentie très impliquée dans cette histoire, surtout avec l'analyse du Dr Finck sur les souvenirs d'Eugène. C'était passionnant, et je me suis reconnue dans certains de ses propos, ce qui m'a amené à réfléchir sur moi-même et ce que j'ai vécu. Pour cette raison, je garde de Rue Valley un sentiment positif malgré les défauts que je lui trouve. Le gameplay est simple : vous devez interagir avec ce qui vous entoure, discuter avec les gens pour essayer de comprendre petit à petit ce qui se passe, et lorsque la boucle recommence vous devez essayer différemment pour voir ce qui change ou si vous pouvez obtenir des informations complémentaires. Votre personnage aura parfois certains "statuts" qui vont influencer son comportement. Côté histoire, il y a plein de vies qui se croisent (des habitants qui se côtoient ou qui s'évitent) mais il y a aussi une partie du lore qui reste assez flou et pas assez exploité selon moi avec Coral Destiny et Mars. Peut-être était-ce un leurre, pour nous faire penser que le jeu partait sur de la science-fiction, alors qu'il s'agit en réalité d'un drame humain ? Dans tous les cas, c'est une histoire poignante, qui est pertinente dans ce qu'elle propose. J'en ressors avec de l'espoir (probablement parce que j'ai eu la "bonne fin", mais j'imagine que pour ceux qui ont eu la "mauvaise fin" ça doit pas être le même discours…) et un nouveau souffle. J'en avais besoin.

This game is fantastic, if you love adventures. Very well written characters, stories. Of course if you expected Disco Elysium. Well, it's not. It's not an RPG it's an adventure. That said the story is great, starting slow. The gameplay mechanics are in my option really good at making you feel what the character feels (being annoyed by repetition, being frustrated that you don't have time, etc.). That said the game at a couple of places makes sure you don't have to suffer too much/don't actually waste your time, giving you shortcuts and so on, but it also will make sure you don't just skip through it cause that would miss the point of including that in first place. In that sense it's a very, very light version of the various Sisyphus style games in that it feels like you have to bite though, but without making it too annoying.. That said the selection of your character might give a wrong impression, so I get why people don't like it. Still really great game, if you have any interest in time in a loop point and click adventure reflecting a lot on psychology.

после прохождения данной игры я понял фишку - она идеально передает ощущение временной петли момент с фиолетовой пилюлей в середине игры прекрасно и наглядно показывает, в какой бред можно впасть от этих ваших петель. тебе как игроку натурально становится плохо, ты хочешь чтобы это поскорее закончилось начало игры я бы всё же выделил как самую сильную часть игры, но и концовка очень мощна в общем рекомендасьон, не обращая внимания на некоторые тупняки от самой игры - крепкая восьмерочка

[h1]Final Score: [b]69/100[/b][/h1] Rue Valley has a great comic-book look, an interesting time-loop premise, and some genuinely good moments. I enjoyed slowly learning more each loop, completing small tasks, and figuring out how everything connected. The gameplay is extremely simple, but it works for this type of game. The voice acting is strangely inconsistent, though. Some lines are acted, most are not, and it seems to start and stop at random. This game would have benefited massively from being fully voiced. The second half is where it started losing me. There are too many forced walks, drives, montages, and sections where you are barely doing anything. I understand what the game was trying to show, but it became boring rather than emotional. I also ended up with the bad ending because I apparently did not have enough Willpower, and after 17.7 hours, I had no desire to replay large sections just to see a different result. There is a good game here, but it is uneven and deeply flawed. I cautiously recommend it, especially if you enjoy slow, dialogue-heavy games, but exercise some discretion. [h2]Score Breakdown[/h2] [b]Gameplay Experience:[/b] 19/25 [b]Presentation & Immersion:[/b] 18/25 [b]Design & Technical Aspects:[/b] 15/25 [b]Final Considerations:[/b] 17/25 [spoiler]Think I got it wrong? Generate your own review at [url=https://playeropinion.com]https://playeropinion.com[/url][/spoiler]

it's decent for what it is. It's more of a visual novel that explores mental health tropes rather than any meaningful timeloop mechanics. The story leaves lots of plot holes which is aggravating.