Rakuen Review

Rakuen Review

            I’ve been away for a long time.  I prefer to play games more than review them these days.  Some games are special, though.  They may not be among my favorites or even games I had a great time with.  They may not stand out like a AAA title would.  But there is something in them that…drives me to finish them, I suppose.  So, I want to share one of those with you.  This is Rakuen.

            Rakuen is the child of Laura Shigihara, one of the most emotionally powerful video game composers of recent memory.  Without exaggeration, her music, while uniquely her own, has the kind of emotional connection you might think when you hear the names Uematsu, Mitsuda, or Shimomura.  Rakuen is more like pictures and a story that match the music and the emotion of what Laura herself wants to convey.

Get ready for a storybook journey

            With minimal spoilers, Rakuen is a story about a boy and his mother in a hospital.  There are people all around them suffering from their pasts with no one to support them.  So, the boy and his mother try to be that support and by visiting a magical world, they hope to make these people’s lives better and…maybe find a way to keep going with their own lives.  Saying anymore would ruin the impact.  The story has nuances that surprised me in ways that other games who try to be mature…simply lack.  It is charming and whimsical, but also dark and adult.  Within this story, we touch on hope and despair.  Fears of abandonment and the importance of the time spent with others.  Racism and guilt.  Loneliness.  Most importantly, the game wants you to remember that even if you feel these things, if you feel like you can’t keep going…you can.  The boy in the game has a mother to help him and we…even if we have no one else, we have Rakuen and its music to help us.

Enter the Leebles

            Now, graphically, the game is a mixed bag.  The character portraits and design of the world are very whimsical and pleasant, with sky islands, Japanese and European tea houses, a forest of cute creature’s begging to have plushies made of them and even festival grounds.  The stories you dive into in the world tend to have a mix of fantasy and realism to them, being more rooted in the person they are affecting…and while they aren’t graphically impressive, they get the job done.  This is an RPG maker style game and as such, some of the tiles feel repeated and the game itself, while original in many design choices, does feel a bit amateuristic in terms of actual presentation.

Floating islands will never not be beautiful

            Gameplay is impossible to rate here.  This is meant to be a story/experience that you go through, like a point and click adventure game.  It has no real challenge and there is only one way to die in the game…which surprises me, as it seems very out of place.  Perhaps foreshadowing towards the ending?  Anyway, while the game is an experience, I do feel it is a bit slow paced at times, as your characters cannot run, and that there is some unneeded padding. None of this is deal breaking, but it again shows off some lackluster design decisions.

Bit amateur hour, but still charming

            Sound design is where Rakuen shines, honestly.  It’s not just the music or what little voice over there is,(though those are excellent) it’s the total package.  I remember distinctly one scene where I was looking through a deserted hospital and all I could hear was the slow, methodical ticking of a clock.  That tiny touch added a lot more tension and suspense to the scene than many modern survival horror games could manage.  Most of the music is very charming and while not all of it is bubbly, it is all appropriate for the mood, pleasant to listen to, and…at times very emotional.  The most powerful moments in the game are the montage moments where Shigihara and some of her contemporaries sing to help convey the emotion of a scene that would otherwise probably be a bit banal.  Shigihara did this in To The Moon, and it made me cry.  Rakuen didn’t hit me that hard, but…well, we’ll get to that.

This doesn't sound tragic or anything...prepare to cry.

            Technical issues I should mention.  All my desktop icons get shuffled each time I load up the game and the controller support, while it does work, does not have any in-game prompts, so you’re on your own for that.  There are no real options here to speak of, however it does have an auto save feature which is handy. 

            Rakuen is a flawed title.  For those who appreciate games which are more experience and story than anything, it’s hard for me to not recommend it.  For those seeking fast paced action, you might want to pass on it, but…then again, maybe you shouldn’t.  I’ll say this.  Rakuen didn’t exactly make me feel good.  But it did make me FEEL.  Like To The Moon and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, sometimes the most important thing you can do is be reminded that…we are all human and we can feel.  Shigihara’s music does that in ways that will make you smile and cry.  The only reason Rakuen’s ending didn’t get me to bawl the way To The Moon did was because To The Moon hid its emotional sucker punch better.  Rakuen gut punches you emotionally every step of the way.  I do mean that.  You feel through the game for each scenario.  Sometimes hopeful.  Sometimes sad.  But you feel.

The boy has his mother to help him.  And if we have no one else, we have Rakuen to help us

            This is clearly a labor of love.  While amateur in many ways, I can’t help but be glad I played it and find it charming in its own way.  This is a game I feel everyone should play, but not everyone will be ready for because of how it will make you feel.  Even if you think you might not like it, if you can get through the 6-8 hours, it may change you.

            Tragedy striking is not the end of our story.  So long as we keep on going, we’ll be alright.  Everything’s alright.

            A bit old, but if you want my personal opinion on Laura Shigihara from a few years back, the link is here.

            Laura Shigihara’s music can be found here and you would be foolish to not give it a listen.

            Finally, Rakuen can be bought here on steam.