Far From Noise is sort of a bottle-nose game where the main premise is you, a girl presumably in her twenties is stuck on the ledge of a cliff after driving out to the coast, even as the game’s opening shot. Throughout the game, we never leave this ledge and are left alone with the girl, her thoughts, and the wildlife as she comes to terms with her situation.
As you are stuck in a car, the only choices you are offered are between different dialogue trains and how you want the story to unfold. Sort of like a visual novel, contained.
Being ‘stuck’ is a big theme in this game, as the main character is stuck not only physically, but in her life as well.
She’s come to a point as a young adult where she doesn’t really know where to go, but she can’t go down and she can’t go up. It kind of ponders the question, if you were at the end of your life, but you had time to just think, take in the world around you, what would happen?
The game doesn’t shy away from the fact you are about to die; it’s one of the main focuses of the story. But despite the setting and liminal environment, the game is incredibly calm. Just to be put simply. It takes you seriously, and it takes its message seriously, but there are many jokes to break tension or small laughs thrown in.
It evokes something simpler; that’s all it really needs. Because throughout the certain death and the existentialism, you’re taken slowly on a journey through this character and what her life means. And sort of, what it means to be alive.
The game doesn’t ask a lot of you, as you play it. It’s only about an hour worth, I think. And if you can’t sit around for a slow-paced, low mechanics narrative, or you hate existential stories, this game isn’t for you. That’s okay.
But if you have time to sit down on a Saturday and set aside one to two hours worth of this game or something quiet and philosophical, I’d recommend it. Like I said, it’s not a lot, but it doesn’t need to be.
I like the way you summarized this! You went into enough depth for me to get a feel of the game without revealing spoilers. This game seems right up my alley, too- I’ll have to check it out.
I love playing simple games with deep meanings that make you think; will most likely check out. I enjoyed how you explained this game in a calming way just how the game is set up also.
I love games that profit off of their own peaceful simplicity. I think the way that you wrote it also added on to the feeling of serenity throughout the blog.