Perfect Tides: Station to Station — Part 1: The Beginning of the Journey
Introduction
Perfect Tides: Station to Station is about the beginning of a journey. When we begin a journey, we always feel a little bit lost. Perfect Tides captures this feeling of an uncertain journey with surprising honesty.
Rather than throwing players into the action. This game introduces them slowly into the character of Mara, who is an 18-year-old girl who has just entered the next stage of her life. That includes going to college, becoming independent, etc.
Beginning
The game sets a very tranquil, reflective tone from the start. You don’t do missions or fight any bad guys. You just try to figure yourself out.
At first, Mara’s life is told through small moments, such as :
- Conversations with others or
- Watching other people or
- Simply having quiet moments by yourself.
Gradually, all these small moments accumulate and create a story for Mara.
Next Phase
Perfect Tides’s gameplay is point-and-click. With each location and person that Mara interacts with. It gives her an idea about herself and something extremely influential to her thoughts on the world around her.
Over time, Mara walks through the city and observes different things. She puts together the puzzle pieces of her life. This is the same process for everyone who has had a chance to look around at everything new in the world to them and has learned through that to grow.
Genuine v/s Imagination
Everything at the beginning of this game feels very real. For instance, Mara feels the awkwardness of meeting new people. Similarly, the struggle to fit into new social groups is to feel familiar.
At the same time, Mara questions her decisions. The game takes the time to show you what you feel about all of these things instead of rushing. It allows the player to feel like their experience is much more than a scripted interaction. Because of this, the experience feels deeper and more personal than scripted.
Graphics Review
Visually, the pixel art style of the visuals gives a nostalgic feeling to the graphics. While they may seem simple at first glance, they, however, have a very strong impact on the player’s emotions.
Moreover, with the game’s calming and immersive environment. As a result, it allows the player to build a strong connection with Mara’s experiences.
Conclusion
Mara’s transition to new places in the first chapter of Perfect Tides: Station to Station is not about large life changes! Instead, it’s more about new beginnings.
Ultimately, it tells us to take that first step into the unknown. Full of doubt and hope. Just as in real-life, the hardest part about starting something new is taking that first step, yet it is also the most important step.
Therefore, the first chapter of Perfect Tides: Station to Station gives the basis for a very personal journey, not so much based on what the final destination will be, but rather what will be learned from your current location.
