A Space For The Unbound is an adventure game with slice-of-life elements. The game is about two high school students named Atma and his girlfriend Raya. The characters face their anxiety, depression, and anger and support each other in times of need. This animated cinematic beauty might be one of the best story-heavy games to ever exist.
Key Takeaways
The game is visually amazing but the story and the characters are the reason you will never forget this game. Let us delve into the beautiful journey of self-discovery, bravery, and Indonesian culture.
Indonesia & Cats
The game has a pixelated art style and is based on the streets of Indonesia. It represents the streets and the people in the most faithful manner. It might be some pixels but you will find these pixels deeper than most detailed character designs and maps.
The soundtrack compliments the aesthetic of the game and enhances areas of the game perfectly. The story of the game will have the high school sweethearts going places ranging from high school to theatres to enjoy their time together. The visual style perfectly encapsulates the aesthetic of rural Indonesia.
If you love cats, then you are in for a treat. Cats play a major role in the game.
They act as a guide and are also used by the game to represent characters and their feelings. Cats are everywhere in the streets(and YES, you can pet them), and it’s great to see their involvement in the story.
Into The Minds
The main mechanic upon which the gameplay is based on the ‘Spacedive‘, which can be used on characters with a specific symbol on them. Atma uses it to enter the minds of characters to reveal their internal emotional conflicts. Atma will have to find the solution to their problems in the form of a puzzle.
After the completion of the puzzle, the story progresses and reveals major plot points. Atma uses the ‘Red Magic Book’ to perform Spacedive which is given to him by his friend. The red book is an amazing mechanic that lets the player get exposure to different emotions that the characters of the game do not show on the surface.
A character’s purpose, problems, and secrets are revealed through Spacedive. Not going to spoil much but the Red Magic Book plays an important part in the plot and also in the gameplay to reach further into the game. Spacediving also affects the characters and areas around you too.
Raya due to her past self is depressed and is filled with anxiety because of lack of support from her Father. Atma sticks to her side and tries to cheer her up. He acts as a POV to the story and its events. As the story progresses we get to see more of Raya’s internal self that is filled with anger and hate for herself.
A Perfect Representation Of Emotions
The game’s main theme is the emotions of people. Everyone has a side that they hide, whether it’s good or evil. The game’s characters have such sides that the player uses Spacedive to reveal their true selves. These reveals make you feel for the characters and what they go through.
Atma seeks to find Raya after a horrible incident and in his search he finds people on the way that help him or become an obstacle for him. You may also encounter a minigame where Atma fights his opponents when needed but it’s not as interesting as the moment when Atma Spacedives a character and you are eager to find their secrets.
During a Spacedive we see artistic representations of emotions that people go through. Flames and fire represent anger and jealousy. Anxiety and depression are represented by a dark atmosphere. Such representations add an extra layer to the game’s presentation and it is one of the best things that the game offers.
Why Is It raining
As the final chapter ends, you will be an emotional mess. The game’s conclusion is perfectly done and ends with the self-acceptance and bravery of characters that turn their lives around. As the game concludes you will walk the streets once more and witness the changes that you brought upon the characters of the story.
It is a very beautiful game that I recommend everyone should try. Just remember to keep something near you to wipe the tears off.
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Nauman Shah is a VeryAli’s Guide Writer. With a background in Software Engineering along with immense love for video games and three years in Unity 3D games development, Nauman joined the writing media to share his thoughts around the world. Moreover, he likes to smash people with difficult questions on social media and watch shows with a cat named ‘Blep’.
Nauman primarily plays RPG and Open World Games – His Gamer Tag is #Sammich. You can check his gaming library and connect with him!
