It’s all too easy for games to fall through the cracks. Scéal first appeared on Steam back in late October to little fanfare, which is a huge shame as it deserves a lot. Back in the noughties, indie gaming was gaining a lot of momentum and it gave developers a platform to experiment with new styles of gameplay and unique and varied art styles. Fast forward to today and indie games are big business, even major companies are getting in on indie games, which makes the idea of independent titles by mainstream companies a bit of a silly one.
The big issue is that with so many titles being released, it led to many games simply getting lost in the mix, and it looks like Scéal was one of these titles. It’s a big loss, as Scéal is an absolute gem of a game. Far too often do us gamers complain that games don’t try anything new, or do very little to distance themselves from the crowd. I’m guilty of this, but it’s hard to ascertain what I want from a new gaming experience. I’m still not certain, but I have to say that Scéal certainly scratched a spot.
Scéal sees you take the role of a spirit and roaming around a celtic-inspired island. Your first task given to you is to paint buildings – that may seem odd but bear with me. To be clear, this game isn’t about spectral painting and decorating; Scéal’s art design takes the form of a beautiful Celtic storybook and at key moments regales you with plot. The pale walls and windows of the buildings of the island are painted into life by your actions, making the world come to life.
The artwork is delicate and wonderful. The island is designed to look like a gorgeous watercolour painting, continuing the theme of the storybook. The music of Scéal is possibly its brightest spark. Mystery and wonder are the themes of the Celtic music, Irish folk songs are the perfect fit and they stayed with me long after I closed the game. The whole theme of the art style is incredibly well designed.
Scéal is all about simplicity. The game is played so easily, simply drag the mouse left or right to guide your spirit around the island. Paths guide you around the village located on the island, with a map to assist you with navigation and guide you to your next character. That’s Scéal all over, really, just a simple, unique Celtic tale told with a storyboard aesthetic with gorgeous watercolour style graphics.
While it’s disappointing that it hasn’t received a larger audience, anyone looking for something different should give Scéal a go. It only costs £3.99, so it can’t be scoffed at. It’s very short, but that isn’t the point; it very much reminds me of a walking simulator style game without being at all like a walking simulator. What can I say? It’s Scéal.
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
