Going into this, I didn’t have a lot of insight for what I was about to experience. I forgot who had created it, and I didn’t recall what the game was supposed to play like. What I did remember was the beautiful art from the trailers and screenshots I had seen, courtesy of Kellan Jett. I was also pretty sure that the game was supposed to be narrative heavy, and boy does it deliver on that front. I went into this with little expectation, but left in awe.

There are certain experiences in our lives that shape us and hold special places in our memories. For as long as I can remember, there’s always been a certain feeling that swells up within me when someone is describing something to me in a certain way – be it directions or simply telling me what something looks like. Now that may seem like trite, everyday speech, but I haven’t felt it in years, and I can recount moments in my past when I did as clear as day. I’m not sure how to describe it, other than that I never want it to end in the moments that I experience it. It’s warmth that originates deep inside you that brings a sense of calm and relaxation as if everything is going to be okay. It happens very rarely nowadays, so when I felt it in Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, I couldn’t help but be transported into this world.

The story starts out with a game of poker where you end up betting away your life to the Wolf. His request of you is to travel the United States and spread stories, which seems easy enough. You’ll traverse the land experiencing all manners of events, such as seeing children abandoned in knapsacks by their parents to winged goats protecting houses. You’ll be told stories by others, some being things that you witnessed firsthand, and you’ll be given the chance to call them out on their embellishments, or you can agree with them stating that’s what happened. In your journey you’ll also come across campfires with characters written by guest authors, such as Leigh Alexander. It’s here that you will tell the stories you come across in the hopes of learning theirs. With each successful story told, you gain their trust and you are able to learn more about them.

The game unfolds like a “choose your own adventure” story, as you progress through the lands experiencing different events and decide what happens with them. Almost every encounter outside of the campfire characters is narrated by Sting, who changes his very soothing yet gruff voice for the dialogue you may encounter. The writing is phenomenal, and while I will often times skip through spoken dialogue as I’ve already read it in games, I listened to everything offered in this as if I was a child being read to again. With still images of the events being told in the game, you’re able to visualize both in your head how you want to see it based on the descriptions, but also in the direction that Jett has created.

Starting out you’ll find yourself walking about the map of the United States rather slowly, but you’re soon told how to hitchhike which will help you cover a bit more ground, and eventually you’ll be able to ride on trains as well. The latter you can do illegally or by paying to do so from a major city. Just know that every choice you make has a consequence, and more often than not, every action means a story. And in this, stories are powerful – they are almost a sort of currency in the progression of the game. While you will need to obtain actual money by doing work or through other means to shop or take the train across the country, it’s hardly as important as the weight of the stories that you carry.

The emotional impact of this game will certainly depend on if you let it hit you. Johnnemann Nordhage, the founder of Dim Bulb Games, is the co-founder of Fullbright and was the programmer on Gone Home. Admittedly, my experience with that game was less than amazing, as none of the lighting worked for me on my PC and the story was so built up by everyone it ended up a disappointment for me. So if you go into this expecting something along the lines of an action packed romp across the United States in the fashion of Red Dead Redemption, your expectations will never be met. However, if you go into it thinking you’ll be hearing stories that rival those of the stranger in black and other side quest characters you meet in Red Dead Redemption, which were arguably the best parts of the game, you’ll understand better just why this is so special. Even the soundtrack perfectly accompanies the experience.

While I adore the art direction for the game, I can see why some would not fancy it so much. The game is comprised of a lot of still frames, or a few different frames to simulate movement. This game makes use of your imagination much more than showing you what it’s talking about, utilizing the powerful writing to create the world you see. That can certainly be frustrating for some, especially with how beautiful the art is in this. The only thing that sort of irked me while playing was encountering sections of the game that weren’t voiced. Yes, the guy that normally skips through spoken dialogue is complaining that not everything was voiced. It’s not so much that I needed it, but it really added to the game, and it was strange that a few events were missing it.

Narrative heavy games have become exceedingly popular over the past decade, though it’s not often that they are executed with such pinpoint precision as this. Truly, the story telling is a joy to experience, and the journey to find where the water tastes like wine is worth the price of admission, even if it means giving up your life. Do not skip this if you’re looking to be touched by the stories of others, be they fiction or truth. Just keep in mind that not every story is worth telling, and the truth always shines brightest.

10 out of 10

Pros

• Voice Cast
• Sting (Yes, he gets his own)
• Kellan Jett’s Art Direction
• The Writing/Narrative
• Soundtrack

Cons

• Missing Voice on Occasion

Where the Water Tastes Like Wine was developed by Dim Bulb Games and published by Good Shepherd Entertainment. It was released on PC on February 28th, 2018 for $19.99. The game was provided to us for review on PC. If you’d like to see more of Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, check out the official site.

 

Here at GBG we use a rating method that you are more than likely familiar with – a scale of 1 to 10. For clarification, we intend on using the entire scale: 1-4 is something you should probably avoid paying for; 5-7 is something that is worth playing, but probably not at full price; 8-10 is a great title that you can feel confident about buying. If you have any questions or comments about how we rate a game, please let us know.

Check out OpenCritic for a better idea of how our review stacks against others.