There’s more to a game than just looks. This credo has been one of the main drivers pushing the indie boom since the beginning. What a game lacks in graphics and budget can easily be made up with story and style. It’s with this kind of heart and spirit in mind that we find the promising campaign of Cadence Is Elsewhere.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXXrPUe_7X0[/embedyt]

Selling itself as a sort of “visual novel style RPG,” the game centers around Rosalind, a teddy bear artificial intelligence woken years after the AI singularity, where nanomachines have ravaged society to the point of ruin. With the land around it barren of any life, the player is given only one mission: find your owner, Cadence. Play seems to be more of an interactive experience than anything else; people not into narrative games may want to steer clear. There are puzzles promised, though, so don’t think of this as just another Dear Esther.

As implied by the intro, the graphics aren’t the reason players will want to flock to this one. In typical 3D indie fashion, the game utilizes a blocky Minecraft-esque style that, while not great, gets the job done. To supplement the visual, the team behind Cadence Is Elsewhere bring a strong focus on the auditory, with voice acting being the core way of conveying the echos of a dystopian world now gone.

The art's still got some charm, I think

Anything with AI characters gets me pretty excited and, with the almost tranquil charm the game promises to ooze out, I wish nothing but the best for the crew behind this one. If what you’ve seen here has piqued your interest, consider checking out Cadence Is Elsewhere on Kickstarter and Greenlight and just maybe you’ll fall in love with it, too.

About the Author

Arturo Bory

Arturo doesn't have a lot going for him, but he's okay with that! With a passion for narrative gaming, an okay work ethic, and a burning love/hate relationship with ska, he courageously keeps it together so no one else has to.

View All Articles