The Wreck is a 2023 narrative adventure game by The Pixel Hunt. Players control a woman who attempts to process the events of a traumatic day while experiencing a repeating car wreck.
| The Wreck | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | The Pixel Hunt |
| Publisher(s) | The Pixel Hunt |
| Engine | Unity[1] |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | Narrative adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
editAfter Junon's estranged mother, Marie, suffers an aneurysm, Junon discovers that Marie forged her signature and made Junon her healthcare proxy. As Junon discusses these emotional issues with her family and doctor, players can learn more about Junon's thoughts by clicking on words that represent Junon's inner dialogue. Whenever Junon becomes emotionally overwhelmed during a conversation, she drives off in her car and gets into an accident; this same accident repeats throughout the game like a time loop that she is caught in. During the crash, objects fly loose and trigger interactive memories. Once Junon has processed these memories, she can repeat the difficult conversation and make better choices.[2]
Development
editThe Pixel Hunt, a French video game studio based in Paris,[3] based the premise of The Wreck on the anxieties their founder felt after a car accident that involved his daughter.[4] They released it for Windows, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, and Switch on March 14, 2023. The iOS and Android versions were released on October 3, 2023,[5] and are free-to-play with in-app purchases.[6]
Reception
editRock Paper Shotgun designated The Wreck as one of their favorite games of the year and called it "a wonderfully sensitive examination of grief, family, toxic relationships and personal discovery".[2] GamesRadar recommended it to fans of video games with a strong narrative and said it left them with "a lasting impression".[7] A month after its release on Steam, it sold about a thousand copies, and it sold another thousand on other platforms.[8]
It was nominated for excellence in narrative at the 2024 Independent Games Festival.[9]
References
edit- ^ Saver, Michael; Pung, Julia; Stanton, Devon (2024-01-04). "Made with Unity: 2023 in review". Unity Technologies. Archived from the original on 2024-01-13. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ a b Castle, Katherine (2023-03-14). "The Wreck review: a raw road trip down memory lane". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on 2024-01-14. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
- ^ "About / Contact Us". The Pixel Hunt. Archived from the original on 2024-02-02. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
- ^ ""Pourquoi on se fait chier à faire des jeux indé ?!" Ce développeur écoeuré s'exprime sur la situation". Jeuxvideo. 2023-04-17. Archived from the original on 2023-04-21. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
- ^ "The Wreck". Gamepressure. Archived from the original on 2024-01-14. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
- ^ Astle, Aaron (2023-10-13). "New release roundup: Our weekly pick of the best new mobile games from pixel pandas to Roman adventures". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on 2023-10-23. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
- ^ Wald, Heather (2023-03-17). "The Wreck explores an impactful story about finding the right words, moving on, and processing trauma". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 2024-01-14. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
- ^ Carter, Justin (2023-04-14). "The Wreck's Florent Maurin muses on the point of indie development". Game Developer. Archived from the original on 2024-01-14. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
- ^ Castle, Katherine (2024-01-11). "IGF 2024 finalists are yet again more proof that RPS is right about everything". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
Further reading
edit- CHAINAY, Jennifer (2023-03-20). "Jeux vidéo. On a testé " The Wreck ", une expérience narrative lumineuse et éprouvante". Ouest-France (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-05.