This adorable French video game promises us a nostalgic summer in the south of France.
France is not only the country of cheese and events, it is also a multitude of regions, each more magnificent than the next. Seas, mountains, plains and even volcanoes: our territory is covered with all possible and imaginable landscapes.
However, even on the scale of our little Hexagon, venturing into all its corners would take a lot of time (and money). Never mind, here comes the ideal video game to discover a piece of our charming piece of Earth.
Created by UN JE NE SAIS QUOI and UMANIMATION studios, Dordogne is a narrative and reflective title that transports us to the heart of, you will have understood: the Dorgogne. This department in the south of France holds many wonders and secrets, just like the past of Mimi’s family. The young girl who has become an adult will have to discover the mysteries of her childhood through her memories of vacations in the region. Attention, strong emotions guaranteed.
Memories, puzzles and beautiful discoveries
Mimi’s grandmother, Nora, lived in the Dordogne. Following the death of her grandmother, the young woman decides to go to this country house for the first time in years. She hasn’t set foot there since her childhood holidays, but can’t remember why. Mimi will therefore have to dive deep into her memory to understand a most mysterious family secret. It is by exploring the house in the present that the heroine will find the missing elements of the past. The title then revolves between these two distinct eras through very different gameplay sequences.
Coming of Age expresses the protagonist’s amnesia through simple puzzles and investigation. On the other hand, the childhood memories accentuate the narration through the young girl’s discoveries and her innocent look at the events experienced. Between manual activities with grandma and an outing to the local market, things are not as simple as you might think in adult life. The jumps between these two temporalities are particularly effective and keep us on our toes to push us to discover the end of the story.
An artistic direction full of creativity
Besides being fun to play, Dordogne is a feast for the eyes. From its watercolor decorations, the title manages to represent the beauty, the nostalgia and the melancholy of the world of Grandma Nora. Nothing better than paint to bring the beautiful landscapes of the region to life. The title is full of good ideas and uses these tones wonderfully to give a distinct visual identity to the two eras visited. If young Mimi’s vacation is full of color and good humor, today’s house is empty of Nora’s presence and therefore devoid of cheerful hues.
This “handmade” aspect is also essential to the progress of the game. The title advocates creativity during the childhood phases. Equipped with a notebook, a tape recorder and a camera, Mimi is invited to record beautiful memories to make a magnificent scrapbook that the player can personalize as they wish. This then makes it possible to create a very special link with these virtual holidays and to experience them as fully as the endearing protagonist.
The strong and nostalgic narration
Finally Dordogne also shines with its emotional impact. The themes covered in this short adventure of a few hours touch the player’s heart. Nostalgia is a powerful feeling, often linked to regret. The simple times of childhood disappear, usually giving way to too great a need to grow up. Mimi’s regrets about her past in the Dordogne then resonate with personal moments that we would have liked to enjoy longer.
Whether with family or friends, the title reminds us how much we must cherish the moments shared with loved ones. Dordogne is a real introspection, an invitation to better understand the value of memories and time: in short, an emotional journey that everyone should enjoy. That the most sensitive prepare their handkerchiefs, because the title manages only too well to emulate the beautiful feelings of forgotten summer holidays, so well that it becomes difficult not to succumb to these emotions.
