Deeply atmospheric adventure game A Second Face

This game really caught me by surprise. Mechanically, A Second Face – The Eye of Geltz is Watching Us is your standard adventure title, but in reality, it’s a brilliantly conceived experience that deserves a lot more recognition. Created by Jospin Le Woltaire (artwork, design and all), it’s the first episode of a promised multi-episodic series, and I really hope the rest of the story gets told.

In a world divided between light and dark, the kingdom of the Ugeltz is in rapid decline. You play the son of the king who sends you out to investigate the legendary Kingdom of Light. The story sounds generic, but once the characters and world gets fleshed out, you’ll realize there’s some great philosophical storytelling going on here. Things start out rather bland with some long cutscenes, less-than-perfect voice acting, and a stretch of time when you don’t really do much. But then, oh, then things get great. Suddenly the plot becomes so thick you have to chew it, and the adventuring becomes secondary to the story that’s unfolding in front of your eyes.

Almost every scene in A Second Face becomes its own little vignette, and that’s part of the massive draw of this quiet little game. It’s been nearly two years since its release, and with no word on part two, who knows when/if it will see the light of day. Even with its cliffhanger ending, A Second Face is still worth getting into. Clear a few afternoons so you can really absorb the plot.

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