Wide Ocean Big Jacket Review
I really don’t like camping. I don’t understand why some people consider it relaxing to reimmerse themselves in all of the dangers that humanity has been collectively trying to escape since the dawn of time. You have to sleep on the cold, uncaring ground, monitor any source of fire like a paranoid parent, and take special measures when storing food or else a bear will kill you. In general, it’s terrible. On a more personal level though, the things about camping that really bother me are the awful bathrooms, if there are any, and of course bugs, which we all know my feelings on. But this past week a tiny indie video game did something that even my own parents haven’t done in over a decade: trick me into wanting to go camping. And the miracle worker in question is the game Wide Ocean Big Jacket.
Wide Ocean Big Jacket is the story of four people on a camping trip. Because players spend roughly equivalent amounts of time controlling each of the four, it’s arguable that there’s no main character, but certainly Mord is first among equals. Mord is an energetic girl who has just begun her teenage years. She’s got the beginnings of teenage sass and rebellion but still retains some of the unabashed enthusiasm that all children have before puberty and society grinds it away. Joining her is Ben, a nervous and uneasy boy a few months younger than Mord. Ben and Mord have always been friends, but now hormones have nudged them into something more. Though they’re too young to be dating, a shy, undeveloped affection certainly exists between them. Since leaving two tweens alone is a recipe for disaster, they’re supervised on this camping trip by Mord’s uncle Brad. Brad is your typical 30-something “fun” uncle trying his best. I didn’t dislike any of the characters in Wide Ocean Big Jacket, but looking back on the game Brad certainly stood out the least. Rounding out the quartet is Brad’s wife Cloanne. I think the writers had no stand-out uneasy adult lines for Brad because they used them all on Cloanne because she’s fantastic. She is presented as feeling like an outsider, even though it’s Mord and Ben who are really the intruders on the camping trip, because of how ill-equipped she is to deal with the kids. It’s clear Cloanne wanted a nice relaxing weekend in the woods with Ben but now she’s got to share her space and answer the kind of awkward questions only kids ask, like “Is sex cool?” Altogether, the writing does an amazing job making these four feel alive, but more impressive is that this is done over the course of the game’s very short playtime.
A lot of people are economically-minded these days, so to those people I have some uneasy news: Wide Ocean Big Jacket took me about 70 minutes to beat. The developers don’t try to hide this, the game is advertised as having a playtime of 60 - 90 minutes, but it’s still worth repeating just in case. I believe this actually plays to the game’s strengths though, as the game is all about the important but fleeting moments in life. When it became clear that the game was nearing it’s end, I wished I had more time with Wide Ocean Big Jacket, not unlike a holiday as a kid. In this same vein is the gameplay, which is equally limited. Though the player is free to stroll the characters around the environment, each scene takes place in a fairly small space so there’s not much wandering to be done and not much more interactivity. There are a handful of choices the player can make, but they don’t have big consequences. The player is almost a viewer instead of an actual player, but having control of the characters, however slight, serves to draw players into the story and make them care about the characters.
Less remarkable than the amazing story or thematically limited gameplay is the visuals and music. I wasn’t drawn in by either of these features as much, but they did an excellent job of helping to build the mood of Wide Ocean Big Jacket. There are quite a few times where there’s no music, only natural sounds, which helps players feel like they’re out in the wilderness. When music does kick in, it’s always happy to play second fiddle to other features, never moving to the foreground with boisterous swells or staccato melodies. Like the rest of the game, the strength of the sound design is knowing when to rein it in. Following suit, the visuals are simplistic but expertly done. The characters don’t have much detail, instead relying on broad strokes. Eyes, mouths, and noses are barely more than slight black lines on faces and this works amazingly, as it lets the visual designers use simple, archetypal facial expressions or body language that’s understood at a glance. It’s a bit stunning to me, how every facet of Wide Ocean Big Jacket perfectly executes on a theme of deep simplicity.
Wide Ocean Big Jacket is an unusual but amazing gem, certainly the best game I’ve played this year. The brilliant writing evokes the fears and wonders of both childhood and adulthood and compels players to remember those brief special moments with family and friends where, even though nothing happened, your life was changed forever. I left Wide Ocean Big Jacket teary-eyed but smiling, and I very nearly started planning a camping trip.
Buy this game at full price
It’s worth every penny they’re asking
