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A ghost delving into memory and a first-person 3D puzzle game might seem like an odd mixture but developer Rogue Sun does an admirable job threading the two in Tin Hearts.
The core conceit of the game is that you must guide a troop of windup toy soldiers from start to finish, doing so opens a new door and a new challenge. The soldiers will only move in straight lines, though, so you will need to possess and place certain objects in the troops’ path that can alter their direction. Simple and straightforward. As the game progresses, the route lengthens, becomes more complex, and new obstacles and abilities come into play. The difficulty isn’t unbearably high, as long as you are patient and remain cognisant of your growing range of possession abilities.
Tin Hearts is played in the first person. On entering a room (or level) that features a box of toy soldiers to guide, you can walk around to familiarise yourself with the new terrain and figure out a potential route for the little guys. You will also notice small elements in the background, hints at the lives who once lived here – forming the other crucial part of the game.
Story and mood are central to Tin Hearts – your character was an ambitious 19th century toy maker, and you look back on the past with your family in a tale of love and loss. Interestingly, the story is not limited to discrete cutscenes between levels – cutscenes or voiceovers can occur within the stages themselves when the toy soldiers pass an invisible checkpoint, making the game and story feel deeply intertwined. The narrative can be rather predictable at times. Tet despite that, it remains affecting. As the levels take place in different rooms of your old home, the mix of music and memories deepens the connection between your character, the toy soldiers, and your shared past.
The game isn’t perfect. On Nintendo Switch the graphics take a significant hit and cut scenes look clunky visually. Later in the game, frame drops and freezes are more liable to occur – particularly when you control larger groups of toy soldiers and have multiple abilities simultaneously at play. This caused a crash on a few different occasions, but the rather enchanting nature of the game still had us coming back for more. The visual design also felt monotonous on several occasions, since several rooms of the house look alike.
All that said, Rogue Sun did a remarkable job crafting a solid 3D puzzle game with a moving story at its centre. It was an enchanting journey from end to end. Tin Hearts is a definite recommend from us.
Tin Hearts is available now on Nintendo Switch (reviewed), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4|PS5, and PC (Steam, GoG, Epic Games). The game is also slated for PSVR2, PC VR and Meta Quest 2 release Summer 2023. Review code provided by publisher Wired Productions.