Last Time I Saw You Review – Light Coming Of Age Story

When a typhoon is about to hit your home, you don’t usually think about confronting it directly. But when you do, it starts a chain of events that leads you to realize the typhoon is supernatural. To save the town you live in, you must ally with supernatural being to stop the typhoon. Along the way, you spend more time with family and friends, unaware of the rapid social shifts that will take place.

Last Time I Saw You is a narrative game by Maboroshi Artworks that puts you in the shoes of 12-year old Ayumi. He experiences something supernatural and gets swept up in a typhoon. Once he recovers, he decides to investigate a local forest for answers. What he discovers in the forest slowly helps him grow up, along with the changes his friends were going through. Throughout his adventure, Ayumi learns the importance of relationships and the future.

Last Time I Saw You Typhoon Accident
Running into a typhoon starts the main story and takes you for a ride.

There’s a decent story behind Last Time I Saw You and there are several subplots supporting the narrative. You remember how awkward it was to be a child on the verge of puberty and how complicated things could be. Some of the stories don’t get much attention due to the game’s short length. It also feels like some of the platforming is forced into the game. This is a good narrative experience, but Last Time I Saw You feels like a game that isn’t sure about its identity.

The story is one of the game’s strongest points, going through the bittersweet moments of growing up. There’s a lot of hidden conflict among the main and supporting cast, reflecting the difficulties of human relationships. Without hiding any of the complexity, it inspires feelings of awkwardness and bittersweet moments. This works because it’s easy to relate to; almost everyone has had those moments. While you probably weren’t influenced by the supernatural, you remember getting into disagreements with others. What it was like when other people had conflicts and didn’t tell you about them. When your friends got caught up in your own drama. Last Time I Saw You doesn’t shy away from the ups and downs, delivering effective emotional moments right after the other. Everyone is relatable and you know how they felt at some point.

Last Time I Saw You Dream Image
The supernatural world blends into the dream world.

However, the story does try to do too much at once. It isn’t long and feels like the subplots are rushed. It would have been nice to see more development for the characters and stories. Otherwise it feels like conflicts are quickly blown over or that everything is okay. Given how some of the characters initially react, you would think that the resolution of their conflict would take a while. But it only takes a few days, making you feel unsatisfied.

The gameplay is similar to a platformer where you walk around in a 2D environment. You walk through the town and the forest solving puzzles and retrieving items. Eventually your supernatural friendship pays off and you get new powers to help you navigate the world. However, there are also spirits you must occasionally fight off. Hit them with your baseball bat to earn some money.

Last Time I Saw You Family Dinner
Conflicts get quick resolutions, feeling somewhat rushed.

Gameplay is a jack-of-all-trades, with some puzzle-solving, combat action, and platforming. You can occasionally tackle fetch quests that involve searching for specific items. This keeps gameplay somewhat varied and prevents you from getting too bored. You also have to purchase certain items for quests or to complete a collection. Searching the whole map and finding something valuable is a nice reward. However, being a jack-of-all-trades sometimes means Last Time I Saw You isn’t clear on its identity. As much as it is a narrative experience, everything else feels out of place. You could easily imagine the game without the action or the fetch quests and you wouldn’t miss out on anything. That it tries to be everything at once somewhat dampens the experience. You never feel like combat is fun or that the quests are helping you understand the world. It’s just extra content to tide you over until you want to return to the main story.

 

The art style and music feel soothing and reminds me of 1980s Japan. You might not pay much attention to the music because it’s soft and blends into the atmosphere. But it does help create an environment as if you were watching an anime with intense moments. The environments are also beautifully designed, especially when it comes to the supernatural elements.

Last Time I Saw You Video Game
You can always take a break with an in-game video game.

Last Time I Saw You is a good game with a good story. It just feels like it holds itself back trying to be everything at once. While it’s not bad to try and reach for the stars, it does feel like sticking to your strengths is a more effective strategy. But if you need a taste of the bittersweet memories of growing up, you won’t find a better game.

Victor played Last Time I Saw You on PC with a review code.

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