Overview
I like reviewing games and I like collecting removed games, why not combine the two, unfortunately steam does not allow this, however I can make a guide for a removed game, so here we are. This is my review of ‘Watch paint dry’.
The Review
Now then, this is going to be unlike my other reviews, I often talk about the best games in their fields, whether its military simulators, or virtual reality games, but today, I will be talking about a game that you can play to relax you, if you ever just need to wind down in the evening after playing a particularly angry game of Putin vs ISIS, or you were so bogged down in the story of plug and play, well Watch paint dry is the perfect game for you. If you’re thinking that this game drops quality to be relaxing, you are way out of line, this does nothing of the sort. This game delivers the quality and precision of any respected video game but to the highest of standards.
I review all types of games, a lot of them take a toll on my mental health, especially when I end up playing the same game over and over again to get a real grasp of the story, so then I can mix it with some lore and a bit of gameplay, this takes time, granted I have been doing this for a while now.
A question I get a lot is, when I am not reviewing games, do you play other games and my answer is, of course I do, I live and breath video games, I usually end up playing more the more relaxing games, like your Firewatches, your Abzus mainly because it’s nice to take a step back from the intense story lines and murdering of potentially innocent people from various other games I end up playing for this career. This game has been taking up a lot of my spare time recently and I thought it would be a good time to show everyone why, instead of showing you another glorious triple A with the best graphics or a story rich thriller, I will be taking a seat and leaning back into the theoretical land of of the free to talk about a game that I want to review, a game that I am passionate about, a game that everyone and anyone can play, young and old, frail and strong.
Anyway before I go too much more into the inner workings of my emotions and how this games gets me through them I should probably start talking about this charming game that makes me feel warm inside whenever I open it back up, anyway where was I, oh yeah the game.
As I said before these days when I am not playing the games of the next generation I like to sit back and play something more cathartic, something more chilled out, similar to a good book and I am not talking about those particularly violent books like American Psycho or A Clockwork Orange, I am talking about something more relaxing. Something I can fully dig my teeth into, a solitary escapist experience to let me breakout of my current whereabouts and get lost in a new world with minimal interruptions from the outside world this is something that this game very easily achieves whenever I open it up.
Watch paint dry has an immersive feeling I have never felt with other games, but Unmet, you may say, your review prior to this, you said that Putin vs ISIS was the most immersive game you ever played and yes it was, but this game is so close to that level it pains me. This game can also engulf me, suck me in, as cheesy as this sounds, its the truth, go play this game and tell me to my face, that this game doesn’t do the same to you. Whether it’s the just amount of suspense in the story to the radiant script or the utterly convincing voice acting that really just draws me back to this unforgettable game. This game is certainly my favourite and most memorable game experience this decade and that is saying a lot as I have had the privilege to play many a great game this decade.
There is a mutual awe between people discussing the deep secrets and mystery of Watch paint dry. Curiosity, envy and excitement dominate conversations about bewildering thematic patterns and exceptionally thematic patterns and almost unforgettable level design. Most players gush when presented with the cute, almost childlike aesthetic that this wondrous game contains within. This games setting is unlike any other, it has managed to get into a part of my brain only filled by places that I have been to in real life and experienced first hand, the setting that this game achieves is beyond anything I have imagined. This game has managed to whittle its way into my mind right next to my most treasured memories.
Once you arrive in this unbelievable setting you will be greeted by the interesting art style, which some people like and other don’t, but of course all reviews are subject to opinions, including mine, I may say the best game in the world is one thing and there will be plenty of people that disagree, but you cam here to read my opinion on this game not anyone else’s. Anyway I find the art style in this game charming and just unrealistic enough that it can tell the difference between the real world and this game, unlike Putin vs ISIS, which sometimes I wonder if I am still playing it sometimes, but realistic enough that it can still bring me in with ease. Watch paint dry’s powerful ambiance will take control of you sometimes, which may sound like some horrible acid trip, but you just need to let it take you, this brings me perfect to the story of this game.
This game takes place in the real world, you’re an art collector with a special power, you can step into paintings, drawings and any other hanging piece of artwork, this makes for a very interesting game. That’s the entire game, it may sound pretty barren, but as a wealthy art collector who’s only goal in life is to find the greatest pieces of art, by stepping into them and exploring them on a deeper level than any normal person could ever fathom. Stepping inside the art gives you a greater understanding of the atmosphere and feeling of the art. I would usually go deep into the lore into the main character, but I really couldn’t find that much on them, all I could work out is that this person, that’s right we never find out there name or even their gender, is just a wealthy art collector who can step into art. You basically walk around various art gallery installations and step into art for short periods of time, the only thing stopping you from staying inside for eternity is the closing time of the gallery, luckily that’s why you have your own private space to fill with art.
You may be wondering where does story come into this, walking around art galleys doesn’t sound very story rich, well it isn’t, but each piece of artwork in this game is another game in it self, each one was has a different intense story, each one has a different art style, it could even change the games perspective, we have 2D and we have 3D, all with their own story lines, but of course if you don’t want to play a certain story line, just step back out, no one will get annoyed, there are no achievements to tie you down, there isn’t a completion counter telling you that you missed an art piece, if you want to experience something, you can, in your own time, at your own pace, the main thing that is however stopping you is unfortunately the real world, which is the only thing that manages to tie me down, manages to keep me from spending my the rest of my life in this game.
I would have liked to go into more detail into the story, but this is a game you need to experience for yourself, also as this game is pretty weak in the lore section I can’t really do a deep dive into the main character like I have done previously. But I believe with what I have already written you can get a pretty good sense of what this game is going on about and what it is trying to achieve with its interesting play and art style. Although I have marketed this game as a chilled out game that doesn’t mean it’s only to be played after other games to settle you stomach like an after eight, no this game is fruitful, just play it when you feel like it, I am not your boss, just at some point you need to try this interesting specimen.
So should you be buying this game, well do you enjoy gameplay rich, immersive and emotionally driven games,