I preordered Unravel as soon as I heard about it. First of all, it’s Swedish, secondly it looked beautiful, thirdly I loooove platforming games with puzzle elements! 😀 And so far I have not been disappointed ^_^
Even though I am Swedish, I always have all my consoles and computers in English, it’s just easier for me, especially when you’re googling solutions when issues appear. Also it doesn’t sound as retarded XD For example, when a friend invites you to a party chat on Xbox the notification reads “… has invited you to join a party”, which sounds like fun! While in Swedish the notification reads “grupp tid!”, which translates to “group time!”.. seriously..
Anyway, so when I started playing the game Unravel it was a strange sensation to encounter Swedish on my Xbox, in a game none the less! The first thing that greets you is a message embroidered on a pillow that reads “Lycka blommar ur små enkla ting”, this means “Happiness blooms from small simple things”. This really set the mood for me, and I ventured on in the game noticing every little detail they had captured from the Swedish nature 🙂
Unravel is stunningly beautiful, the inspiration for the environments and the nature is gathered from the north of Sweden, the city of Umeå where the creators are from. One of our Geeky Gals is also from there originally ^_^
You get to follow Yarny on his journey from a typical Swedish house and into the forests and shores of nature. It feels quite inspirational but yet unsettling, because behind Yarny’s adventure is a story that is slowly being told and it feels like it’s a sad one. The game begins with you seeing an old woman sitting in this particular house where Yarny spawns, she seems lonely. There’s a picture album on the table where all the pictures are but blurry memories, and little by little once you venture through the worlds Yarny collects memories which add pictures of children and adventures to the album. I still haven’t finished the game but I am not sure I want to know the sad truth that lies behind it, because I have a feeling it’s gonna be really really sad! I hate seeing cute old ladies all alone 😦 I just wanna bake some cookies and go hang out with them over a cup of coffee!
I’ve still been enjoying every second of the game so far. In the beginning I felt like it was too easy, but it didn’t take long until puzzles appeared that I had no clue of how to solve! You have to walk around and find stuff you can interact with to make your way past obstacles. Some puzzles also involve platforming elements where you have to be fast and precise while on a time limit, this can be challenging. I was stuck on a particular water puzzle on the third stage for a looong time, but it feels so good when you finally manage to get past it ^_^ Apart from puzzles and obstacles you also encounter the occasional enemy, kind of like a boss battle, but it’s more about just fleeing from them. There’s also various enemies around, such as crabs and stuff that could potentially kill you.
I think they’ve found a nice balance of challenge and fun in this game 🙂 It’s enjoyable just watching Yarny make it across the beautiful surroundings, and the great music is just an awesome addition to the experience! I’m excited to finish the game ^_^ Even after you’ve finished it you can replay levels where you might have missed some secret collectibles! 😀 I’m a completionist so I know I will have many more hours with this game ;D
GEEKY GALS 
Great review. I agree with you about this game. I am playing it with my 5 year old daughter, but find it quite challenging at times so far. There are so few games on Xbox like this, that I feel is positive for my daughter. She likes to call got “yarny cat.”
Thank you for your insight on the Swedish parts of the game. They add so much to the lush aesthetic!
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