PAX West Spotlight: One Last Breath
By: Mithrandiel
During my time on the PAX floor today, I had a chance to sit down with One Last Breath, a silent-narrative (no text or exposition for the story) puzzler from Moonatic Studios.
In One Last Breath, you play as Gaia - a creature borne out of Mother Nature's dying breath. With control over roots and other natural elements, your task is to navigate the ruined Earth, piecing together the narrative of what happened to humanity, and try to restore the world to balance once again.
Showcasing a demo recently premiered at Gamescom (where it won Best Game in their Indie Arena - an impressive accomplishment!), I had a chat with the lead developer and designer, who explained that the game was designed to challenge the typical "man vs. nature" narrative, where mankind is seen as inherently bad, and nature inherently good. As I played through the demo, I noticed that while Gaia was controlling roots to assist with getting around obstacles, she was also utilizing man-made creations: bridges, buttons, ladders...these two camps working in harmony to help her achieve her goal.
When asked about the most challenging part of making the game, he said staying committed to the silent-narrative approach continues to be difficult. Since everyone interprets things slightly differently, how do you tell the right story for the broadest audience? Still, it's certainly an element of the game that helps it stand out, so this commitment will likely continue to pay dividends.
Overall, One Last Breath is a hauntingly beautiful experience, and I would encourage you to wishlist it on Steam and look forward to its release next year!
