Walking simulators come in all shapes and sizes and Recollection is using the genre to give you a slow-paced experience filled with a beautiful art but also a serious message about our planet. It has been developed by Berlin-based Erkberg Games and as a first release, it’s a great effort and is out on Steam now.
In Recollection, you slowly walk through a world that continuously loops. The objective is to fill the world with beautiful objects from flocks of birds to trees and mountains to flowers. Each new section unlocks once you have completed the task of the previous one. The more you explore the more you discover and the once desolate landscape becomes abundant with life.
The tasks range from tracing over object outlines to capturing birds to add to the flock. You don’t have many prompts either, so most tasks will require a little trial and error at the start. None are particularly difficult but you do unlock a harder mode after you first finish Recollection that is significantly more challenging.
The controls are very simple, walk your character left with the analogue stick or arrow keys, and use the mouse or right analogue to interact with objects. The whole game plays out during a tranquil evening under a moonlit sky and calming music plays slowly in the background. As the world grows messages about nature and looking after the planet subtly appear.
The graphics are quite basic but also artistic and match the slow style of the game. Recollection is a very chilled experience that encourages you to think about nature and all the wonderful things it has to offer. You will complete the main game quickly but must replay to find the secret objects hidden in the landscape before taking on the harder difficulty mode.
Recollection is a delightful title filled with mini-games and serves as a little reminder for us to get outside and enjoy what the world has to offer. If you’re a fan of walking simulators add an extra star to the score as this is a quality entry to the genre.
