Blanc Review (Switch eShop)

The notion of two disparate species of animals coming together to help one another is not particularly new in the world of storytelling. The trope goes all the way back to the likes of Peter Rabbit, in which our intrepid titular hero enlists the assistance of Squirrel Nutkin to help fend off the dastardly fox, Mr. Tod. It’s a concept that just works and is immediately endearing to both children and adults; so it’s no wonder, then, that Blanc resonated with so many upon its initial reveal. But does the actual gameplay hold up? Mostly, but with some important caveats.

Blanc stars two playable characters — a wolf cub and a fawn — both of whom have been inadvertently cut off from their respective families during a sudden snowstorm. As the two try to get their bearings, they run into each other over two sides of a frozen river, and ultimately decide to help each other return to their parents and siblings. Considering there’s absolutely no dialogue in Blanc, developer Casus Ludi has done a remarkable job in communicating exactly what’s going on with the two main characters in question, despite the admittedly simplistic plot.

You’ve got a few different options when it comes to setting up your game. Primarily, this is a co-op experience, so you can play locally or via online with relative ease. Local play requires you to split your Joy-Con between two players or use two separate controllers altogether. Alternatively, the game does allow for solo players to experience it; you can use the left analogue stick to control one character, and the right to control the other, with the bumper buttons mapped to the other in-game mechanics. It’s a bit of an odd setup that takes a bit of getting used to, but if you’re not keen on co-op games, we reckon it does the job just fine.

The opening section gradually introduces the game’s core mechanics, and you’ve really got just two options available to you at any one time: ‘jump’ and ‘action’. The action command is context sensitive, so if you’re playing as the fawn, you can use it to become a sort of makeshift platform to help the wolf reach high ledges, or you can simply use it to grab onto objects or snap them in two with the wolf’s jaw. It’s very simplistic stuff, but we feel this is beneficial to the overall experience. The true joy of Blanc lies within its atmosphere and visuals, so introducing complex gameplay mechanics would undoubtedly intrude on this significantly.

That said, there are plenty of puzzles to sink your teeth into - literally, in the wolf's case. These mostly consist of moving objects or causing changes within the environment to help one or both characters reach new areas. They're not too demanding for the most part, but the game would do well to point you in the right direction at times, as the distinct lack of hints or tips can cause brief moments of frustration. Additionally, some of the later puzzles include NPC animals which effectively mimic your movement. So not only do you need to keep an eye on what your own characters are doing, but you need to ensure that you’re also guiding the NPCs properly. This can get a bit fiddly at times and comes very close to negatively impacting what is mostly an easy-going experience.

We also have to mention the camera, which unfortunately doesn’t always behave itself. Naturally, with a co-op game of this nature, the camera is essentially fixed and zooms of its own accord depending on where you are in the environment; if the two characters are close together, the camera stays up close, but if you move further apart, it will pan out to give you a better view. It’s fine for the most part, but there are moments where the camera gets a bit stuck or is blocked by objects in the area. Again, it wrenches you from the otherwise immersive experience and reminds you that, yes, you are playing a video game.

Despite our issues with the game, however, Blanc really shines when everything is singing from the same hymn sheet. Because the puzzles are generally so simplistic, getting through them requires little exertion and makes for a really pleasant experience. There are also moments that pay direct homage to titles like Journey and Abzu where you’re effectively gliding on the snow through multiple environments against a backdrop of truly beautiful music.

Not only that, but Blanc looks pretty stunning at times. When the camera pans out to give you a proper landscape view of the environment, it really hits home just how successful the unique, abstract art style is. It helps create a great sense of place, and this is boosted significantly by little details such as snow tracks left behind by the characters, and blankets of snow cascading down roofs or planks. The devs have done a great job at making the most out of the extreme lack of colour available.

In terms of overall length, you’re probably looking at around two hours to complete the whole game, and that’s being generous. It’s definitely quite short, but the content that is here feels very much worthwhile. It’s a lovely little story of hope and triumph through hardships, and although there are moments where we feel the emotional stakes could have perhaps been pushed a bit further, it’s definitely a story that will resonate with children in particular.