Welcome to our review of the heartwarming adventure game, Pine Hearts. Regularly here at Indie Brew, we delve into the world of indie games, providing comprehensive reviews and ratings ranging from ‘decaf’ to ‘fully caffeinated’. Today, we invite you to join us on a journey down memory lane as we explore Pine Hearts.
Prefer to watch the video version? Check it out here
Story
Pine Hearts is a game that places you back in the midst of a cherished childhood place, with the aim of climbing the mountain at its heart. Your adventure begins with your arrival by train at Pine Hearts Caravan Park. Here, the park ranger quickly informs you that you’re ill-prepared for the mountain climb due to a lack of proper gear. This necessitates a journey around the park, interacting with its inhabitants, completing tasks, collecting tools, and relearning the park’s layout, just like you did with your father when you were a child. In the process, you’ll uncover long-forgotten memories of the times you spent there with him, reconnecting with vital skills and immersing you in nostalgia. The story of Pine Hearts is brimming with warmth, full of unique characters with their own tales, and interwoven with memory scenes that add an extra layer of nostalgia. A wholesome adventure full of life, love, and story, I give Pine Hearts a ‘Fully Caffeinated’ rating for its story.
GAMEPLAY
Pine Hearts employs classic exploration sim mechanics, tasking players with progressing through various quests. These range from simple tasks to more complex, multi-faceted ones. The game world is rich, featuring numerous areas to explore, each requiring specific skills or tools to access. These tools and skills are acquired through completing missions or progressing far enough to ‘remember’ a skill through a memory scene. The quests, while not overly difficult, grow longer and more complicated as you progress. The game excels in providing engaging, achievable gameplay with enough variety to keep you hooked. In summary, Pine Hearts is a solid exploration sim, earning a ‘Juiced’ rating for its gameplay.
PERFORMANCE
In terms of performance, Pine Hearts is not resource-intensive and provides a smooth gaming experience. The controls are simple, compatible with both keyboard-mouse combos and controllers. A notable feature is the prominence of accessibility options upon opening the game, making it much more accessible to a wider range of players. Pine Hearts is well-executed, with impressive accessibility options, meriting a ‘Fully Caffeinated’ rating for its performance.
DESIGN
What immediately strikes you about Pine Hearts is its cute, quirky graphic style. The game employs a bright, colorful palette, creating a unique, cartoony aesthetic. The design of the levels and pathways, particularly in darker scenes, is reminiscent of older platformer games. The memory scenes are depicted in a hand-drawn paper cut-out style, perfectly establishing the setting while maintaining the game’s overall color and fun. The soundtrack and sound effects breathe life into the game, creating a peaceful atmosphere for park exploration. The design successfully creates a game that feels wholesome, cozy, and full of heart, warranting a ‘Fully Caffeinated’ rating for design.
ORIGINALITY
Pine Hearts stands out with its uniqueness. Its graphic style distinguishes it from other exploration sims and cozy games, combining a vibrant palette with quirky character and level design. The integration of memory scenes into the gameplay adds a depth of emotion, and the way skills are woven into these scenes is a nice touch. While the gameplay doesn’t break new ground, it’s a well-executed exploration sim, bringing a fresh spin to beloved mechanics. For its originality, Pine Hearts earns a ‘Juiced’ rating.
THE FINAL BREW
Pine Hearts is a game overflowing with heart and soul. It blends a cool, quirky graphic style with well-executed exploration sim gameplay to create a game that is both wholesome and fun. After grinding the beans, carefully weighing and pressing the grinds, and brewing this game down, it’s time for a taste test. Pine Hearts is ‘Fully Caffeinated’.
It’s available on Steam, and Switch. You can find more info here
Until next time, stay caffeinated!
