Rue Valley - Review

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Rue Valley Review - Time Loops And Therapy

The first thing you feel is the chair underneath you. Familiar, cold, but always there. Always back. A voice pulls you from the dark recesses of your mind, one that you've heard countless times at this point. It's the same conversation, the same edge of worry in their voice - it's all the same. Except it isn't. You recall the last phone call you had, when a critical new piece of information was learned. You get up to go follow up, knowing that no matter what happens, you'll be back in this same chair before long. It's 8:00 pm. You have 47 minutes until the sky swallows you whole.

Rue Valley, the new narrative RPG from developer Emotion Spark Studio and publisher Owl Cat Games, is largely great. The core gameplay loop is addictive and engrossing, as you work through loop after loop, trying to figure out what's going on. The writing is fantastic, the characters are complicated and memorable, and the presentation is gorgeous. While there are some technical issues, specifically on the Steam Deck, Rue Valley will grab you and not let go.

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Verdict
Rue Valley is a fantastic adventure from start to finish, with great characters, a captivating story, and gorgeous graphics. It employs a time loop to create interesting moments and solutions to problems, allowing the player to explore the 47 minutes and chase leads. While performance can be an issue on the Steam Deck, it's never game-breaking. Rue Valley is worth the adventure, time and time again.

Score: 8/10