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The narration and writing leaves much to be desired as well, and while the story does have its moments, it lacks polish.

While the landscape appears boundless, the distance between goals is too far without enough activity existing between. The First Tree is incredible to look at and listen to, thanks in large part to the beautiful score by Josh Kramer, but it’s just not very much fun to play, even when touted as an exploration game or walking sim. The juxtaposition of the two stories is unpolished, but it adds life to a mostly barren dreamscape as you search across different seasons and terrain. Voiceover narration between a husband and wife accompanies your quest, telling of a man’s relationship with his estranged father and the memories you uncover of their lives while digging up clues for your missing pups. Bits of starlight are available to collect as you are led along the dream but become just meaningless collectibles the farther you go on your journey. She can walk, run, double jump, and even dig in certain activation areas.

The game opens on a mother fox awakening alone in her den and you are tasked with locating her pups across varied landscapes. All that aside, his eye for color and mind for narrative are what allow The First Tree to stand out as more than just a walking sim.

It is David Wehle’s singular vision, though he did license assets from other developers in order to speed up production. I’ve heard and watched countless stories and films detailing loss, regret and pain - but The First Tree speaks with a soulful authenticity that clutches you and urges you to not only listen, but truly empathise with what you are experiencing.Before I begin it’s worth mentioning that this game was essentially a one-man production and for that I admire and respect the great care and effort that went into The First Tree. That a game can elicit such a visceral emotional response speaks volumes to its content. I cannot stress enough that this game punched me right in the heart and the ending left me a mess of tears and remorse. I look forward to seeing it play out in the wider gaming community. I wish I could discuss a particular decision that is given to the player that will no doubt be subject of much discussion everywhere (I’ve already checked, and it is), but I honestly found it to be one of the most truly inspired heart-wrenching decisions to make in a game, especially given how open ended it is. But much like another favoured title of mine, Oxenfree, The First Tree challenges those preconceptions and is all the better for it. This game is out there, fully occupying the left-field in terms of what is expected of a playable experience. One person's trash is another person's treasure - and I fully appreciate that there are those that may read this, play it through and then scoff at this glowing review. ‍ The First Tree makes as much use of silence as it does anything else.Īrt is subjective.