Where The Heart Leads – Spotlight

Where the Heart Leads is a text heavy point and click adventure of sorts, and that’s a description that might put off many. However, it’d be a mistake to skip out on what turns out to be a incredibly touching story filled with well realized characters. And for what appears to be a point and click game, it’s actually fairly lengthy, touting over 600,000 words.

The game puts you in the shoes of Whit, who starts of looking for his dog, and goes down a bizarre rabbit-hole. My playthrough on the PS4, which lasted just over 12 hours, left me impressed overall, and also wondering why this game is not on PC.

Pros:
Heartwarming/breaking family tale
Choice-driven narrative
Surrealistic visuals compliment the tone
Memorable characters

Cons:
Not for everyone
PC release when?

Score – 9/10

About:

Where the Heart Leads, a surreal narrative journey through one man’s past from the AAA veterans at Armature Studio, offers a second chance at life on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility today. The limited-release Physical Edition, from Perp Games, goes on sale July 16 in Europe, with the US physical release set for later this year.

Experience thousands of possible narrative paths as Whit Anderson, who unwittingly steps back in time to find moments of his life can be changed. Navigate the emotional throes of the teenage years, first love, second chances, and the joyful terrors of parenthood. Rewrite Whit’s life story completely, or attempt to trace the steps back to his present.

Across a 600,000-word script rivaling five novels or the very biggest AAA RPGs, make hundreds of choices, many of which can unexpectedly set Whit’s life on a new path. Witness how seasons, years, and consequences change Carthage, a small town with a rich, memorable cast and history.

Where the Heart Leads shirks binary choices and simple outcomes for surprising storytelling with unparalleled depth. Whit’s responses are remembered, but rarely in isolation. Opinions change over the years across countless dilemmas, building toward dozens of possible endings and thousands of permutations for the final fates of his friends, family, and loved ones.

Encourage Whit’s love to chase her dreams or talk her into something more conventional. Save the family farm or move downtown and leave it all behind. Set the stage for a timeless tale of love, loss, whether the grass is greener, and what we leave behind.

“As we wrote this story, we realized we were sharing bits and pieces of our own lives in all the ways Whit’s journey can be told,” said Todd Keller, director, Armature Studio. “In the end, Where the Heart Leads became more about finding each other than finding home. In writing their own story, I hope players feel inspired to reconnect with loved ones—it’s never too late, and it’s never been more important.”

Where the Heart Leads is out now on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility for $24.99. The special Physical Edition from Perp Games is packed full of exclusive physical and digital content, including two physical postcards, a digital artbook, and the digital soundtrack. The EU Physical Edition will release this Friday ahead of the US release later this year. Start a new adventure with Armature Studio on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, step into Whit’s world on Instagram, and visit the official website.