Video Game Review: Drizzlepath: Deja Vu

Developer: Tonguc Bodur

Publisher: EastAsiaSoft

Genre: Walking Simulator

Nintendo Switch

Walking simulators have a nice place in gaming. They are often short experiences that can be relaxing, tense, or even emotionally compelling. The thing that makes the genre so entertaining isn’t the walking. It’s what is happening around the player. Whether is something gorgeous to look at or a strong story, walking simulators need some kind of hook to be successful. Unfortunately, Drizzlepath: Deja Vu is neither visually stunning nor compelling.

Drizzlepath, like most walking simulators, focuses more on the experience than the gameplay. The problem is that the experience doesn’t really offer much to the player. Yes, some of the environments do genuinely look good. There are some creative landscaping decisions made by the developers that truly look unique. The visuals still aren’t anything special and are certainly good enough to make Drizzlepath worth playing alone.

The story isn’t anything special, but the questionable audio decisions make it difficult to enjoy what little story there is already. The music and ambient sounds often overpower the narrator’s voice, making her difficult to understand. On top of that, Drizzlepath doesn’t offer subtitles as an accessibility feature, which is highly questionable.

As mentioned before, some of the sights are gorgeous, especially from a distance. A closer look reveals that most of these environments look muddy. The water effects in particular leave a lot to be desired. When you can’t truly enjoy the environment or story, you have a product that leaves a lot to be desired. There aren’t even creative puzzles to challenge the player. By the time they reach the end of this short story, they will likely be wondering what they missed. It feels like a lot is missing in Drizzlepath, making it as disappointing as it gets in the genre.

It’s hard to say much more about Drizzlepath: Deja Vu. It’s a game that is just defined by disappointment. The creative environments tease an engaging experience, but this game is anything but that. There are plenty of great walking simulators out there. Even if you have played them all and are thirsting for a new one, Drizzlepath: Deja Vu isn’t worth the time or money.