A Story About My Uncle Preview – Fusing High Leaps with Lofty Tales
When I was young(er), just like most, I had that one “cool aunt” who traveled the world, told interesting stories, and didn’t feel the need to nag me about the same things my parents did. The protagonist in Gone North Games’ A Story About My Uncle is a father telling a bedtime story to his daughter, retelling a period of his youth. In those years, he spent a great deal of time with his uncle Fred, a researcher who found a way into a mystical land.
Essentially, A Story About My Uncle is a first-person perspective platformer. Equipped with an incredible power glove, the hero can make high-altitude vaults and traverse large distances. Starting out in mystical caves to follow his uncle, the future father learns to use the glove as the game teaches its mechanics. A regular jump is already pretty high, but pressing down the right mouse button leads to a charged, bigger leap, which can be made more horizontal by sprinting first. This is very useful, as the cave is littered with small, distant islands, frequently floating.
The glove, which is always visible on screen, serves as a sort of HUD. It lights up when it’s ready to make a charged jump, but quickly it’s second power is unlocked. Left clicking creates a sort of grappling hook made up of blue energy, steadily pulling the hero to the target. Progressing unlocks more sequential uses of the grappling hook, up to three, which are displayed on the glove. The game teaches to combo the sprint, charged jumps with multiple uses of the gravitational pull, resulting in high-octane, high-thrill leaps over seemingly unbeatable distances and chasms.
A Story About My Uncle is about much more than jumping, though. The world the hero encounters seems reminiscent of an ancient civilization, full of glowing symbols and even strange folk. As he traces the steps of his uncle, he stumbles upon items that trigger memories: A little testing station which reminds of that one time where Fred mistook mosquito eggs for frog’s, or a little campsite with Fred’s favorite instant noodles and “tube food.” The voice-overs are convincing, and the little girl’s questions bring a child’s perspective to the enthralling journey. The game encourages exploration as some objects seem optional and reward the player with more narrative and details about the family’s life and adventures.
One thing the game isn’t: Contrary to what it seems, A Story About My Uncle isn’t a parkour game, nor an action game. The creator’s pride themselves on creating a first-perspective game that’s different from others, as it doesn’t feature guns or violence. The goal here is to evoke feelings of discovery, wonder, and relief. Traversing the little floating islands is very much a roller coaster ride; first the thrilling high jump and flight, then the adrenaline rush mixed with the worry of landing, and finally the sighs of relief upon landing. The graphics play a large role, as the rendered world is full of details. All the floating rocks, the dark stalagmites, the colorful clouds, and the mysterious runes pull players into a wondrous, storybook world, as the characters narrate the ongoing adventure.
Gameplay revolves mainly on figuring out where to jump next and skillfully using the glove, but the main thrill is the story. This is another exciting take that focuses more on narrative rather than action, that bets on capturing the player’s minds and hearts rather than aiming for simple entertainment. A Story About My Uncle is set on standing out from the crowd as an unusual first-person game, further beating a different path for the industry.
The game, published by Coffee Stain Studios, is set to release on Steam on May 28th.
