Sometimes I get asked to check out a game that I have never heard about and that is the case with Draugen. I am so glad that I did as this is one of the most interesting and memorable games of 2019 for me so far. If you love games that put the story at the forefront of everything, Draugen is a game you simply must play.
How to Download Draugen
You can download this adventure game from GOG or Steam. To start, click on the button located below this review.
The Game Review
The term “walking simulator” is what many people are using to describe Draugen. I think that is a rather harsh term. Draugen is all about the story and you do a lot of “walking” however do not just think of this as another What Remains of Edith Finch or Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture, it is more than that and stands out on its own.
The game sees you playing as Edward Charles Harden who has traveled all the way from the USA to Norway. He is looking for his missing sister and he is certain that she is in this coastal Norwegian town. The 1920s setting is great and I found Edward Charles Harden to be a very interesting character.
Part of what makes Edward so interesting is that he is not alone. He is joined by a teenager called, Lissie. Lissie is just flat out awesome and probably the best companion I have had in a game since Elizabeth in Bioshock Infinite. The banter between Edward and Lissie is great, due to the writing and the excellent work by the voice actors.
Speaking of great. This Norwegian “ghost town” that you find yourself in is pretty amazing. They have used lighting very well and the ambient sounds and the music helps add to the tension and drama. Finding out what happened here and why so many people went missing is engaging stuff. The story only takes around five hours to get through.
The “walking” that you do in Draugen has a different feel to other first-person games. It is very hard to describe, but once you play it you will get what I mean. The game sees you going from location to location, looking for clues and interacting with things that you come across to find out what happened.
You have different dialogue options as you play. However, I found the “ending” to be something that you could interpret in your own way. I like this and have has some great discussions with other players about it. On the flip side of this, I get that some people like a definitive ending and I have to say that Draugen does not exactly give you that.
It may feel that the asking price is a little steep considering it is only around 5 hours long. Do not feel that way as the length of this game is pretty perfect. Some games in this style there is too much padding, but that is not the case here. Draugen is exactly as long as it needs to be and it is a better game as a result of that.
Draugen is a truly amazing experience. I loved the dynamic between Lissie and Edward and found that they were perfect together. One thing I will say is that if you are interested in this game, do not read to much about it. The story really is very entertaining and the less you know the more impact it will have.
