FRAGILE DREAMS: FAREWELL RUINS OF THE MOON – WII – Preview 2

In the
moment that the demo played during E3 in 2009, it was apparent there was
something special about Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon.

Sure, the
name has an esoteric quality that invokes wonderment and lures through mystery;
and the visuals are haunting and beautiful – even for a Wii game, but there was
something much more about the game. Could the loneliness of Seto – the boy
protagonist at the start – be a metaphor for the same emotion felt internally by
most people? That could be a sly element, or maybe it is what it is – a vehicle
which the story hangs on.

Fragile
Dreams is part point-and-click adventure and part survival-horror game. Seto
lives – at the game’s onset – in a tower with an old man. The boy doesn’t even
know the name of the old man, who has died as the game begins and is buried
outside the tower. Actually, aside from the fact that some great calamity has
seemingly wiped out the entire human population of the planet, the game peels
back the layers gently to reveal the story beneath.



And it is an
intriguing story, to be sure.

There are
the stock point-and-click elements – though these have been warped to use the
Wii controller schemes to some degree (once you get the flashlight, pointing the
Wii-mote is as natural as … well, pointing the flashlight itself). The game
begins in a dark room with the most elementary of beginning tasks – find the
wheel to open the doors of the observatory a bit more to allow moonlight in to
illuminate the room. After that task, and finding the aforementioned flashlight,
as well as a note from the old man, the horror element comes into play. A
floating mask materializes, attacks and Seto learns to defend himself.

Tutorial?
Yep, but intriguing nonetheless.

Seto is
eventually tasked with heading for a tower where others might be, others who
have survived the calamity. En route he meets a silver-haired girl, whose
introduction includes a hauntingly beautiful song she is singing. She, of
course, thought she was alone and runs at the site of Seto. He resolves to find
her and the adventure takes on new urgency.


Along the
way, there are some rather imaginative enemies – like the creatures that are the
manifestation of the emotions of the dead. There is an AI device to find that
will help en route, and there are enemies to combat and mysteries to solve.

While the
story is intriguing, what really brings this game home are the beautiful
graphics and amazing audio. Fragile Dreams is an experience that is not only
enjoyable visually, but it is a treat for the ears. The emotional elements –
like a haunting loneliness that pervades the world, the despair resonating in
the voices of the characters – are clearly in place and Fragile Dreams’
development team, tri-Crescendo, has found the right mix for a game that is
truly a wonderful experience.

Fragile
Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon is a game that goes beyond genre
descriptions, creating an experience that is remarkable.