The Vale: Shadow of the Crown
- August 19, 2021
- Falling Squirrel Dev
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store
Get on Epic Games Store"The Vale: Shadow of the Crown" is an interactive audio game that offers a story-driven action-adventure experience for both visually impaired and sighted gamers. With 3D spatial audio and haptic controller feedback, players engage in audio-based combat and exploration, uncovering an exceptional sound design and voice performances within a 5+ hour gameplay. Embark on an emotional journey as a newly appointed warden, battling an invading army and uncovering a mystery surrounding the throne. Headphones are recommended for the best experience.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Xbox
Reviews
- The Vale offers a groundbreaking audio experience that immerses players in a rich narrative and world-building, making it feel like a living story.
- The voice acting and sound design are exceptional, enhancing the emotional depth and engagement of the characters and story.
- The game provides a unique challenge by relying solely on sound for navigation and combat, making it a refreshing departure from traditional visual-based games.
- The combat can become repetitive and may lack depth, especially in later stages where multiple enemies create overwhelming audio chaos.
- Some players found the lack of subtitles and limited audio cues frustrating, making it difficult to follow the story or understand character interactions.
- The game is relatively short, with some players wishing for more content or a deeper exploration of its mechanics and story.
- story362 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The story of "The Vale: Shadow of the Crown" is a deeply immersive and engaging experience, particularly notable for its innovative audio-driven narrative that resonates with both visually impaired and sighted players. Centered around the courageous journey of Alexandra Denholm, the plot intertwines themes of resilience and discovery, enhanced by stellar voice acting and rich character development. While the narrative may follow familiar fantasy tropes, it is praised for its emotional depth, meaningful choices, and the ability to create a vivid world through sound, making it a standout in interactive storytelling.
“The vale: Shadow of the Crown is a groundbreaking audio game that sets a new standard for interactive storytelling, especially for the blind community.”
“The story and world are deeply immersive in a way that's incredibly unique, that may be even more immersive than the most polished visuals, as it makes you see the world in your mind.”
“Alexandra Denholm's journey is one of courage, resilience, and discovery, and it was a joy to experience her story.”
“I do think that the plot thickens and twists near its abrupt end, which is a shame.”
“It took me around 10 hours to complete, but it felt like it could have been summed up better in another hour or two of more deliberately unraveling some of the story's complexities instead of oversimplifying its resolution.”
“The story doesn't change.”
- gameplay172 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its innovative audio-based mechanics, which rely heavily on positional sound cues, making it accessible and engaging for both blind and sighted players. While the combat mechanics can feel repetitive at times, they offer a satisfying challenge and are complemented by a compelling story and excellent voice acting. Overall, the game presents a unique experience that combines simple yet effective gameplay with immersive storytelling, making it a noteworthy addition to the RPG genre.
“The gameplay is varied and in depth; there is more than combat, and combat itself is nuanced and tactical.”
“The story is engaging, the sound design marvelous, and the gameplay simple but fun.”
“Unique gameplay, compelling storytelling; from the first minutes I was hooked and the rest did not disappoint.”
“The gameplay is pretty decent too, albeit somewhat repetitive - most of the time you either block or swing a sword in one of three directions, but there are also hunting missions with a bow, and stealth/exploration sections where you need to carefully navigate the environment.”
“Some game mechanics were not very clear even after the tutorial, and it took me some time to understand them.”
“The magic mechanic seems largely pointless: you unlock the ability not long before the end, and so there are few opportunities to use it, explore it, and level it up.”
- graphics74 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game features minimal graphics, primarily consisting of simple particle effects and menus, which allows players to engage their imagination and enhances the immersive experience. Many reviewers appreciate this unique approach, noting that the absence of complex visuals does not detract from the gameplay or storytelling, but rather creates a refreshing and deeply engaging environment. Overall, the focus on sound design and narrative over visuals has been praised as a novel and effective way to experience the game.
“An incredible experience, with no visuals throughout aside from the necessary menus, which are all beautifully narrated, and the wonderfully done visual ambience that works both as a way to orient oneself for those who can see, but also adds to the environment, by falling like rain or snow, or rising like embers.”
“The story and world are deeply immersive in a way that's incredibly unique, that may be even more immersive than the most polished visuals, as it makes you see the world in your mind.”
“Its unique style of replacing visuals with a purely sound-based experience is extremely refreshing in an ocean of other titles which follow the same formula time and again.”
“If you're big on gameplay and graphics, this isn't the game for you.”
“The vale makes you realize how visuals dominate games.”
“No visuals except for the glowing dots floating around.”
- music32 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music and voice acting in the game are highly praised, with many reviewers highlighting the exceptional voice cast and atmospheric soundtrack that enhance the storytelling and immersion. The sound design is noted for its attention to detail, creating a rich audio experience, although some found certain musical elements, like the pop-piano filler, out of place. Overall, the audio aspects are considered a standout feature, making the game particularly enjoyable for those who prioritize sound in their gaming experience.
“The sound design, music, and voice acting really shine and allow one to be immersed in this game.”
“The story is very well written; I was immediately invested in the characters. This was greatly helped by the stellar voice acting and atmospheric music.”
“So after playing this game for ~6 hours and 45 minutes straight, I cannot possibly recommend this game more. The voice acting is wonderful, the music beautiful, and the story heartfelt - this has to be my favorite game for nothing has inspired such joy and wonder in me.”
“It's an audio-based game with no subtitles and only one sound bar setting with no separation for voice, SFX, and music.”
“Last little thing; I didn't care for the pop-piano filler in the beginning - it felt really out of place compared to the rest of the soundtrack.”
“Using sound for feedback means the game cannot have a soundtrack.”
- emotional22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its deeply emotional storytelling, characterized by a beautifully crafted dynamic between characters, particularly the shepherd and Alexandra. Players highlight the impactful voice acting, sound design, and heartfelt moments that evoke strong feelings, with many expressing that the narrative and character development resonate profoundly, leading to emotional reactions such as tears. Overall, the game is celebrated for its ability to engage players emotionally while offering a unique audio-led experience that is accessible to those with visual impairments.
“The dynamic between Shepherd and Alexandra is beautifully crafted, with moments of tension, humor, and heartfelt connection.”
“The story itself isn't long, even with all the side quests along the way, but it is packed with emotional moments, wonder, and good twists that only serve to deepen the story.”
“So after playing this game for about 6 hours and 45 minutes straight, I cannot possibly recommend this game more. The voice acting is wonderful, the music beautiful, and the story heartfelt - this has to be my favorite game for nothing has inspired such joy and wonder in me.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is highly praised, particularly for its immersive mechanics, stellar voice acting, and strong writing, which collectively enhance the overall engagement and emotional depth of the story. Players found the audio design and character performances to be standout elements that significantly contributed to their enjoyment.
“Devoured this in one sitting, marveling at the totally immersive mechanics, writing, performances, and audio design.”
“Every voice actor delivered a stellar performance, enhancing the overall immersion and making the story even more engaging.”
“And while the story and world are standard medieval fantasy, the characters really shine through good writing and emotional performances.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its effective use of audio and sound cues, complemented by stellar voice acting and atmospheric music that deeply engage players. The well-written story and character development further enhance the immersive experience, making the overall atmosphere truly exceptional.
“Even with the game being built on audio and sound cues, there is still a wonderful atmosphere built with the simplest effects.”
“The story is very well written; I was immediately invested in the characters. This was greatly helped by the stellar voice acting and atmospheric music.”
“Atmospheric doesn't even begin to cover it.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted through the well-crafted dynamic between the characters Shepherd and Alexandra, featuring a blend of tension and heartfelt moments that enhance the comedic elements. Overall, the humor is described as well-tuned and effective.
“The dynamic between Shepherd and Alexandra is beautifully crafted, with moments of tension, humor, and heartfelt connection.”
“It was well-tuned, and funny.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
While the game offers some replayability through different choices, many players feel that replaying lengthy dialogues to explore alternative paths can become tedious quickly.
“The replayability is there as well.”
“While technically there is some replayability, I would imagine sitting through every dialogue (as great as they are) just to try a different choice two-thirds into the game will get old pretty fast.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect tedious, particularly due to repetitive narration and instructions that feel unnecessary, especially for those who are familiar with the game's mechanics. This can detract from the overall experience, making the process feel more laborious than engaging.
“I find it tedious to listen to the narrator's help comments every time I need to choose quests or am told how to accept things using my spacebar. Being blind is not equal to being imbecilic; I can remember simple functions.”
