Return of the Obra Dinn is a really cool experience, with a bunch of hiccups along the way.

Some of these are somewhat inherent, as the non-hand-holding nature of this game will lead to some parts just not being intuitive to some users, but there are definitely some features that could have been helpful that just aren't present. I think a good solution to this issue would be that, perhaps once you've solved 75% percent of the fates, the game would allow you to just access each memory from the journal, with maybe a few more hints available, so you aren't trying to figure out what the game wants you to classify a death as.

Anyway, enough complaining, this game's artstyle and vibe are just simply too good for this to not be a great game. The lack of color works really well, the music adds to the nautical vibe, and the concept, especially when you get on a streak of not being stuck, truly does make you 'feel like batman a detective.' Some people will definitely love the story too, although without any characters to really care about, it was hard for me to really get invested in all of the shenanigans unfolding, even if the non-linear storytelling was sick.

I get those who really love this game, and even if it's not perfect for me, I still think it's pretty great.

7/10
Game #16 of 2024, March 12th