Completed all four episodes, with 100% of achievements unlocked. A narrative-based point-and-click adventure, The Lion's Song spans four episodes, each following a different character in pre-First World War Austria, united by their personal struggles for inspiration and acceptance - starting with a musician seeking inspiration for a concert, we move to an artist and a female mathematician (the focus of the final episode may be a slight spoiler so I'll avoid mention). Presented using well-drawn pixel art with a sepia colour scheme, there's an effective historical feel here.
With only very limited 'puzzles', the game is very much focused on its narrative, which fortunately is engrossing and I find myself drawn in by each of the character's stories, coming to know each of them across the 2-3 hours that each episode lasts. Especially well done are the various links between the stories, which take place concurrently - the best of these really are best experienced without spoilers, but as a gentle example, a person discussed briefly in episode 1's dialogue becomes a vital confidant of one of the later protagonists.
Broadly the story is is linear, but a few key choices in each episode are meaningful in shaping the nuances of events, both within and between chapters. Some longevity is afforded by the game's achievements, some of which can be puzzles in themselves to work out - but these go a little too far on occasions, requiring extensive episode replays. A 'connections gallery' accessible from the main menu expands nicely on the inter-episode call-backs that I mentioned earlier, awarding statues and paintings as you experience certain sets of events.
With only very limited 'puzzles', the game is very much focused on its narrative, which fortunately is engrossing and I find myself drawn in by each of the character's stories, coming to know each of them across the 2-3 hours that each episode lasts. Especially well done are the various links between the stories, which take place concurrently - the best of these really are best experienced without spoilers, but as a gentle example, a person discussed briefly in episode 1's dialogue becomes a vital confidant of one of the later protagonists.
Broadly the story is is linear, but a few key choices in each episode are meaningful in shaping the nuances of events, both within and between chapters. Some longevity is afforded by the game's achievements, some of which can be puzzles in themselves to work out - but these go a little too far on occasions, requiring extensive episode replays. A 'connections gallery' accessible from the main menu expands nicely on the inter-episode call-backs that I mentioned earlier, awarding statues and paintings as you experience certain sets of events.