the waterway has persisted as a standout moment in an otherwise decent game that would have left little impact on me. the track throughout, living waterway, plays a vital role in contextualizing quote as well as the player’s motivation. meandering, directionless, until it finds its footing; meditative with enough forward momentum, like the waterway itself. the quiet, simple ostinato rising and falling in juxtaposition with the snare and plucky, upbeat b section pulls on this tension.

the rushing currents push you forward, but the reflective nature of water demands retrospection.

i didn’t save curly brace in my first playthrough, a likely story for most players, and being thrusted into the waterway immediately afterwards forced me to consider what went wrong. how could i have prevented this? was there anything i could have done? you’re confronted with her death all throughout the level, every time you use her airtank, but the game pushes you forward regardless. what’s done is done. the only thing you can do now is make something of her sacrifice. despite it all, there’s still hope.

of course, you can save curly brace. she’s savable. that action does reframe the moment as more of a catharsis, which isn’t as strong, but given that its likely that most players who don’t already know how to save her won’t do it on their first playthrough, the effect still lands.