This is a hidden gem if you truly want to get a first hand experience of the subtle scandinavian emotion vemod..
In case you didn't know, vemod describes a tranquil atmosphere of longing and sorrow over something one feels has disappeared and been lost, like a melancholic and mournful state filled with tender yearning. Growing up in a rural part of Sweden this game truly found a way to burrow itself inside and tender up a heart hardened by loot boxes and live services of today..
Unravel follows a little yarnie traversing rustic landscapes searching for memories of what once was. It is a beautiful little puzzle platformer where your resource is yarn and you use it to swing, drag and bungee yourself through a modest landscape filled with various obstacles. The gameplay is simple yet rewarding and during my playthrough I never encountered anything that took me away from the reverie. The game really nails the atmosphere and the environments are really evoking memories of my own childhood, which in a way is a bit spooky.. The pure coziness of the Scandinavian cottage core hub mixed with the various landscapes makes for a varied journey while never getting over the edge on nostalgia.
So far so good! But I have not even mentioned the music yet. This soundtrack is magnificent, and even if you never play the game look up the soundtrack on a random streaming service. It perfectly encapsulates the haunting beauty that the game's story slowly reveals and to this day this is a soundtrack I recommend to anyone wanting to hear the soul Swedish folk music.
In the end this is a great game and one that I recommend with all my heart. The only caveat is that it is tied to the horrendous EA-platform, but if you can tolerate that, this is a true treasure.