Chants of Sennaar Review (CindyK_JA)
Chants of Sennaar is one of two games I played this year that I would classify as exceptional. It is an absolutely one-of-a-kind experience that should not be missed by any gamer who enjoys exploration, coupled with creative thinking.
First, it is visually stunning. The game is played in a tower with 5 levels - each masterfully created in a unique style with its own culture and language. The original sound track (instrumentals with some vocals) is hauntingly beautiful and this is a game (without voice-overs) that I played with my headphones on.
The core challenge is to learn 5 different languages and associate meaning with the glyphs that represent objects, actions, numbers, etc. This is not a decoding exercise. it requires that you 'listen' to characters (by reading their conversations), interpret signs, analyze artwork, examine books, etc. to build context for each glyph. You have a journal that is used to track the meaning of the glyphs by conceptually matching pictures to each. You have the option of recording a note about each glyph to keep things straight in your mind.
What I really enjoyed was creating a conversation between two characters speaking different languages. In addition to knowing what the glyphs mean, you must figure out the sentence structure of each language (such as how plurals are expressed or the order of subject and object). This used a side of my brain that most games do not tap into and it was a joy to be successful! To add to the fun, linking cultures changes the environments you have already explored and you are encouraged to go back and see the impact.
In addition to a large game world that you can move through freely, there are puzzles to solve, machines to operate, formulas to combine, and a bit of 'find and use' with inventory. To keep you on your toes, there are some scenes that require stealth and others that require you to outsmart a monster. These should not deter anyone... they are not difficult and are solved by thinking rather than by perfect coordination and speed. The penalty for being caught is trivial (a quick restart to try again).
I started playing with a keyboard/mouse but quickly found that my controller was a better option. The controls are simple, intuitive and (for the most part) well documented within the game. I struggled a bit with the physical mechanics of a couple of the puzzles but was finally able to figure them out through trial and error. A 'Hint' feature allows you to highlight every hot spot on your current screen and this is an invaluable tool.
If you read the descriptions of the achievements, you should have no trouble reaching 100%, with one caveat. Completionists should visit the very top of the tower before finishing all tasks. When you restart the game from the last auto-save, you will then be able to continue and finish all achievements (including the 'true' ending) at your leisure. This approach ensures that you will not have to play the game through more than once or manually manipulate save files to reach 100%.
Your progress is automatically saved at regular intervals. When you exit, you are told how long it has been since the last save. I did not find this to be problematic and I never lost any progress that mattered.
Finally, there is a beautiful story that uses the framework of the Tower of Babel narrative. Things all come together towards the end, with some powerful social implications. Expressed gently, the message is not preached to the player. Instead, it made me think about the underlying meanings and reflect on how the game had quietly captured the impacts of a divided society.
To summarize, I can't find enough superlatives for Chants of Sennaar. I can only say that if you are open to an exploratory adventure that requires thinking (rather than leaping and shooting), then you should play this game.