If you crave narrative games, get ready for the release of Rue Valley, an isometric RPG from Emotion Spark Studio and Owlcat Games. After watching the trailer, I can’t help but immediately see a narrative giant Disco Elysium in the short minute of content offered to the public.
Rue Valley promises to offer a deeply immersive storytelling experience. The game centers on a man caught in a time loop, fighting his own demons while unraveling the mysteries of the Rue Valley Motel. This time loop mechanic is the core of the gameplay – somewhat similar to the Life is Strange series.
Each loop allows players to experiment with various personality traits, actions, and dialogue, effectively letting you “create your personality” as you play and replay the game. Whichever you choose, your time will always reset, giving you the opportunity to explore every possible aspect of the main character.
Inspirations from Rue Valley’s Disco Elysium
One of Rue Valley’s most compelling features is its “Store Your Memories” system. Here, players can store important memories in a graphic, unlocking unique interactions and new ways of thinking as they do so. This allows the MC to tackle the game’s challenges in different ways.
Much like Disco Elysium’s Thinking Cabinet, this memory graphic creates a dynamic, ever-evolving character that reacts to the world based on the experiences you choose to highlight. It’s this kind of psychological depth that made Disco Elysium a masterpiece, and Rue Valley seems to be following in those footsteps.
Rue Valley also features a 2D parallax art style, inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Disco Elysium. The game’s comic aesthetic is both striking and atmospheric, perfectly complementing the game’s darker tone. It also strongly reminds me of the Shadowrun video games; specifically Shadowrun Returns, which I spent many hours playing after I was first introduced to the tabletop game of the same name.
What sets Rue Valley apart from all these other games is the way it weaves the mental challenges of the protagonist into the gameplay. Each day will feel like an uphill battle against the shadows of your own mind, making the story not just a story to be told, but a personal journey for the player.
The question now is whether Rue Valley can measure up to Disco Elysium. Although it is too early to say for sure, the signs are promising. The game’s focus on character creation, memory storage, and emotional depth all point to a narrative experience that could very well stand shoulder-to-shoulder with one of the greatest games ever made.
Owlcat is new to the publishing game, so it will be really interesting to see what the outcome of Rue Valley will be, given their desire to help more indie developers get their narrative games out into the world.
With no release date announced, be sure to follow Rue Valley further steam, Twitterand join the discord a group
Want to read a little more about Disco Elysium while you wait for Rue Valley? I suggest checking out our piece on the Top 12 Thoughts on Disco Elysium and Disco Elysium Taught Me How to Live.
