Official_Xbox_Magazine_USA_Issue_202_July_2017

“Being confined
to a snaking line
of corridors and
small rooms is
very unsettling”
RiGHT why do
tyres always
seem to hang
ominiously in
the foreground?
faR LEfT we
already told
this annoying
bunny boy that
we returned
his copy of
watership Down!
LEfT Scarlett’s
brother finn
is quite sweet...
except when
he’s setting
things on fire.
073
we berate a naughty child, or would
we recognize his vulnerability?
The story of Scarlett and Finn soon
becomes the most striking element
of the game. Like a lot of sibling
relationships, their interactions are
veined with antagonism yet couched
in affection. Through them, the game
shows just how much we lash out
and hurt the people we care for the
most. “This is why you don’t have any
friends,” Scarlett hisses at Finn after
finding out he’d punched another boy.
“He’s not my friend. I hate him. I hate
you!” Finn roars back. In places like
this, the game positively stings.
The actual mechanics of the
game are very simple, centring on
exploration and a series of puzzles.
At first, these puzzles feel inspired,
and are tricky enough to stump you
in a few places. They reward your
curiosity, too: Interacting with objects
will tell you more about the siblings,
and unlock different parts of the train
SeVentH
HeAVen
PaperSeven is a
small, independent
studio based in
brighton. it’s made
up of ex-employees
from the defunct
AAA studio black
rock Studio, who
made racing games
like Pure and Split/
Second. the team
is joined by oliver
reid-Smith, who
wrote fireproof’s
puzzle series the
room and helped
design the burnout
games. blackwood
crossing marks
a new direction
for the members
of PaperSeven,
swapping highoctane
thrills for
magic and mystery.
as you try to find Finn. One particular
puzzle, however, is repeated three
times. At first it’s effective, but once
you’ve figured it out, it’s very easy
to piece together again. Including
puzzles of different calibres would
have helped the game feel fresh.
Passion project
But what makes Blackwood Crossing
feel special is its devotion to magic,
and the imagination of children. In
one breathtaking scene, a tree grows
in the middle of the train, breaking
into the ceiling and emerging in
Scarlett and Finn’s treehouse from
back home. Scarlett can also breathe
life into paper butterflies, and in one
disturbing sequence, Finn’s rage sets
fire to all of their childhood relics.
The game brims with this dreamlike
logic, especially when Scarlett tries to
uncover who the masked figures are.
Like people plucked from Salvador Dali
paintings, they flicker like holograms
and hide their faces behind tribal
masks. It’s a simplistic gimmick, but
one that’s eerily effective.
Blackwood Crossing may be too
light on action for some players but
it’s a touching experience: a portrait
of childhood and an exploration of
how memory and perspective can
change a single scene for two people.
A game where two children navigate a
strange world, it’ll bring back strands
of your own childhood, and the people
you loved along the way. n
oXM verdict
the puzzles may
be easy, but this
is a beautiful and
genuinely moving
ode to childhood.
8
More great reviews at gamesradar.com/oxm
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