Harmony: The Fall of Reverie preview – A Tale of Hope and Belonging

Prepare to embark on a joyous journey with Harmony: The Fall of Reverie. This captivating narrative game casts you as Polly, a spirited soul navigating the ebbs and flows of life. In a quest to find her missing mother, Polly suddenly and unexpectedly enters a magical realm brimming with enchantment. A spiritual world where dreams and “Aspirations” intertwine with hints of destiny and longing. As Polly uncovers the secrets of this marvelous, magical world, her spirit soars and she gains the gift of foreseeing the future. She emerges stronger than ever, ready for her quest, and to guide her people toward a brighter future. Embark on a delightful “adventure game”, with multiple paths to choose leading to various endings. As Polly you’ll wield the extraordinary power of foresight, uncovering glimpses of hope on the horizon and joyfully shaping the path forward.

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is an upcoming release from publisher Don’t Nod, the brilliant minds behind the beloved series Life is Strange. Known for their ability to transport us on immersive storytelling adventures, they’re back to enchant us again. Their distinct trademark lies in the mesmerizing tales they craft, seamlessly infusing ordinary life experiences with an ethereal touch of profound significance. Prepare for a delightful journey where every moment resonates with an almost magical depth, seamlessly blending the extraordinary and the ordinary. Brace yourself for a sensory feast as you engage in heartfelt, interpersonal connections that awaken every fiber of your being. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself captivated by the sheer joy that awaits you!

Don’t Nod aims to delve into the very fabric of our world. It sheds light on the weighty burden that news often imposes on our hearts and minds. However, instead of dwelling on a somber future, the creators have beautifully woven a tale that radiates the power of hope, the warmth of belonging, and the potential that lingers just beyond our grasp. Transport yourself to the enchanting island of Atina, where this delightful story unfolds in the not-so-distant future. Join the vibrant community of Alma as they courageously resist the overpowering grip of the colossal MK conglomerate, inspiring us all to embrace the indomitable spirit of unity and freedom.

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie tells Polly’s story. With trepidation and anticipation, Polly has finally returned home to the enchanting town of Atina, after an absence of eight long years, to to seek for her mother that has disappeared. As she sets foot in her beloved hometown, a rush of delightful memories floods her mind and stirs her heart with a surge of emotions. Little does she know that this joyous homecoming is about to take an extraordinary turn, propelling her into a whimsical and magical realm known as the Reverie! The Reverie is a realm far beyond the bounds of our ordinary physical world. It is a place where ideas and concepts come alive. And in a dazzling twist of fate, Polly finds herself transported into this extraordinary realm, assuming the captivating persona of Harmony. Harmony is no ordinary figure but a radiant link, bridging the ethereal Reverie with the tangible realm of Brittle, the physical world. As the embodiment of Harmony, one is granted the role of an Oracle, the guardian entrusted with restoring the delicate balance between the Reverie and the Brittle. With every decision Harmony makes, the future unfolds, offering many possibilities.

Polly, now known as Harmony in the Reverie, embarks on a dazzling journey paved with countless twists and turns. She is gifted with the remarkable ability to predict the future and is guided by her intuitive wisdom. In her enchanting journey, outcomes are not a fixed destination but a kaleidoscope of possibilities. Every decision she makes weaves another thread into her destiny. Harmony must embrace her extraordinary mission, ready to explore the marvelous world of the Reverie and the intricate connection between the two worlds.

Polly’s path leads her straight into the warm embrace of a character known as Bliss, a mesmerizing embodiment of all our cherished childhood dreams and deepest primal desires. With contagious joy, Bliss invites Harmony to enter the Reverie, where they’ll be greeted by its enchanting inhabitants known as the Aspirations. Aspirations embody humankind’s hopes, dreams, aspirations, and boundless intelligence. They possess an everlasting spark of life and can connect with humans through our dreams, insight, and intuitive wisdom. They intertwine our dreams into the very fabric of our lives. The Aspirations take on divine forms, each one radiating its unique purpose: Bliss, Power, Bond, Truth, Chaos, and Glory. Harmony and her newfound companions embark on an exhilarating journey through the Reverie and the Brittle.

Polly learns that the Reverie has been in disarray since Polly’s mother, Ursula, has disappeared. Polly is told that her remarkable mother once ventured into the heart of Reverie and was gifted with the extraordinary ability to see into the future. That very gift now resides within Polly. Her mother’s disappearance, Polly’s fate, and Reverie’s destiny are intricately woven. Polly senses that a major change is on the horizon for Atina, and she is destined to play a central role in this transformation. She is fated to embark on a quest to find her mother and bring back the delicate balance between the Reverie and the Brittle. And as such, you are invited to step into Polly’s shoes and brace yourself for a joyous adventure as you wield extraordinary power to shape this unfolding tale.

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie pulses with delight as it blends the vibrant flavors of adventure games and enchanting visual novels. Imagine a whimsical journey where every decision is a delightful detour. As you are invited to make choices, the game unveils its core mechanics, the Augural. It is presented to the player as a flowchart of Nodes representing the multiple path lines you can choose to follow. It’s also a window into Polly’s remarkable gift of peering into the future.

During the game, you will switch between cut-scenes, engaging dialogues, and the Augural. Polly’s ability to see the future is highlighted in the Augural view. In this view, you will unlock the capability of visualizing what some future Nodes represent, their conditions and consequences to the story that unfolds. To choose a path in the story, you will select a Node in the Augural, and whe you do so, you may close other Nodes and story paths forever. Choosing a Node can also open or block access to future Nodes, as each choice comes with repercussions. Some nodes can unlock others or allow you to visualize future Nodes showing their descriptions, conditions, and consequences. Nodes are usually associated with the influence of the Aspirations. They may reward an Aspiration with Power Crystals making them stronger, and if one Aspiration is too powerful they become the dominant force in the Reverie. Node conditions and chapter outcomes rely on the number of Power Crystals obtained by Aspirations. This will force you to follow specific paths to reach your desired outcome. The Augural is the core mechanism that connects and links everything together in the game. It is where you will plan, make all your choices, and shape the narrative of Harmony: The Fall of Reverie.

If you strip out the game mechanics to their bare essence, you will be reminded of the joy of adventure books in which, at the end of each passage, your choices will lead you on a non-linear path to diverse endings. In simple words, this game is like an adventure book where you will choose between different paths in between animations and dialogue scenes, like so many narrative-driven adventures.

However, the Augural adds a layer of depth to this game, making it compelling, rewarding, or even exasperating at times. As the game’s core mechanism, the Augural allows you to plan for the future, but imposes constraints on your agency and ability to act according to your free will. That can be the source of thrill or frustration, often in tandem, as you travel through this magical journey. The Augural is the soul of this game and what makes it unique and distinct from other narrative-driven adventures.

We are seeing a surge of dystopian and utopian fiction jumping from literature and movies and spreading into video games as an immersive platform that transcends traditional media boundaries in form, function, and sensory perception. Harmony: The Fall of Reverie fits the utopian genre and is likely to be well-received and praised for its accomplishments on release.

It was a delight to preview the pre-release game version of Harmony: The Fall of Reverie and be introduced to a delightful tale. The game is a visual masterpiece, a truly stunning work of art, accompanied by an exquisite and graceful soundtrack (wear surround sound headphones!!!). We felt continually compelled and fascinated by its plot, concepts, and performance and eager to learn where the various paths the Augural might lead us. We traveled through a rollercoaster of emotions, making careful decisions to shape a better future for Polly and all the characters in the story. We can guarantee that when you reach the end of the story, you will be curious to know more and compelled to play the game again, making different choices; as we all know, it is the journey that matters, not the destination, no pun intended!

By playing the game, we are made to stop and reflect on our reality and the current days. Capitalism and the new media have engulfed us in our bubble where we feel trapped and hopeless. We may feel powerlessness as if we have no real agency over our lives. We are often submissive to oppressive daily jobs that consume our hours and steal our Bliss. Artificial screens were dumped on us, depriving us of life and human contact. In today’s world, we are losing touch with those we love, living as spectators in a world of superficial and ephemeral digital communication, microtransactions, and fake news. A world of fear of what is yet unknown, veiled in terrorist acts, pandemics, extremism, and foreign wars. In a world in disarray, we try to hold on to a glimpse of optimism for better days to come. We strive for inner peace, hope, and Harmony!

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