Rue Valley preview — Processing trauma through a time loop, what could go wrong?

As soon as you enter the world of Rue Valley, the clock starts ticking, and every decision you make alters (if sometimes only slightly) the outcome of a scenario. Obviously, this is a preview, so how these small choices affect a grander narrative is unseen yet, but from what I’ve seen, me likey. The game does an amazingly swift job of establishing intrigue through these small choices, and this intrigue doesn’t stop there, it spans to other aspects of the game too. As a devout Disco Elysium fan, I was equally excited and snobbish when it came to a game that was attempting to replicate its greatness. But I’m happy to say that Rue Valley’s Alpha has proved to me that Owlcat has created something different and equally as enriching.

Rue Valley allows the player to create the protagonist’s personality, hopefully suggesting that a change in stats will greatly affect the game, in how you respond to events and their outcomes. However, for now you’re given three branches to play around with, each determining how you respond to the world around you. I made my character Guilt-Ridden and awkward, which in turn made him quite dramatic. This made my character apologize about everything he does and blow every problem out of proportion, which is always entertaining. On a second playthrough I went with a more brash approach, choosing to be arrogant, unkind, and reckless, resulting in brute forcing my way through conversations and not being able to sit still. With such a short run time, it’s encouraged to play around with this system and have a feel for who you want to play as.

Another aspect of the game that is detailed and open to creativity are the states of mind that often act as a barricade for the protagonist to complete a specific task or an effect that opens more options for dialogue. At the beginning of the Alpha, you’re plagued by a ‘total lack of motivation’ which stops you from unpacking your suitcase or talking to the girl kicking a vending machine. It seems to act as narrative guidance, as when you get rid of the condition, it opens different possibilities, one of these being the aforementioned vending machine abuser. These states of mind are triggered or removed by events you witness or objects you interact with; one of my favorites was the tipsy condition I inflicted on myself, which gave the protagonist a boost of confidence when talking to other characters. However, unless you thoroughly search your surroundings, you could miss out on these so keep an eye out!

The visual style of the game is another standout feature of what Rue Valley has to offer, as its comic book-style interface and models that are hand-drawn are so refreshing and stylistic. Even the simple flickering of the character outlines adds a uniqueness to the game. The environment is equally vibrant and bathed in the red glow of the motel sign, which made the game extremely atmospheric. This was paired with music that made me feel like I was stranded in the middle of nowhere at a crappy motel, but with a slight funkiness to it that signaled that it was far from normal. I also absolutely loved the animations for specific actions; you don’t just get into bed; you face plant into the mattress and crawl in. You don’t just walk up the stairs; you heave yourself up. These animations are so fluid and animated, it made me wish there were a lot more of them, as the protagonist seems to be frozen in other instances, like brushing your teeth or playing with your phone.

Other stylistic features, like its interface, are easy to navigate, but I did find that the dialogue in its text boxes often didn’t match what the voice actor was saying. Something that doesn’t raise major concerns since it’s just an Alpha.

Speaking of voice acting, it’s refreshing to hear something different from the typical American accent. Each character is striking and intriguing in design and personality, but there’s not much to comment on yet as I haven’t been able to talk to half the characters. Despite the consistently good voice acting though, I did notice the presence of a narrator at the start, which then quickly disappeared. I don’t mind reading reams of text, I’m a JRPG pro, so the absence of a narrator isn’t a big problem to me; maybe, like Disco Elysium, there will be an update for a fully-voiced narrator.

In terms of what happens in Rue Valley, at 8 p.m. you find yourself at the end of your first therapy session. This and the rest of the events of your first day is pretty simple in premise, with a promise of opening up as you engage with more time loops. Eugene Harrow is our protagonist, and he’s not doing the best mentally. He’s distant in therapy when he’s asked questions and refuses to believe he needs it. The details of why he’s here are foggy, but obviously this man is troubled for a reason. Once you leave, you’re not given a very large space to mess about in, which keeps the first day, a tutorial, from dragging or becoming too overwhelming; it strikes a good balance. You are instructed to retrieve your motel room key from the receptionist, and after a long wait time, you find yourself tired and ready for bed.

However, once you close your eyes, you’re greeted with the choices you made that day, presented as a web. You run over these decisions and reflect on what could be done differently. After reflection, you’re confronted with memories of different places; these are hazy and lack any detail, but once read, you’re given the option to process these memories. However, this is locked by ‘Willpower’, a point system that allows you to analyze your memories and come to a conclusion. Despite this instance being something you won’t be completing for a while, the game gives you another demonstration of what happens when you process your thoughts, opening up different dialogue options in the next time loop.

After all this, you find yourself blinded by the sky, which has turned red, the protagonist desperate to shut it out. But when you close your eyes, you wake up to find yourself back in the therapy room, listening to the same questions you were asked yesterday. It doesn’t take long for the protagonist to figure out what’s happening, but the puzzle is far from being completed.
These are just some of the things Rue Valley has to offer. The Alpha runs for just under an hour, but in that short time you’re left with a lot of intrigue and thoughts to chew on. As a demo, it succeeds in making me want to buy the final product, and with what is being set up and so many questions left unanswered and possibilities untouched, Rue Valley is a game to mark your calendars for.

Thank you to Owlcat for inviting us to a preview of Rue Valley’s demo!

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