Chumps Preview is a special kind of post where we unofficially preview games in Early Access, Beta, or are otherwise “unfinished.” This kind of preview is meant to be a first impression rather than a definitive review where we provide a rating to determine a game’s value. As such, we fully expect a game covered in a Chumps Preview to have room for improvement, some bugginess/incompleteness, and other features associated with similar games in the category.
As I’ve aged into being an “adultier” gamer, I’ve felt the need to branch out into other game genres and give as many good games as possible a chance at piquing my limited attention. Perhaps this is because I’ve drifted away from the sweatiness of competitive shooters and other eSport-friendly titles. Perhaps it’s because I’m just tired after a long day of adulting and making important dinner decisions. I’ve become drawn to narrative titles so I can hopefully experience something new/unique as I’m winding down for the evening.
I’ve been given access to a few hours of Blue Wednesday ahead of its launch, and sufficed to say I’m quite intrigued by its package. Buff Studio’s premiere title is one that encapsulates a “slice of life” approach to storytelling through the eyes of a hopeful jazz pianist named Morris.
My preview began with Morris waking up late. His inner monologue pointed to an undiagnosed depression, or at least a disgruntled and exasperated outlook toward his day-to-day monotony. At first, Morris is anything but a jazz pianist. He’s Morris, the newest employee of the supermarket who also ends up being chronically late to work. He was late yesterday, he’s late today, and he’s most likely going to be late tomorrow.
Getting out of bed gave me full control of Morris and multiple options to proceed. I could get ready, freshen up, play the piano (more on this in a moment), and then walk to work. As I progressed, Blue Wednesday’s gameplay ended up being just as nonchalant as Morris in the sense that I spent most of it walking around and talking with NPCs. This may be by design, seeing as this title is meant to exist as a “slice of life” that’s easy on just about every front. Its story is written to portray life, love, and loss, but I experienced a very light touch in all three of these topics.
I expected Blue Wednesday’s story to have higher stakes in the form of Morris’ growth and navigating what started as a tumultuous yet hopeless life. I went out of my way and struck up conversation with every NPC I could find, yet I never felt interested in their stories. I felt for some of them, sure, but I left some interactions feeling as though I could have skipped talking to them at all and the gameplay experience would have been the same. Thankfully, some NPCs gifted me with collectible CDs, but others left me wanting more in the form of a stronger relationship to Morris and/or Blue Wednesday’s world.
Some may consider this form of gameplay loop to be boring, since most of it ended up involved me simply walking around and chatting up an NPC if I so chose. This gameplay loop feels similar to Decarnation’s, albeit less insidious, less triggering, and similarly insightful into the protagonist’s thoughts and feelings. Like Decarnation, minigames broke the typical walk and talk loop. Most of these were infrequently-spaced, occurring once or twice. Others were used to enhance the plot, signifying the banality of scanning groceries and restocking cans.
One minigame stood out, however: The piano minigame. It’s the first minigame I was given access to, and it was the only minigame that was available to return to and consistently interwoven into the small story I was exposed to thus far. Unlike Decarnation, this specific minigame broke the chain of aimlessness and mindless button pressing and drew my focus to Blue Wednesday’s stellar soundtrack. The minigame is synced well and adheres to the best qualities of rhythm game outside of having some good tunes: a consistent yet complex system of notes that are placed in line with the song and a high rate of replayability. Each time I unlocked a new song to play on the piano, the note patterns would slightly increase in difficulty. While I didn’t struggle with any of the songs in particular, I enjoyed returning to them just because the rhythm minigame was just that fun.
Believe me when I say that the game’s soundtrack thus far is outstanding. Those who’ve read my prior (p)reviews will know that I often mention a game’s soundtrack if it stands out in all the right ways. Blue Wednesday’s soundtrack…boy. It’s incredible. It’s a delightful mix of instrumentals spanning multiple genres – not just jazz! I’m the kind of person who can feel goosebumps when I listen to something good. Just about every single one of the songs I heard gave me goosebumps on my arms and legs. It makes sense – Blue Wednesday won several awards for its audio design. It got to a point in the story where I stopped playing and just listened to its music because I enjoyed it that much. It’s jazzy. It’s simple. It’s memorable. Take a listen in case you don’t believe me. I want more of its music and cannot wait for the full game to release so I can listen to the rest of its tracks.
Perhaps Blue Wednesday is less about the story and more about enjoying its music through multiple mediums. If this is the case, then Blue Wednesday could be a very easy recommendation for those seeking an audio experience over a meaningful narrative or engaging gameplay. From the three hours I’ve played of Blue Wednesday’s preview, I’m torn. On one hand, I lacked a connection to Morris despite seeing him overcome some of the daily struggles and move toward what seems to be a happier shift in his story. Talking to his neighbors and other folks in Morris’ neighborhood was less rewarding aside from the rare occasions where I was treated to additional music. On the other hand, Blue Wednesday’s focus on music and its rhythm minigame stood out to me in all the right ways. I ended up wanting to skip chunks of dialogue just so I could see what would happen to Morris and when/if I could add additional music to my library and return to the rhythm minigame.
I’m looking forward to the full release of Blue Wednesday later this month, primarily because of its music. While my preview ended on a little cliffhanger, I’m curious to experience the rest of the story in hopes that a more sincere and meaningful relationship between the player and Morris is developed.
