Blanc Review: A New COZY Co-op Game on NINTENDO Switch!

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In a world where winter has taken over, two unlikely friends find themselves lost and separated from their families. A fawn and a wolf cub, brought together by fate, must navigate the treacherous snowstorm and find their way back home. But the journey won't be easy. 

We have had our eyes on Blanc ever since we saw it in its first Nintendo Direct. So we were thrilled to receive a copy for review! This Black and white adventure caught our eyes immediately as we noticed the two adorable animals walking side by side! The game starts with the small wolf cub lost and alone. As I started my journey, I soon came across Ririe, and we set off together hesitantly! 

The beginning of the game was very sweet, and we saw our two characters grow closer together throughout the journey, at first wary of one another, keeping our distance, but it soon became apparent that without each other, neither of us would make it home. 

Atmosphere:

The game is entirely textless, which leaves the story to be told completely through the soundtrack, visuals, and occasional cutscene! We loved the textless nature of the game, as it allowed a far more fluid experience. While the visuals were simple black and white, they were something different we got to enjoy. 

The developers did an excellent job crafting the atmosphere with music and sound effects. The music only came in to punctuate more emotional moments, while the main portion of the game was filled with the sounds of our two animals and the winter world.

There is not a lot to this adventure. It is incredibly simple! The game is controlled with only two buttons and the joystick, making it very easy to pick up. You can perform several different actions, and it is always made apparent which of those actions you can do. Most of the game is a journey back to your family, following the path and scent they left behind in the snow. This mainly consists of picking your way through snow-covered forests and human villages, often climbing atop roofs or hopping from one wall to another.

Co-op benefits: 

While there is a lot of traversing from point A to point B, you also need to solve little puzzles to create a path forward. This was where working together often came into play. The fawn was able to push heavy objects while the wolf was able to pull them. Sometimes it would have us work together to open a big heavy door, which was a cute little addition. 

The fawn could also jump higher than the little wolf cub and, later in the game, would have to help him up to higher areas by allowing him to jump on his back. In turn, the wolf cub was smaller and could sneak through cramped areas and cut ropes that would often open space for the fawn to pass through, often by tumbling a stack of logs. There were occasionally other cute ways we worked together, but we will let you discover them yourselves!

Story:

The story is about needing to work together to make it back to your family while, along the way, starting to trust one another and eventually becoming close friends. It was told well enough that our two-year-old son sat in our laps and watched with rapt attention which is a rare feat. We saw minor inconsistencies in the story, but nothing so big it made us mad.

The first time we came across other living creatures was a small family of geese who needed our help to cross through a stormy area. This felt out of character for us as, at the time, we were trying to make it home, and the geese did not help us progress. But, the next time we interacted with other animals made more sense and proved more enjoyable. 

Two small black and white goats will mirror your movements, and you will have to use them to help you move objects and progress farther into the game. This interesting puzzle was far more rewarding and endearing than rescuing the useless geese. 

Replay value:

Blanc could be much better regarding replayability. The story is simple and has little value to experience a second time. Especially as it only took us around an hour and forty five minutes to complete. 

Issues:

We had some issues with the camera angle. A couple of times made it hard for us to see what we were supposed to be doing, but that was the only technical issue we had. 

There were occasionally parts in the game where we were walking for a while and doing nothing else. At these times, the lack of color came through since there was not much to look at. It was like we were pushing forward on the stick, waiting until we got to do something more enjoyable.

This sense of slow progression also occasionally came through when the wind would blow and slow us down. While it was during a puzzle, we did not mind as much, but there was a section or two that had us walking against the wind slowly, and while we could tell it was meant to be emotional, it was just a little annoying. 

The Verdict:

While heartwarming, the game was very simple, not just the black-and-white art style but the controls and the story. That is not necessarily a bad thing, though, it made the game easy to play and relaxing instead of stressful, and unlike with some other co-op games, we did not get angry at each other or the game. Ultimately the price of 15 dollars feels steep to us, and somewhere around $10 would be a far happier purchase price for us! 

If you want to see what other couples' games we recommend, then check out this video right here! https://youtu.be/xXQub0pFt5Y

We talk about some of our favorite games to play together. You might just find that one game you have been looking for all along! We will see you there! We love you guys! 

Buy Blanc: https://blancthegame.com/