I’m not a fan of the character modelling in Fatherhood, and also in titles such as Drunken Fist, as I often see it in so many games that it has a uniform feel, like how most anime characters look exactly the same. However, I liked the idea of a story that focuses on a father and daughter and ensuring they are protected at all costs, but also, because it looked a little like Inside.
Forgive the insensitivity, but I went into Persis Play’s demo blind, without knowing what was going to happen (typically my approach for most games so as not to be conflicted with expectations). The large titles indicating controls were pretty cool, and while I don’t like the unibrow-like features of the characters, I thought the setting was aptly lit and presented. Ah… it’s a war-torn area in the Middle East? Let’s not dive too deep there, but it’s pretty harrowing, and for the right reasons.
The controls to Fatherhood were intuitive and minimalist, which suited the presentation perfectly. There’s an NPC you can interact with quite early and have the opportunity to revive them. Doing this by default was later rewarding in the demo, but this wasn’t done with those expectations – it felt like the right thing to do. However, after sneaking about, the broken glass icon on-screen becomes apparent, and you kill your first person. The screen becomes devoid of any colour, and all of a sudden, your conscience is looking at you with disappointment. I didn’t want to kill that man, so I reload and try again, only to realise it’s kill or be killed.
Finally, I meet up with my daughter, who’s looking like Mortal Kombat’s Kenshi with a red bandana around her eyes. Good work, Dad – protect your daughter from seeing this carnage. Ah, but Asma is actually blind, hence the comment about being insensitive. It’s a great dynamic as it means you have to guide your daughter by holding her hand and intermittently checking on her well-being by giving her a hug. It’s terrifying for anyone being in this situation, let alone a child with visual impairment and being incredibly dependent on her father.
As can be expected, Fatherhood is a treacherous path, and your character, Basir, will scout ahead for ways to get Asma to safety and encountering other civilians, deciding whether to help them or not. It’s ironic that you’re trying to keep your daughter safe but end up helping others more. You always have a choice, but to me, it’s natural to help those in need. However, when trying to find an object to help another father recover his child from rubble, a visual timer pops up, and it’s difficult to describe just how panic-inducing that was. Yes! Actions have consequences!
Shortly after that, those Inside opinions come back as you’re now trying to avoid being gunned down by soldiers and have literally nothing in your defence besides staying out of sight. The gameplay and storyline are impactful, and much easier to identify with the scenario than the ambiguity of the other title, regardless of whether you’ve experienced war or not. Fortunately, I haven’t and hope I never have to, but can only imagine that it would be as erratic and as unstable as this.
These words are based on a preview build of Fatherhood. If it piques your interest, go download the demo now on Steam.
