This presents an interesting narrative element to indie game Dordogne. It allows the player to see through the eyes of an adult and the eyes of a child, potentially highlighting themes of sentimentality and childhood. It could also make for an interesting character study as Mimi, a 32-year-old woman in the game’s present time, is said to have forgotten most of her childhood memories.
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Exploring the Past and the Present in the Dordogne Game
Dordogne is described as a narrative adventure game. It also involves solving puzzles (maybe in a way that’s similar to the Professor Layton series), taking photographs of the watercolor countryside, and arranging these photographs in Mimi’s journal. All this will likely help Mimi rediscover her younger self and honor her grandmother’s life. It’s unclear when the jumps from the past to the present will take place, but it’s no doubt a clever way to show the player what Mimi is recalling. In a way, both Mimi and the player are rediscovering her past at the same time.
The trailer of Dordogne reveals that Mimi has “mysteriously” forgotten all of her childhood memories, which is strange since she spent all of her summers in the titular French region of Dordogne. It’s unclear why this has happened. The events of the game then spur Mimi to try and remember, with her grandmother’s old home and the gorgeous countryside as her backdrop. This establishes the game’s setting very well, especially with the time jumping mechanic in place.
Notably, Dordogne is a game with time travel-like elements. By being able to jump from the past to the present in the game, Dordogne can show the player how much has changed in the 20 or so years since Mimi’s childhood. The trailer features a few scenes of this. For example, in one scene, the older Mimi can be seen walking across a small garden with a rundown shack, then the scene cuts to the past, and the garden is brimming with life again. What had become a dilapidated shack was once a storage area for seeds and other gardening materials. Notably, the grassy areas are also greener and more vibrant in Mimi’s childhood.
This stark contrast is a powerful narrative tool in Dordogne. It instills a sense of sentimentality in not only Mimi but the player as well. Anyone who has spent childhood summers in the countryside is sure to relate. The same goes for anyone who has a close relationship with their grandparents.
Given all that, it seems the feeling of nostalgia in the game is a theme that Dordogne wants to explore, and the game’s method of jumping from past to present and back is sure to highlight that feeling. The game could also explore themes surrounding childhood, innocence, and remembering.
The latest trailer of Dordogne was recently revealed during this year’s Nintendo Indie World Showcase. The game, which was developed under studio Un Je Ne Sais Quoi, is reportedly slated for release in Spring 2023. Whether it succeeds in delivering on its themes of childhood and nostalgia remains to be seen. However, it’s hard to deny that the trailer and the game’s mechanics have set it up for success. Dordogne looks like the perfect game for players who enjoy aesthetically pleasing visuals and a wholesome but emotional story.
Dordogne is slated for release in Spring 2023 for PC, PS4, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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