Where the Heart Leads Reviews
Where the Heart Leads offers a supremely compelling and fascinating overall narrative, one that is filled with genuinely meaningful choices – surely a rarity in video games? Unfortunately, its tall tale is also bogged down with numerous presentation issues that result in dull characterisation. Overall an uneven experience that's both brilliant and boring – sometimes at the same time.
Where the Heart Leads does well for what it seemingly aims to do. It’s the surreal narrative journey of a family through years of happiness and sadness with the connective tissue of a disastrous event tying it down to the present. Putting the puzzle pieces of memory, decision, and consequence together as you go takes this game in a number of directions. Not every direction is riveting and there are some definite lulls, but there are also deeply difficult moments to choose between with consequences for the choices made and the paths untaken. If you’re looking for a chill and often lackadaisical journey you'll steer in meaningful ways, Where the Heart Leads is a narrative-heavy series of roads you may be inclined to explore again and again.
All in all Armature Studio has done a good job with Where the Heart Leads, offering a story-driven adventure based on choices that influence the story of the protagonist, but not very satisfying in terms of gameplay.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Where the Heart Leads is a wonderfully crafted narrative adventure, where every choice is felt throughout the story of Whit and his family.
We begin to see our hero’s life as a line—darting and looping instead of living.
Where the Heart Leads is almost impossible to put down thanks to its strong characters, deep story and attention to detail. The game is brought down only by its minor inconveniences such as bugs and typos that detract only a little from the main experience. For fans of narrative games, this is a must-play, but even those who do not consider themselves fans of the genre might find something they relate to in this game.
Despite its shortcomings, Where The Heart Leads offers an amazing and emotional experience with many endings that would rival games with the best replay value. The game will surely satisfy and maybe even inspire players to reflect on their choices in real life and the consequences it entailed on their loved ones.
Where the Heart Leads had a lot of potential, but was ruined by hollow dialogues, confusing navigation, shaky camera, and boring characters.
Review in Russian | Read full review
The game does land one or two emotional blows towards the end, but getting to those moments requires a lot of walking — sometimes with only a vague idea of where you’re supposed to be going — and watching dull conversations unfold. Where the Heart Leads is too long, with huge stretches that give you little to do, and in the end you might be questioning whether it was all worth it. That’s life.
Where the Heart Leads falls into a short, unique list of titles that lead you to ponder things long after the credits roll. The narrative holds a mirror to the player, cornering them against realistic in-game situations and forces them to investigate their values. It’s not preachy, by any means, but it uses realism in a way that made me want to get my own life in order. If such was the goal, Armature Games has succeeded through and through.
Where The Heart Leads is a fascinating and enthralling look at life and the full timeline of it and just how every moment shapes us as humans. Marrying gameplay and narrative wonderfully, Armature has created one of the best narrative-adventures ever. Overall, it is a little long and the opening doesn't grab like the end does, but even still, Where The Heart Leads is a journey like no other. It is an experience that I will carry with me as I progress through life.
Where the Heart Leads isn't going to be a game for everyone but it does a remarkable job at letting the player walk their own path through Whit's life. Much of the story is fairly ordinary but that's what makes it so relatable. It may even cause you to reflect on the choices you've made in your own life and how you may have helped or hindered those around you.
Nevertheless, Where the Heart Leads is worth picking up and playing as soon as possible. The story it has to tell is carefully crafted, emotionally vulnerable, and will stick with players long after the final lines of dialogue fade from the screen.
Where the Heart Leads is an independent production with an extremely specific focus. With a calm and reflective walk, he takes his own time, proposing a narrative that is never hasty or concise.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Where the Heart Leads is a fascinating and heartwarming narrative-driven story. That cannot be disputed, but what can is its pacing and rather lengthy run-time for a game that’s designed to be replayed and experienced multiple times. What you’re left with is a game hindered by its own lofty CYOA ambitions and desire to provide as much context — both necessary and not — to you about Whit’s world. I’m glad I got to experience it for its intriguing portrayal of life, but it may not be a journey worth taking again.
Where the Heart Leads is a narrative journey taking players through the often mundane, sometimes impactful choices made in life. Lacking truly worthwhile gameplay, a swath of players may avoid this meaningful, surrealist story and seek out something less ordinary.
Where The Heart Leads is a terrific narrative game that has you make hard, fascinating life choices on behalf of its characters to create a story that feels your own. It utilises its surreal elements sparingly, instead opting to focus on the realistic personal lives of its many richly nuanced characters. Despite some slight issues with dialogue, menus, and the camera, Where The Heart Leads is a great experience, and a fascinating exploration of issues rarely covered in games.
The power of decision-making is in your hands as you play through a man's life in Where the Heart Leads, a new surreal narrative game exclusive to PS4 (and also playable on PS5). What choices will you make, and where will they take you and Whit Anderson, as well as a host of other characters?
Touching and moving, Where the Heart Leads is a meaningful interactive journey.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Where The Heart Leads is a unique game that chronicles a family's entire life together, spanning generations and decades. It's ambitious, albeit flawed, but certainly interesting.