SEASON: A letter to the future Reviews
Season's artstyle and gameplay are unique and fun, but because of its forgettable narrative and generic premise, it feels like yet another game that exists solely to win awards from Geoff Keighley.
As it turned out Season: A Letter to the Future was nothing more than just another forgettable indie title. Even if gorgeous trailers made you think otherwise.
Review in Russian | Read full review
As a tranquil Indie experience, SEASON certainly isn’t bad but it's not a particularly good game either. It does have some stand-out moments and the general worldbuilding is pretty good but everything else around that is woefully substandard. Traversing the world on your bike is surprisingly dull (don’t expect to fall off your bike or find any physics applied to this), while both the animation and general mechanics at play here leave a lot to be desired. SEASON's simplistic design is both its biggest selling point and its Achille's heel.
Giving players the freedom to capture anything sounds liberating, but its lack of structure makes it all a hollow endeavor, a feeling that’s only made even more extreme during its general, unsatisfying ending.
Every system in Season seems to just be encapsulated by highs and lows. There will be something I'm really enjoying like the act of cycling, but then simultaneously an annoyance or disruption will creep in and spoil it. That is not to say there is nothing to enjoy within Season - quite the contrary, with the form of a great game clearly here. Aspects like the haptic feedback and active preservation excel within the game, but there is far too much clasping on the brakes to get the rhythm going, even in such a short game.
SEASON is a poetic, meditative game, but it often bluntly calls too much attention to its intentions, especially with fussy dialogue like “I feel a dulcet tension in the air.” Then again, it does capture the soothing sensation that comes from immersing oneself in another world and learning about it, and with the exception of the game’s final encounter, it’s nothing if not consistent. In the end, SEASON isn’t about answers so much as it is about coping with loss. As one character puts it, repeating one word like a mantra, time always moves on: flow, flow, flow.
A girl is trying to record her world at the end of an era, but what promises to be an emotional experience can often feel artificial
Season is an extremely chill game about leaving home for the first time, touring the world on a bike, and recording the wonders you find along the way. Also, the world might be ending, but no one is letting that ruin their day. While it’s filled with scenes of beauty, Season’s awkward pace and muddled message leave it feeling a little undercooked.
A poignant, slow-paced but ultimately shallow exploration of memory and legacy in a changing world, that also manages to be the world's first cycle-based walking simulator.
SEASON: A letter to the future is not everyone's cup of tea. the game suffers from serious technical issues and gameplay problems. That being said, you may find story interesting in a unique way.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Season: A letter to the future offers plenty of moments of low-key beauty and, at its best, makes you truly feel part of a unique and enigmatic world on the verge of great upheaval. Unfortunately, the game’s abrupt ending and reluctance to make meaningful statements about the subjects it brings up may leave you questioning what it all meant. While an often-pleasant slice of virtual tourism, as a complete game this one feels a bit underseasoned.
Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.
Season: a Letter to the Future is strange. When everything works perfectly and you find yourself in front of one of the stupendous landscapes that make it up, which tell long stories without the need for many words, it is a work of art that leaves you speechless. The freedom given to the player to define the shape of Estelle's adventure and literally bring the season's sunset diary to life is a breath of fresh air, but not strong enough to take flight and the story ends up stopping after a few bars, interrupting a speech suddenly, giving the impression of having left something unfinished.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A gorgeous world is denied a chance to tell its own tale.
Season wants to create a dialogue between the past and the future, forgetting that documentary filmmakers have their own interests and opinions and that it makes no sense to decontextualize culture.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
More than anything else, Season is about the vibe it cultivates. Asking you to pause, actually look and listen to your surroundings, not just as a way to work on your journal but as a way of life. It is certainly a beautiful experience, one I couldn’t help but reflect on even after I’d put it down. But outside of that, it is a little bit short, and there doesn’t seem to be too much in the way of replay value. If you’re down with that vibe, you’ll find this a very relaxing experience with some entertaining worldbuilding and a few mysteries for suspense. However, being pretty much a one-off experience more like a movie may rub a lot of gamers the wrong way.
SEASON: A Letter to the Future offers a peaceful and uncomplicated experience. The game only asks us to take some time for ourselves and enjoy the present moment. The scenery and sounds are beautiful. But as soon as we look closer, we notice the shortcomings of the game. The controls are far from perfect. The dialogues rarely make sense. And some might find the game a bit repetitive on what we have to accomplish. The game won't be remembered, but it might allow many to take a break from their tumultuous lives. And this is a more than positive point.
Review in French | Read full review
Season's ability to tell small human stories is admirable amidst its calming gameplay, even if it doesn't fully explore its big talking points.
Once you do find the paths you need to take, the story is over before it ever got going. The game's opening makes it feel like your character is embarking on a quest, but that journey ends after one stop. In that way, Season is structured like spring. You barely realize it's here before it's already gone.