Unravel Reviews
Unravel is a romantic and funny platform game in which emotions and beauty are tied tight with simplicity.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The iffy puzzles and tedious backtracking in Unravel sadly cannot be fixed by switching to an easy mode as the game doesn't offer any kind of "just play the story" mode. That's a shame since the world and likability of the lead hero make the kind of adventure I love to get lost in. The price of $19.99 is fair for a campaign that lasts just under seven hours and, if you want to get all the collectibles, can probably go up to ten. I'm not giving up on Unravel, though. I think with better controls, fairer puzzles, and more leniency with the string allotment, Unravel 2: Enter the House Cat could be a real winner.
Unravel strengths lie more in its heart-warming story than offering compelling gameplay. Even though there are some thought-provoking puzzles, they're few and far between. There's no doubt Yarny is quite the adorable little mascot who has good intentions, but a video game can't succeed on good intentions alone.
From the moment that little ball of red yarn tumbled down the old woman's steps to the last bit of yarn that I strung from place to place in the old woman's memories, I enjoyed almost every step, swing, and catapult. The emotive little Yarny had me feeling for him as I traversed the dangerous terrain with his ever unraveling figure. Though the gameplay falls victim to ebbs and flows of being too frustrating at times and too easy at others, it was still an overall enjoyable experience. Like the fading memories of the old woman, it may not stick around in your immediate cognizance, but taking this expedition with Yarny over a weekend afternoon will certainly make an imprint on your heart.
Cloying adorability is Unravel's saving grace. Propped up on a crutch constructed from mawkish sentimentality, it gets away with a fair few missteps and manages to claw together a smattering of memorable moments. This pretty shell, however, is undeniably a shell, and no amount of pretty little animations can make up for a total drought of engaging game design.
Poetic Swedish platformer about a yarn creature reliving the pictorial memories of an elderly woman is a must-play
Unravel is an endlessly surprising game in so many ways that it's tough to pinpoint exactly what makes it all work so well. It feels like the game equivalent to your favorite art house movie, where it speaks a message that is both universal, and yet completely personal to you. Even beyond the artistic, the game functions well on a technical level, delivering both great graphics and fantastic music, while also hitting on some great gameplay. Trial and error deaths get in the way, and some puzzles might frustrate, but overall Unravel is a triumphant experience from start to finish.
Yarny's journey might have its ups and downs, but it's brief and beautiful. It is a mostly wordless message of love.
Short, sweet and really rather good.
… Unravel doesn't miss a step. A wonder to play, a joy to experience, a feast for the senses and a heartfelt story told by a team of passionate developers.
Unravel is disappointing on several levels, simply because it rarely steps outside the box mechanically to deliver a fun or interesting experience. The narrative is what drives the game, and even some of that feels obtuse at times. I wanted to love Yarny and his adventures, but the game wrapped around it is simply mediocre in design to the point that as brief as the journey was, I simply wasn't having fun pushing through it, which is sad because Yarny appears to have more heart than most bigger-budget games.
This generation has seen a glut of puzzle platformers grace the PlayStation 4, but fortunately for those interested, Unravel is absolutely one that deserves attention. While it feels like more could have been done with its mechanics, the game's charming and has a great lead character. It's also sublimely presented. It's not quite the epic yarn that we were anticipating, then – but Coldwood's meticulous needlework makes it worth a look at least.
Oozing charm and sentimentality, it won't just pull at your heartstrings, it'll tie them up in great big wooly knots, attach them to a boulder and drop them off the edge of a cliff.
Unravel is a gorgeous, tender, heartwarming experience. Endearing to the last thanks to a well-designed world and achingly sweet protagonist.
Unravel is an undeniably great looking game that packs a lot of heart.
As a metaphor for the ties that bind a family together, Yarny and Unravel are exceptional; beautiful, and invoking a quiet contemplation, It's just hard not to wish it was a better game.
Unravel packs a challenge within its beautiful backdrop
Unravel is a welcome change to the EA rosta and a lovely tale that will have you feeling all warm inside – like sinking into a warm bath that eventually gets a little cold with time. Yarny is an adorable and utterly believable lead who tells the aging woman's story well, allowing you to embellish it with your own experiences.
Unravel succeeds by coupling together a thoughtful, moving story with challenging platforming scenarios and a gorgeous presentation that brings out the best from EA's "indie" side. It may leave you stuck in a few places, but this is one of those games that certainly won't, ahem, string you along.
Unravel is an ode to cherished memories, but doesn't create any of its own. It is gorgeous to look at and listen to, but its repetitive, sometimes laborious and frustrating, puzzles undermine the game's relaxed tone without offering much in the way of a challenge.