Last Day of June Reviews
Last Day of June wants you to feel a certain way, but the way it goes about it is clumsy and haphazard, and the visuals are unsettling.
Sadly, thanks to poor storytelling and frustratingly repetitive game design I was just left feeling angry at the end of the game; not sad.
Although Last Day of June's story has impactful moments of grief, loss, and companionship, it's limited by a frustratingly repetitive gameplay loop.
A visual masterpiece with an interesting central gameplay idea that unfortunately fails in its main mission of being emotionally engaging
A joy to view but sometimes a chore to play, Last Day of June delivers a touching story that's worth finishing.
More a work of art than a game, Last Day of June depicts a beautiful, powerful story that works wonders when combined with Steven Wilson’s music and aesthetic.
It's light on gameplay and may make a few missteps, but Last Day of June's important themes will resonate with plenty of people.
An emotional tale that is extremely short but also worth the time spent if you can get over its flaws. The pacing could be a little better and the gameplay could have avoided the repetitive nature of its design but it is still a good experience overall.
Last Day of June is a great example of how to turn a short tale into an engaging interactive experience, one that importantly does not overstay its welcome. There may be one or two frustrations along the way but, all-in-all, it tugs at the heart strings in the right places on the story front, and also engages the brain on the gameplay side of things enough to make everything feel extremely satisfying once it reaches its conclusion.
Last Day of June is a frequently beautiful experience, with a likeable cast, gorgeous visuals, lovely music, and an ending that feels like both a logical conclusion and a tear-jerking finale - yet it stumbles when it comes to actually being a game. Its core concepts are sound, but the constant repetition quickly erodes much of the gravitas, especially for players who get stuck and need to spend some time jumping back and forth between characters. It says something that the game was at its best in its final fifteen minutes or so, where much of the "real gameplay" was thrown out in favour of an "interactive movie" approach. Of course, throwing out that gameplay altogether wouldn't do the title any favours, as its narrative and mechanics are intrinsically tied together and designed to play off one another. It's just a shame that one of those halves is decidedly weaker than the other.
While short, Last Day of June is a nice story that will capture you for the entirety of your playthrough. However, the ending ensures that the game won't stay with you after you're done.
Before you pick this game up, know what you are getting yourself into. It gets messy and you may only play it once. This is not a game you play for the fun, but for the feelings. So, be open to getting a little uncomfortable… and don’t blame the onions, it’s ok if you tear up a bit.
Last Day of June is a beautiful presentation of a heart-wrenching tale that is hindered by less-than-stellar game mechanics.
Last Day of June is a short but emotional tale that is worth an afternoon playthrough, though at times the gameplay feels a little lacking.
Looking past the mediocre puzzle and adventuring elements as well as the cinematic repetition, Last Day of June excels at storytelling – conveying emotion on-screen in a way few other games manage to achieve. The developer has admittedly done a sound job at making a title involving such depressing themes as beautiful as possible – through its unique animation, perfectly synced soundtrack and stunning visuals. If you do intend on playing this, the ending is as catastrophic as it is comforting.
If you like to be worn by a melancholic atmosphere, enchanting visuals, and a touching story, be sure that this game titillate your chord and perhaps knows how to make you shed a little tear.
Review in French | Read full review
Last Day of June is a personal and emotional journey that brings you to the most beautiful corners of love and the darkest and most painful corners of loss at the same time. It's a compelling journey, with relatable characters within a beautiful world, brought to life with a sensational score. But ultimately, it's uninspired, core ground-hog day gameplay loop hinders and undermines everything that has been built around it.
The Last Days of June tells an emotional story of loss and acceptance, though it can't claim to have an entirely original story. An art style that's half cute storybook Claymation and half soulless, eyeless faces may be pretty divisive, but the game's time looping puzzles tie well into the feelings of repetition and despair.
Shortly after the intro moments, when I realized that The Last Day of June wasn't a title about the end of summer but the last day of a person's life, the reality set in that this was going to be an emotional rollercoaster, and it surely is.
Last Day of June is a beautiful rumination on the ways death and fate are indelibly intertwined. It's also a competent puzzler with a winning sense of style. Repetitiveness and a slightly predictable structure stymie the proceedings somewhat, but never enough to ruin what is an otherwise lovely experience.