The Gardens Between Reviews
I personally appreciate that The Gardens Between never came close to overstaying its welcome. Minimalist images between the islands help the player piece together the story, and the game ends with a subtle-yet-powerful scene that made me think about my childhood and the time I spent with friends in the moment.
Even if the nostalgia of the objects littered throughout the islands is before your time the emotional resonance of The Gardens Between should work for everyone in some regard. Memories from being younger, simpler times. The ending is bittersweet, but the journey there is every bit rewarding through interesting mechanics and subtle story-telling.
Knowing that I was walking into an abstract puzzle game, I wasn't quite prepared for what I received. Even at that, I found myself to be pleasantly surprised and challenged by this game. I tend to gobble puzzles for breakfast and some of these islands had me stumped. I love this game and would recommend it to all ages because of its art style, casual nature, and general concept. It does not have any violence, fighting, nor inventory management making it the perfect game for youth and adults to enjoy.
I enjoyed every bits and pieces of The Gardens Between and I admired every garden of it. My only regret is that the game is kind of short.
The Gardens Between shouldn’t be overlooked. The near-perfect title combines beautiful imagery with seamless gameplay and challenging puzzles, creating a top-notch gaming experience.
Although short, The Gardens Between is a relaxing puzzle game with unique ideas and a nostalgic, bittersweet snapshot of childhood friendship.
The Voxel Agents have managed to knit a clever game concept around time manipulation with only one key plus analog stick and completely without text, which not only becomes a bit more complex from level to level, but also hardly repeats itself. If you don't mind the short playing time, The Gardens Between is a wonderfully playful and pretty puzzle adventure that's perfect for in between.
Review in German | Read full review
Time flows inexorable, but this work allows us to play with it, to mold it to our liking, but it always takes us to the end of the narrative. Although the reality is that there is no end to it: memory and friendship, memories and shared experiences move in a circle, like the islands of this work. A wheel that has no beginning or end, in which looking back also implies look ahead. A wheel.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Journey through a world that can only exist in your dreams. A dreamlike world seen through the eyes of two young children reminiscing about their time spent together. Their struggles, their joys, their adventures. This is The Gardens Between.
The Garden Between may not be a puzzle game that challenges you, but it is one that makes you think. It’s enchanting, creative, introspective and entertaining, and whilst it’s let down by its simplistic gameplay, it’s got enough nostalgic charm to stay afloat.
I enjoyed my time with The Gardens Between and appreciated it dealing with a topic that almost everybody can identify with but few games have tackled. Contemplative and moving, The Gardens Between is perfect fodder for a rainy morning in bed spent reminiscing about friends lost and the years separating then and now.
The Gardens Between is, in my opinion, one of the most original and emotional puzzle games to hit the PS4 this year. Each of the puzzles has been carefully planned out and crafted into memorable and fun situations, even the ones which don’t seem like puzzles at first until you look around and work out what you have to do. The music can get a little repetitive in-game (it changes as you move through the chapters), but the ambient sounds and the calmness of the tune really help you think about the solutions. It also allows you to immerse yourself as you sink into the world of Arina and Frendt within the spectacular looking dream-like environments.