The Missing: J.J. Macfield And The Island Of Memories Reviews
If you haven’t played this game and read this review anyway, I still highly recommend playing this game if any aspect of this sounds compelling to you. I didn’t go over every little thing in the game, and it’s worth going through yourself. It only takes a few hours to play, and despite the somewhat steep price tag of $30, it’s well worth it. Judging it on the mechanics alone, it might seem underwhelming. But the way it ties all of its mechanics into the narrative and theme is fantastic, and the final sequence just knocks it out of the park, and had me in tears. Despite the odd direction in voice acting and the really lackluster visuals, its sincerity is what makes it compelling. It’s easily one of the more memorable games I’ve played this year, and it’s one I’m gonna be thinking about for awhile.
Also, with its limited camera, the game chooses to tell its story primarily through text messages, with only a handful of cutscenes. The plot won’t be spoiled here, but it is both extremely oddball in its storytelling, and also incredibly resonant to our times and anyone who has ever truly questioned if they were happy with themselves for various reasons as J.J. not only seeks to find Emily but also to come to terms with who exactly she wants to be. All of this is done in surrealistic imagery and some surprising revelations.
The Missing: J.J Macfield and the Island of Memories marries its remarkable storyline with memorable gameplay mechanics to form a truly exceptional and meaningful experience. No matter which walk of life you originate from, there's a monumental amount of positivity to take on board from Swery65's latest masterpiece.
The Missing's clever innovations on the platforming genre are more than just gimmicks. They underline the game's deeply emotional core and create a uniquely affecting experience. Like any Swery game, you might run into some technical difficulties, but those are easy to overlook when the experience as a whole is so fully realized. The Missing is like a dream in every sense, but it's one that you won't forget after you wake up.
The game should feel wrong or disjointed with the conflicting elements it includes, but it all creates a strange, poignant, and often beautiful whole.
Deadly Premonition creator Swery latest title, The MISSING, manages to combine a heartfelt story with solid platforming for an unforgettable experience.
This is a very important game, not only because of the gameplay or the horror mechanics but also because of the story and message it presents about diversity, about finding yourself, about the worries that come with growing up, but more than anything, it's a message about diversity, revival, and regeneration.
Slightly clunky platforming and inconsistent visual presentation isn't enough to meaningfully detract from one of the most emotionally affecting and innovative action platformers on the market. If you enjoyed the likes of Inside and Limbo, you'll love The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories
This Missing is a heartfelt affirmation of identity expressed through emotional turbulence and macabre staging. Its performance as a puzzle-platformer—suspiciously slapdash and presumably exploitative—revels in instability, but finds resolution through a singular and concordant message. The Missing's pieces fit its puzzle, even if the player (and The Missing's protagonist) believe they won't.
While it might not be up to the same kookiness of previous titles from SWERY, The MISSING has other reasons to make you stay, leaving you shook and heart-broken with a stop-start narrative, and an gameplay gimmick that doesn't overstay its welcome.
If you've been waiting for a return to glory for Swery65, The Missing is definitely worth your time. It might be the most conventional experience carrying his name in recent memory, but even then it will stick in your head. Whether it will be from the audacity of figuring out how to chop yourself in half to avoid some twirling death machine, or from the surreal nature of the unraveling narrative, it's a truly unique experience worth your time.
The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories is a dark, strange and utterly compelling journey.
This heartfelt and poignant adventure offers thrilling moments centered on a strong core idea
The Missing is a dark, confronting puzzle-platformer that offers light at the end of the tunnel.
The Missing is a compelling, interesting and unique horror-adventure
The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories is a great adventure, with lots of layers that Limbo lovers will love.
Review in Russian | Read full review
The Missing: J.J Macfield And The Island Of Memories is a heartfelt yet dark emotional tale, wrapped in a side-scrolling puzzle-platformer. It has macabre overtones, especially considering you are required to lose your limbs and at times throw them to dislodge objects to advance. There is a sense of poetry in The Missing, tying together emotions of death and rebirth. It's quite an intense emotional personal tale, but outside of collecting donuts, there isn't much reason to play through a second time.
The Missing – J.J. MacField and the Island of Memories combined it's puzzle-platformer gameplay and narrative in a way that truly makes use of the medium and highlight's it's best potential. Difficult subject matter and a leaning toward the surreal drive a story that touches upon aspects of humanity that are rarely explored in games.
J.'s story while solving puzzles and crossing obstacles in ways I've rarely had to think about before. It's a game that touched me on a personal level and one I'll be thinking of for a long time to come.
With its gruesome puzzles and serious subject matter, The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories isn’t for everyone, but behind the darkness lies a hopeful story and clever puzzle design.