Although Mundaun’s eerie, pencil-sketch aesthetic is very effective, it is somewhat let down by a few tedious fetch-quests and unimpressive mechanisms.
Note from the editor: Hi there! We’ll be examining games that came out in 2021 but we were unable to cover at the time for a variety of reasons in our “Games That Got Away” series, which will run over the next few days.
We’ve revisited some true treasures; for more catch-up reviews similar to this one, visit the Games That Got Away hub, where all of our articles from the series will be collected in one handy location. Have fun!
I get sight of them as the ski lift crests the slope. Countless numbers of them, erect and motionless, protruded stiffly from the snow. I’m not sure whether these troops are dead or alive, but their guns are leaning against their left shoulder and their heads are down low. I’m not sure whether they exist or are just a product of my mind. I have no desire to come any closer to find out for sure, but all I know is that they frighten me out. It’s certainly the most disturbing thing I’ve encountered thus far, which is something, since I’ve spent much of my time here feeling hopelessly on edge.
Mundaun typically performs this. It staggers between our world and a dark, otherworldly one where an elderly guy in a jaunty hat still frets about a decades-old contract, treading carefully between the real and the imagined, the powerful and the commonplace. He believed he had been duped. Some think the elderly boy had his just desserts. Curdin, an innocent bystander who was sent to this location after your grandpa passed away and you received an oddly chilly letter from the local priest, set out to discover why.
The word “hand-drawn” conjures up images of cartoon characters. soft hues. Breathtaking azure sky with fluffy clouds above. Nevertheless, none of these exist in Mundaun. This world is strangely dark and sharp because every pencil stroke—and that’s all we’ll see here, as lead and sepia hues are the sole materials used to depict the peaceful town of Mundaun—is harsh and cruel. The artistic method can sometimes work against you; maps that have been angrily scrawled by hand, without scale, can be very difficult to follow, and there are times when things get so dark, both literally and figuratively, that you might find yourself stumbling around in the pitch-black night with no idea of where you’re going. However, the lack of color also creates a surreal, dreamlike experience.
While Mundaun’s creepy, pencil-sketch aesthetic works really well, a few repetitive fetch-quests and poor systems drag it down a little.
Editor’s note: Hello there! In our “Games That Got Away” series, which will run over the next two days, we’ll be looking at games that came out in 2021 but we weren’t able to cover at the time for a number of reasons.
We’ve gone back and looked again at some real gems; for more summaries like this one, check out the Games That Got Away portal, where all of our articles from the series will be gathered in one convenient place. Enjoy yourselves!
As the ski lift crests the hill, I get a glimpse of them. They stood straight and immobile, hundreds of them sticking stiffly out of the snow. These soldiers have their heads down and their rifles resting against their left shoulder, but I’m not sure whether they’re dead or not. I’m not sure whether they’re real or simply a creation of my imagination. All I know is that they scare me, and I have no desire to investigate any further. I’ve spent a good deal of time here feeling quite tense, so it’s definitely the most unsettling thing I’ve seen so far.
Usually, Mundaun does this. It teeters precariously between the real and the imaginary, the powerful and the banal, and stumbles between our world and a dark, otherworldly one where an old man in a jaunty hat still worries about a decades-old contract. He thought he had been tricked. Some believe the old boy got what was coming to him. Curdin, an innocent bystander dispatched to this spot after you got that strangely cold letter from the local priest shortly after your grandfather died away, set out to find out why.
The term “hand-drawn” evokes visions of animated figures. gentle colors. Gorgeous blue sky with fluffy clouds above. However, in Mundaun, none of these are present. This world is curiously dark and sharp because every pencil stroke—and that’s all we’ll see here, since lead and sepia colors are the primary materials employed to illustrate the calm hamlet of Mundaun—is harsh and terrible. The artistic method can also be a hindrance at times; angrily hand-drawn maps without scale can be very hard to follow, and there are moments when darkness descends so completely, both literally and figuratively, that you can find yourself lost in the dark and unable to find your way. But the absence of color also produces a dreamy, surreal atmosphere.
There’s combat, too—sort of— but like many horror games, you might discover that defense is the best form of offense. This is due, in part, to the degradable hayforks you come across and Curdin’s outrageous rifle swaying, which essentially renders it useless (this was incredibly disappointing, especially since you’re teased by having to scavenge ammo for it hours before you’re able to unlock it). However, you may use matches to ignite bundles of straw on fire in the hopes that the flames will follow the path to the sinister creatures hiding in the rear, but doing so will unavoidably put you in a very dangerous – and heated – position. Maybe like me, you’ll discover that the Muvel and your reliable sledge serve as very portable killing devices.
By the way, I found the worst monstrosities to be the ones you encountered right away. Their angry roars reverberate off the wounded sky as they shamble over Mundaun, part haystack, half human. They are sluggish and a little inelegant. When you approach too closely, the razor-sharp crown of hay will stab into your peripheral vision, causing your heart to race. Additionally, the fingers on your left hand, which was permanently marked by the old man at the beginning of your voyage, will coil and distort before breaking and shattering like kindling on a campfire.
That’s all really strange, if that makes any sense. This intriguing story features a gentle ebb and flow in Mundaun’s grasp of reality. The protagonist of this game has the ability to urinate—mandatory, at times—and the eerie hymn-like music that wafts from radios is collected for reasons I’m still not quite sure of. Curdin doesn’t think this is noteworthy that a silent girl with our grandfather’s feminized name follows us about and a magic bell can guide the way in a snowstorm?
Actually, Curdin doesn’t make much notes. He’s a strangely detached guy, despite the horrors all around him: talking haystacks, ghostly soldiers, weaponized bees, a severed goat’s head that’s always ready for a conversation, and a bizarre rendition of the abominable snowman. He appears neither startled nor especially upset by what he sees and learns from the minute he discovers what’s waiting for him amid the ruins of his grandfather’s burned-out barn until he leaves the hamlet, winding down the same mountain pass he traveled upwards four days before. Not that I want Curdin to be one of those protagonists who are so boring that they talk to themselves nonstop and force the plot along with huge exposition dumps, but his complete lack of concern is so startling that it almost makes you laugh. If it were a clever little plot element, I suppose I could understand it, but it’s not. It’s simply… well, odd.
That’s not to say that the voice acting isn’t fantastic; in fact, I felt it was a brave but smart choice to tell the whole story in the original tongue. The voice performance is subtle yet effective, much like the sound effects and music. Additionally, even while I liked Mundaun’s distinctive appearance, its original theory is undermined by the game’s unimpressive gameplay features, repetitious fetch quests, sometimes unclear puzzles, and a fear system that doesn’t seem to offer anything.
Horror has had a great year in 2021, and Mundaun can confidently hold its own among its contemporaries. Even if it may not be the greatest game you’ve ever played in terms of mechanics, it’s still a unique and unforgettable experience that I won’t soon forget.