Created by the Lemaitre Bros, the indie PC game Babbdi upholds itself as one of the best examples of the new age ‘walking simulators’. A genre that has divided the gaming community in recent years. As mentioned in the prompt article “A Brief History of The Walking Simulator”, this genre toes the line between video game and art, something I believe Babbdi has done with nuance and expertise. Honestly this game is geared towards anyone over the age of 13 that is looking for an explorative experience, and a fun time. As I traversed through the bleak world of Babbdi, my friend Neel (who was watching) and I were unnerved by the abstracted sound design and the bleak simplistic rendering of a soviet-era compound. Prior to this game, I had not played any sort of walking simulator, and hence I was a little bit of a skeptic. Therefore I was taken aback after a single playthrough of this game – walking does in fact tell a story and it does it well. After completing the game in just over an hour I found myself thinking about it for the rest of the day.
So how does Babbdi tell a story? From the very beginning, the physics of the game, paired with the distorted sound and bleak graphic design immediately convey to the player that we are in the realm of the surreal. This nuanced style of storytelling is pertinent throughout the entire journey, where the player traverses through unsettling brutalist apartment buildings and dark unsettling subterranean tunnels alike. To ignore the art style is to ignore one of the key pillars of the game. The sound design in itself is super original – here low fidelity sound effects are paired with the distorted voices of the tormented inhabitants of Babbdi. My friend and I were incredibly intrigued by all the art choices made by the creators and I believe this certainly fueled the dynamic where we were always more and more interested in exploring more of the world. One clever decision I think that was made by the creators was employing an element of mystery. This key mechanic of the game further prompted us to engage with the world, and explore the curious nooks and crannies the game has to offer such as: leaf blowers, subway soup, giant angry neighbors and the secret items. Although there were lax on formal elements such as conflict (as there were no antagonistic characters) and physical boundaries (no fall damage) there was a feeling of unease that pervaded the entire experience. As if I was waiting for something bad to happen at all times. Just so, the art design and the world is very effective at drawing in the viewer – very much mixing the aesthetics of sensation, narrative and discovery.
On top of the story, we also found that the physics in this game was exciting. With certain items, we could cling to walls and platforms across the world in a way that was both nerve-wracking and extremely rewarding. Although most of the missions/objectives seemed to be arbitrary such as impressing the girl by the church with motorcycle, we were always intrigued as it presented another opportunity to not only learn more about the world, but to explore another hidden mechanic. Another formal element – levels of difficulty – also was skilfully integrated into the experience. Just so the player is given open ended objectives besides leaving Babbdi, each varying in difficulty. This allows the player to pick and choose a tailored experience for themselves, maximizing their enjoyment. Therefore beside the avant garde artistic choices for this game, players are also driven by the intriguing dynamics of the world.
One flaw I would point out is that I want the game to be even more off putting. Sometimes I do admit that I was a little bit bored. Especially later on in the game when the environment was less of a shock and the liminal spaces became more and more deserted.
Overall I would highly recommend this game as a late night play with a couple of friends. This game absorbs the player into the story for so many different reasons, ranging from the art style to the open ended adventure and the exciting platforming/physics. More walking games like this please!
