Harmony: The Fall of Reverie hands on preview - A tale of aspirations and the fate of the world

In the world of gaming, there are a handful of titles that are as interesting as Harmony: The Fall of Reverie. To be honest, I was blown away by the trailer and was attracted to the concept of the story. It's a unique title that gives you choices at every step. There are no difficult mechanics involved. You can either use a mouse or just your keyboard to progress through the game.

It's a quaint and casual game that you can enjoy at your own pace. Having said that, here's my take on Harmony: The Fall of Reverie.

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Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is a neatly woven story

I won't get into too many details about the story because I'll end up venturing into spoiler territory. In a nutshell, the story revolves around Polly, who also happens to be a Harmony. Harmony is a goddess who can travel between the human realm, known as the "Brittle," and "Reverie," the realm of Aspirations.

Polly's mother, Ursula, was also a Harmony, and she's gone missing. So Polly comes back home to look for her mother. While exploring her own house, she stumbles across a necklace that teleports her to Reverie, where she meets the Aspirations.

During the very first act, I met two Aspirations, namely Bliss and Power. The first chapter serves as a tutorial of sorts, where you're introduced to the Augural, which serves as checkpoints and mission nodes in the game.

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is more of a visual novel. You have a main act overview containing all the chapters, and then you have the Augural, which contains the finer points within each chapter in an act.

The chapter selection screen looks very interesting and has different nodes for different chapters (Image via Dont Nod)

As you progress through the chapters, you'll come across different choices. Each choice will have a consequence on the storyline itself. I won't tell you what these are because that again veers off into spoiler territory, but rest assured, each and every arc is interesting in its own unique way.

Making a choice often locks you out of the other choices, and the only way to go through them is by restarting from the beginning. I couldn't replay an act after completing it. While there's still some time for the game to go live, it's unlikely that the developers will add new features to it within the span of a few days.

Completing a specific node reveals some more nodes in the storyline (Image via Dont Nod)

As you progress through the game, you will encounter multiple characters in the Brittle. They have their own stories and their own issues that they're dealing with. Overall, it's an interesting mix. It's evident that the developers have worked really hard on the story, which is one of the game's major selling points.

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Harmony: The Fall of Reverie has a soothing and mellow soundtrack

As an individual, I'm more drawn to the background score and the soundscape of a title. With Harmony: The Fall of Reverie, I've been in love with the soundtrack ever since I saw the trailer for the game. The music is on point. It is beautifully composed and captures your attention from the get-go.

The main menu has its own soundtrack to make things more interesting, while the chapter selection screen and the gameplay have their own. Not only that, every single character has well-articulated voicelines.

The artwork is detailed and well-designed (Image via Dont Nod)

Given that it's a casual narrative adventure game, there are no fast-paced elements at all. The soundtrack enhances the overall narrative immersional. The visual elements are equally detailed, with each character possessing unique features representing their state of mind and their personality.

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is a wonderfully made title. The storyline, artwork, and soundtracks are in sync and make up for a pleasant and calming experience. The overall narrative is well-designed, and I would wholeheartedly recommend this to players looking for a unique experience among the bustle of gaming.

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is scheduled to go live in June 2023. It will be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam).