Hindsight review: A meandering study on memories

As I finished Hindsight, I was left with this subtle feeling of melancholy. Playing the game was like peeling off an onion, layer by layer, unpacking the assemblage of emotions while realizing and reliving a mother-daughter relationship. At the very end, I was left wondering if we truly know anybody beyond what they are to us.

I came across Hindsight in last month's Annapurna Interactive Showcase and was immediately taken by the art style. The title showcased an interesting play on perspective, with its mechanic of moving into one memory from the other, and I was excited to step into the world of the fleeting trailer.

Looking for Crossword hints & solutions? Check out latest NYT Mini Crossword Answers, LA Times Crossword Answers, and USA Today Crossword Answers

Hindsight: A study in memories and memorabilia

The crux of Hindsight is quite literal. As the protagonist Mary, you reflect on actions that have happened in her past and come to a more nuanced understanding of why what happened and the role you played in it. You play as the daughter who has returned to her parents' home after her mother's death.

With each step she takes both inside and outside the house, memories of her past flood back in. She moves from one section of the house to the other, divided into various chapters, and explores the various items scattered around.

Objects are imbued with the history they signify, and each of these items takes the daughter and the player on a trip down memory lane. Piece by piece, players will get to re-weave the tapestry of her life.

We get to see her growing up, her relationship with both her mother and father, and how each affected her personality. One of the game's strongest points is its gorgeous and colorful imageries that players encounter while being led through each memory.

The title's color palette aptly reflects the overall tone of each setting and the story they tell. They are accompanied by beautiful soundtracks that truly reflect the narrative of each scene. For a while, Hindsight broadly reminded me of another indie title from the stable of Annapurna Interactive that came out this year, A Memoir Blue.

Where it shines

Besides the color palette and soundtrack, the highlight of Hindsight is how you move from one scene to another. Objects and items are windows to the bit of memory they hold within themselves. They link the present to the past and make for connecting threads that she and the player use to explore both.

The mechanic is well-integrated into the gameplay and creates an emotional experience as you move through each chapter. Be it a piano key or a card with an alphabet or a teapot, players will get to peer into the history of who she and her family are through shifting perspectives.

For me, this element of Hindsight shines the brightest when the protagonist visits her mother's room and wonders if she knew who her mother really was beyond being her mother. From finding news clippings her mother kept to self-portraits and plane tickets, the daughter gathers a glimpse of her that she only realizes in hindsight.

As the chapters pass, players will be given the option to choose one object from the multiple seen in each chapter. Players will get to place the object in a suitcase and pack it. At the end of the game, all of them are displayed on a desk in her room - a collection of unique items reflecting the memories the protagonist wants to hold on to.

And where it falters

First and foremost, the gameplay of Hindsight is predominantly point-and-click. Players will have to hold a point, drag their mouse and change their perspective to the correct angle so that they can move on to the next scene. Often these objects that players need to click or see are difficult to notice or the angle is not really intuitive.

During my playtime, I sometimes found it annoying to try to get the right angle by dragging. I also noticed a slight lag upon clicking the object and moving into the next scene. Other than this, the gameplay sometimes has players drag around items like moving books on the shelf to the perfect position so you can click on a past memory.

I felt that Hindsight would have benefitted from more of these scattered around the gameplay. Moments like these allow players to engage with the story and whatever is happening. To truly experience narrative games like these, players have to connect with the character rather than merely being an observer.

That brings me to my next point. Hindsight truly has some heartwarming moments. The scenes depicting the father and daughter relationship were some of my favorites. But Hindsight's story is not something quite entirely unique to the genre of narrative games.

Given its runtime, I yearned for scenes that would set the game apart, maybe where I get a more nuanced look at the relationship between the mother and daughter, the conflicts that set them apart, or the conversations they had after the daughter found success. In that sense, the writing could have been more organic and free-flowing than what often felt like focusing on cliches.

In Conclusion

The indie title does manage to evoke raw emotions within players. The color palette and soundtrack perfectly complement the narrative and its ups and downs. The idea of shifting perspectives and moving between past and present plays exceptionally well.

In my opinion, the game could have packed more of a punch in gameplay mechanics and narrative, especially given it runs for around two or three hours. The genre of narrative games is populated with titles that broadly follow the same plot points, and Hindsight needed to set themselves apart in a distinct way.

Hindsight is still a thought-provoking game. It boasts beautiful visuals, a play on the mechanic of perspectives and juxtapositions, commendable voice acting, and the notion of pondering on things that have happened in the past. It is a work of looking at a montage of memories, comprised of imagination and reality, and their effects on who we are.