Park Storyis an indie RPG released by one-person video game developer Person of Interests. The game follows its protagonist as he emerges from a car accident with no memory of who he is or where he is going. He finds himself trapped in a haunted park and must work with local animals and ghosts to get out.
Inspired by classic top-down action RPGs likeThe Legend of Zelda,Park Storyhas many mysteries for its players to unravel. Mahagow Glen Country Park has much more going on within it than first meets the eye. To escape its eerie depths, players must ready themselves for quite a journey ahead.
1Don’t Expect A Lot Of Direction
Many games go easy on their players in the beginning andinclude plenty of tutorial levels, as well as sometimes annoying amounts of exposition to set the scene. ButPark Storyis quite different. The game opens with a stylized scene of a car accident, from which the protagonist emerges mostly unscathed but with a strange kind of amnesia about the world around him.
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The game begins immediately after the accident and players are left to explore this world on their own. Though the quests that unlock throughout the game do point players in the right direction, the details of how to complete them can be quite ambiguous. Players must be willing to try everything and think of solutions themselves to progress.
2Prepare For Puzzles
ThoughPark Storyis classified as an action RPG, much of its gameplay relies on players solving puzzles in order to unlock specific items and move on. Many of these puzzles require players tothink outside the boxand figure out what it is that they need to progress.
Though there are enemies to be encountered, the dungeons inPark Storyare laden with moving parts, hidden keys, and plenty of diverging paths. Players will need to pay attention to their surroundings and keep their mind in a puzzling mood to succeed.
3Enjoy The Scottish Scenery
It may not be immediately obvious to most players, butPark Storyis heavily influenced by Scottish culture and climate. Developer Martin Perry, the man behind Person of Interests, is based in Scotland himself and as such the game contains many classic Scottish elements in itsautumnal and rainy world.
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Keeping this cultural setting in mind will help players understand the story and some of the dialogue a lot better. It will also give players an added appreciation for the uniqueness of the setting and bring a little realism to the weird and wonderful Mahagow Glen Country Park.
4Interact With Everything
In games likePark Story, it’s important that players know all thetools that they have at their disposal. An unassuming crate in a corner might be the key to opening a door with a pressure lock; a poster on the wall might obscure a hidden passageway.
Though it might seem like the obvious cardinal rule of RPGs, it really is necessary to interact with anything and everything available. The art style of this game can make it difficult to tell what is interactable and what isn’t, so it’s safer to try everything just in case.
5Keep Your Wits About You
Like any good RPG,Park Storyhasplenty of encounters with enemiesto keep players on their toes. Toward the very beginning of the game, players will stumble across an axe that they must use to protect themselves. This axe will be their primary weapon with which to fight off the enemies that appear.
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The encounters with enemies, however, can be rather unexpected. Players won’t get the opportunity to see them roving about and prepare. Enemies will instead appear out of a puff of smoke and purple fire with exits often being blocked off for the encounter.
6Watch Out For Hazards
It’s not just enemies that pose a danger to the protagonist’s health bar, butthe environment too. While much of the early levels are forgiving, more and more dangers will appear as players progress through the levels.
Much like with the interactable items, the art style can make it tricky to see whether something is a hazard. Players should be cautious when exploring Mahagow Glen Country Park and ensure that they’re saving their health bar for the enemies.
7Get Ready For Things To Get A Little Weird
ThoughPark Storycontains a lot of traditional RPG and puzzle game elements, its overarching story is certainlyanything but conventional. After being welcomed to the park by a talking cat who promptly names him Parker, the protagonist has many odd encounters with the park’s other inhabitants.
From fighting against the Great President of Hell who happens to be a demonic raven, to working with the animal Lairds of the park who form its parliament, there are plenty of bizarre and astounding elements ofPark Story’snarrative. The sooner players can embrace the weirdness, the sooner they can escape the park’s clutches.
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