I've said this before and I'll keep saying it until people believe me: Video games can tell a story in a way that no other storytelling medium can. People I talk to who aren't gamers don't understand how a video game can possibly tell a story. I honestly think they are picturing Super Mario Bros. or Tetris. Games today have so much variety and I hope to see more of that as technology progresses. Many games today incorporate storytelling into the core gameplay, and that is something I really enjoy. Honestly, I enjoy experiencing stories via video games rather than through books, television, or movies.
A few days ago, I finally sat down one evening to play Last Day of June on PS4. I got it on sale a few weeks ago, but I was putting off playing it because I knew it was going to be sad. Well, it was sad, but I had no clue just how deep the story would be. I went to bed still thinking about Carl and June, the two main characters who are so in love, it hurts.
On the gameplay front, Last Day of June really isn't much to speak of, and often frustrating at times. The game revolves around repetition, so naturally you have to do a lot of the same sequences over and over again. I did find myself getting annoyed with the puzzles by the third or fourth time I had to do them, but it didn't tarnish my experience overall. The good outweighs the bad in this beautifully tragic adventure.
Another really cool aspect of this game is that the characters don't speak any human language. It's a made-up language and there are no subtitles, so you really just read their body language to follow the story. I am absolutely in love with the watercolor painting art style. The character models are simplistic, with each character looking like a wooden puppet. The characters don't have eyes, which can be off-putting at first, but it's really cute in a unique way.
It's hard to write about this game without spoiling parts of the story that I want you to experience firsthand. All I can say is that Last Day of June explores how love can make you feel great joy and also great sadness. It's about loving someone so much that to live without them would be painful. Oddly enough, I thought about my grandparents when playing this game. Their relationship is a beautiful thing; they've been together over 55 years, and they complete each other. Carl and June are the same way; they would literally die for each other.
If you decide to pick up Last Day of June, just know that you will need a box of tissues to get through it. It's rather short and you'll be able to knock it out in one night. It's available on PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo Switch. Even though it doesn't have much replay value, it's worth the money.
Have you played Last Day of June? What did you think? Talk to me on Twitter: @cgottowhite
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Cassie Gotto-White is a gamer, a planner babe, and a boba tea fanatic. She discovered her passion for video games at age six when she was given an NES Top Loader by her aunt. Her current main consoles are the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. Some of her favorite games include The Last of Us, the Uncharted series, the Yakuza series, Persona 5, and Night in the Woods. Follow her on Instagram at @planningwithcass and YouTube at YouTube.com/PlanningwithCass.
