Finding Paradise

Yesterday my friend Pix gave me an absolutely wonderful Christmas present, and last night I enjoyed playing through it with all of my friends on Twitch. We were able to complete the game in a little over 6 hours, and had a wonderful time experiencing Finding Paradise together.

Finding Paradise is the sequel of 'To The Moon' following the work of Rosaline and Neil as they try to make people's final wishes come true. Just like it's predecessor Finding Paradise explores the thoughts and memories of a character throughout his life to try and learn more about him, and his history.

Unlike the assignment we followed before where they accomplished something a man had always dreamed of, this time it is up to the Sigmund Co. employees to uncover what their client himself was unable to clearly articulate to them...His final wish.

If you are looking for an adventure or action RPG Finding Paradise is NOT it. Games created by Kao and Shigihara are far from typical. They set out with a story to tell and give you the opportunity to walk through it and experience it. Their games feel like walking through the pages of a novel. It's a really unique and wonderful experience.

In the game there are a lot of really great references to different games and shows by the technician Neil. There is a transformation sequence, there are references to fighting games, and classic RPGs along the way too. These things are integrated in a really fun way that satisfy nostalgia junkies like me.

As with the previous game its kind of difficult to describe much of the game without including spoilers. I can say that its really precious to explore someone's memories, to consider what if things were different, and whether or not we would want to change the past even if we could. Sometimes some of the worst things we experience are the same things that lead us to some of the most beautiful memories in life.

I've been through some pretty dark times in my own life. While I can't say that they were fun, or that I would wish those experiences on anyone... I can say that these events are part of what made me who I am today. Its the bad things that challenged me to pursue my dreams, and to change myself for the better. I wish that these were lessons that I could have learned without hardship, but considering who I am I don't really think there was another way. I don't think I could have accomplished my goals, or helped people the way that I have without living through the painful parts of life.

Finding Paradise really wants you to consider this sort of situation. Is the grass truly greener on the other side?

As always the music in Finding Paradise is very pretty, and tells the story very well. There were a couple of tracks that really stood out. However, by comparison I feel like To The Moon had a much stronger soundtrack than the new game. Thankfully the story really draws you in and the stronger tracks are well placed. The art in Finding Paradise is really quite nice. In scenes like the one above it really shows how much the artist's skills have grown. I'm only sad I don't know how to make video gifs to show you the wonderful motion here, but perhaps it's best if you play the game and experience this moment for yourself.

Play Finding Paradise. It's a truly lovely game with a powerful story. Although it is technically a sequel, and there are moments that throw back from 'To the Moon' it wouldn't be bad to jump into the tale right here. Even though Finding Paradise is pretty capable of standing on its own you should definitely play both titles.