By making us wait more than a year compared to what was set, Nanotal: Typing Chronicles has finally come out of his state ofEarly Access, coming up PC e Google Stadia in its full version. The exclusivity of these two platforms alone is not accidental, given that we are facing a title in the series "Typing Chronicles”Made by the developer Fishing Cactus, spiritual successor of Epistory (find here our review of the last chapter). After having talked to you about Nanotale: Typing Chronicles in our preview, we now want to deepen the game in this review after having tried it thoroughly, written with the same keyboard that accompanied us in the fairy lands of the work.
Save the magic
Starting with a rather clear tutorial, the game quickly introduces us to its rather simple, but at the same time really interesting, storyline. During the adventure we will play the role of the scholar Rosalind, which will explore the world of Nanotale: Typing Chronicles writing down every detail discovered in his new notebook, studying the environment and facing adversity. But soon the girl will find herself facing a greater evil, with the aim of restoring the order of things and fixing the problems that afflict the magic of this universe. However, it will not be a linear adventure in which to venture to the sound of corridors, but of the continuous exploration of a world full of surprises, to be discovered by playing on the keyboard.
What makes the product unique - together with the previous Epistory from the same studio - is the main play mechanics. To carry out every action (each, perhaps almost to the point of exaggeration) is necessary write a multitude of words on the keyboard. Whether it's to continue lines of dialogue, interact with characters, study fauna and flora or fight enemies, everything happens through writing. Finally, the game has also been localized in our language, which makes it accessible to everyone, even if the most difficult challenges put in front of the player more and more complex and less known terms of our language.
Write speed is everything, and fortunately the difficulty of the game is not excessive in the early stages but well thought out and gradual, therefore able to accompany the player in his improvement step by step. Where the narrative rhythms do not shine particularly, due to a plot that is sometimes a bit slow to take off (although very interesting and fascinating), the more calm and relaxed playful sections allow you to practice this original gameplay. It soon ends up for practice writing words by looking only at the screen, also improving their typing skills in all areas. Where PC games require generic requirements, however, we would like to advise you in this review to equip yourself with a keyboard suitable for Nanotale: Typing Chronicles, which will put you at ease to enjoy this mechanic to the fullest throughout the adventure.
Strolling through an enchanted world
Rosalind's journey is structured in a rather complex world, well connected and full of areas to discover as you progress through the game and unlocking additional skills. Examining the thousand possibilities and writing everything down in the notebook allows you to gradually strengthen yourself by choosing from some of the proposed possibilities, while the game puts in front of the user new puzzles to solve in order to continue in the adventure. It must be said that, although the developer has made the best use of his resources to provide the right atmospheres in Nanotale: Typing Chronicles, it is easy for the monotony of the gameplay to make itself felt, due to the repetitiveness of the main action of the game. Fortunately, the setting and the atmosphere of the game can - in part - make up for the problem, but it is important to emphasize that without the right spirit it will be difficult to savor the experience to the fullest.
As for the graphics, we're happy to tell you that the art work has even been improved over Epistory, and that the magic really manages to get off the screen and embrace the player. The cel-shaded sector makes a good impression, except for some details such as the characters that are often a bit patchy, but still in line with the artistic style that the developer wanted to present to us. The sound side limps at times, in some cases presenting suitable melodies capable of entertaining and "bewitching" in dead moments, but sometimes fails by disappearing completely, and with environmental sounds and various entities that are often not very contextualized. Although they may seem insignificant, these defects often manifest themselves in the most wrong moments, creating a sense of emptiness that risks having to be filled with songs outside the game so as not to weigh on the user's shoulders.
