Draugen

(spoiler-free)
Draugen is a first person story-driven experience where you unravel the mystery of an abandoned Norwegian town named Graavik. It is a pretty short game, however, it’s going to bring a lot of different emotions in you and it’s going to make you crave for even more. It is a full ride. The game contains psychological as well as horror elements which only add up to the experience.
The thing that makes this game unique is the fact that we have a companion. We are accompanied by a young lady going by the name of Alice. She is a lot and literally all over the place. At the beginning I wasn’t very fond of her. She gave me a really bad impression. She was mean and pretty annoying with her comments. Over time she grew on me and I started to appreciate her presence. Those interactions became enjoyable. The town is spooky and will make players experience an eerie feeling. Having someone by your side whose location you can check by just shouting to them is interesting. It doesn’t make this place feel strange and scary anymore. It definitely wouldn’t be the same experience without her.
The visuals in this game are going to take your breath away. The town where the action takes place is located by the mountains and surrounded by the body of water. It is a bright and colourful place which leaves an enormous impression. It is an eye candy. This is a place very close to nature creating a very good and mysterious vibe. I also really loved the attention to detail. Everything just looks good. It makes you want to visit or even move to a place like this. A truly unforgettable setting.
The story is interesting and engaging but only in the first part of the game. The deeper we dive into the story, the less interesting it becomes in my opinion. I wasn't a big fan of what was happening later in the story. You will still experience plenty of different emotions while playing the game, however, it still feels like it is only a background to the characters and beautiful scenery of an abandoned town and the mystery surrounding it. You play this game for the experience, not the story.
In summary, the game turned out to be an interesting and enjoyable experience. I completed it in a single session. I honestly expected a bit of a different experience coming into this but I am not disappointed. I feel like my expectations were actually exceeded. I was having such a good time that I overstayed and listened to the sound of paddling and Alice's humming throughout the whole credits after the game. I am unable to say a negative thing about this game. It should speak for itself. It is definitely something I can recommend with a clear conscience.
You can find more detailed reviews on my curator page Malfour's Choice.

Interesting mythology and atmosphere, but you could see the twists coming a mile off and compared to other walking sims like Edith Finch or Everybody's gone to the Rapture it's all a bit bland, for me. Worth a punt if under a fiver.

Draugen tell's a story of loss and acceptance all while ignoring the more interesting aspect of the mystery. It's a shame considering how beautiful and interesting the world is around you and I couldn't help but think of the wasted potential this game has the whole time I played. It's still an interesting experience albeit a tad shallow.

Draugen is a captivating narrative-driven adventure that offers a truly unique experience, and I personally enjoyed completing it 100%, unlocking all of its distinctive achievements along the way. The game’s storytelling is subtle yet deeply engaging, drawing players into a mysterious journey through the Norwegian coast in the 1920s. What sets Draugen apart is its remarkable ability to capture the beauty and atmosphere of Scandinavia, with stunning environments, meticulously crafted landscapes, and a sense of isolation that perfectly complements the narrative. The relationship between the main characters feels authentic, and the interactions are both compelling and emotionally resonant. Exploration, investigation, and dialogue choices work together to create a rich and immersive experience, encouraging players to pay attention to every detail. The sound design and music enhance the haunting and melancholic atmosphere, making the world feel alive. Overall, Draugen is a beautiful and memorable adventure that brilliantly combines storytelling with visual artistry, earning a special place among narrative games.

Needs a neutral option, but I'll pick the closer of the two and recommend it.
It's a beautiful game which allows for a nice bit of clashing against the rather grisly, macabre narrative that unfolds before you. I also enjoyed the Alice character in theory, especially the later developments of her.
But there's only so much you can get out of this game. It seems unwilling to really stretch with its ideas. You have an unreliable narrator at times, but it never digs deep there. You have detective machinations, but you're railroaded and just have to point Edward forward and hold W until you win. It's a walking sim but the developers call this a mystery. And yet you don't solve the mystery at all. You have no real agency as Edward.
It's not incorrect to lack agency in a walking sim. Edith Finch had more even so, but it wasn't swathes more. Instead, Edith succeeds better here through the strength of writing. Draugen isn't poorly written, but it doesn't have the same amount of meat to chew on here. It especially has some clumsy dialogues dotting its playtime, which makes me confused. If we're locked in, we need more. If we aren't locked in, we could go around a lot more with the clumsy hand.
It just feels like the developers shot down the middle instead of focusing on either side of that chasm.
It's not enough to sink the game. Frankly if the characters were better I'd still happily recommend this. But Edward in particular is probably the most annoying protagonist I've experienced this year. He's just so whiny and boring even when things shape into an interesting direction.
Alice after a while just yells at him for this, which is valid because she's entirely right. Get your head outta your ass, Teddy.
I'm happy to have beaten the game. However it feels like they set the stage quite well and just needed to finish it better, and thus didn't quite stick the landing.

A weak recommendation, 6.5 out of 10. It's a walking simulator and the story in the background isn't really a great one. Also, there are two very similar plot twists in the game (with the second one clearly visible almost from the very beggining). The first twist was a bit more surprising, but actually welcome, as it made the relation of the protagonists far less creepy for the modern audience (basically, with what we learned about Edward and Alice, the only relationship between them that seemed to make any sense was of an older, 40-ish man and his 17 YO wife, with the marriage having had to last for at least over a year. And the dialogue and the relationship between the characters did seem to sell it. Which would be period realistic, it's 1923, but quite creepy for the modern audience, so I did welcome the plot twist. (That being said I really enjoyed the banter between Edward and Alice and I cannot understand people claiming the dialogue is cringe or unrealistic, as in some comments. The dialogue was very good.)
Also, the game is very short, so I'd only consider buying it in a sale.

I feel very conflicted about this game. I'm recommending it because I love how gorgeous the art and music are.
There are some minor failures in the order of the interactions that give you the sensation that you're missing things (options disappearing depending of what you choose first, objects that can only be interacted in the right moment and then never again..) but are minor annoyances.
The problem is the story. The game tries to convince you that you're playing a detective story but half game the writer shows the middle finger in a very badly presented plot twist and keeps on mocking about the player invesment in the story until the end, when a "our heroes will return" title appears in the credits when you're totally detached of the characters and anything that could happen to them in whatever the world they're living. The ideas for the "twists" were interesting, but were developed in the worst way possible, rushed and even confusing. Fortunately is a short game, from the twist on everything turns so unreal that there are no stakes at all, you drag yourself to the ending and ok. Sad disappointment.