The juxtaposition of playing this game right after Hi-Fi Rush is just sublime. Where Hi-Fi Rush is loud and fast this game invites you to play at your own pace. Take your time, observe, listen, take note. Let’s dive into why I am putting this game in my list of GOTYs this year.
Season is a game about memory. It is about choosing what to remember and what to forget. The titular season is about to change. What memories will you bring with you to the next? Which are precious? The sound of a windmill churning away? The sound of cows mooing in a farmer’s field? A bit of graffiti? The sounds of a radio station?
Season gives you all the tools you need to take note of the world. A bicycle to traverse the beautiful landscape. A camera to capture visual memories. An audio recorder to record auditory memories. Last but certainly not least, you, the player who has conversations with the people of this world and then makes active choices as to what to keep and what to throw away. You are the arbiter of memory in this world.
Season’s world is one where memories are a heavy burden for all. The Tieng Valley awaits the cataclysm of a tsunami of memories washing over it. How do we get past the roadblock of our memories? The change of season is an opportunity. An opportunity to bring the most important of our memories and leave the rest behind. The past need not be a heavy burden but a foundation for building new memories.
Ultimately, I think Season is a game that is trying to impart the importance of remembering /and/ forgetting. It is trying to say that forgetting memories is okay. It is fine. We cannot and should not be holding on to everything. The past is a double edged sword. It can teach us, give us warmth on a cold day but it can also hurt us and hold us back from moving on.
I think Season does succeed at imparting its wisdom. At least for me. Every person who plays this game will make different choices.
That compels me to ask y’all:
What is in your letter to the future?