Game Thoughts: Sable [DNF]
On a lazy weekend evening I booted up Sable on a whim and set out into the desert on my pod racer to find myself.
It's a strangely muted game of small quests, serendipity, and climbing things. If Breath of the Wild were a font, this is the monospace variant. There's less to do, less excitement, no enemies, and not a particularly large story -- but what the game lacks it makes up for in vibes.
Zooming around the various desert regions and discovering interesting locations is as engaging as it is relaxing and the world is scattered with mysteries both subtle and not. The sparse population of masked strangers are both creepy and endearing, and the slow accumulation of lore was satisfying -- though not quite compelling enough to beat the game.
One thing that stood out in my time with Sable was how well the developers captured feelings through sparse dialog, a touch of music, and visuals. They captured the bittersweetness of leaving home, of the excitement of a journey, and even of the dizzying confusion of the first time in a big city. It was all masterfully done, and I'm sure they nailed the landing with however they wrapped up the game.
It was a wonderful experience overall, but vibes alone aren't enough to keep me coming back beyond the 10-hour mark. Perhaps I'll revisit the game on another chill weekend, but for now I've packed it away in the pod racer satchel.