SHORT GAME REVIEW: ‘Adios’ didn’t make me cry, but it didn’t need to.
It’s often difficult for some to to imagine themselves in another person’s shoes for even a few moments. It’s another thing entirely to peer directly into their mind and shoulder the heavy burdens they carry on the last day of their life.
Such is the case with Mischief’s debut game ‘Adios’ recently released on Steam, itch.io and new Xbox systems. It concerns a rural American farmer meditating on the wrongs committed throughout his life, insisting on handing his resignation to a Mafia accomplice, knowing full well the consequences for doing so now loom like clouds over the very farm he takes responsibility for.
To discuss spoilers in any medium would usually imply a significant focal event that would single-handedly upend all perceived understanding up until that point of no return, like a plot twist. No such moment exists in ‘Adios’ of course, which is in essence a sombre slow-burn character study where every false dialogue option, worldly interaction and vocal inflection no matter how seemingly superfluous, drips with a sense of history and chilling significance. But to talk too greatly about any sum of Adios’ parts would potentially dilute much of the whole experience, when newcomers would likely be better served with the basic premise before making a purchase.
And purchase it they should; it’s a quiet, contemplative and raw narrative experience with very honest, uncomplicated presentation that’s entirely content with simpler (sometimes imperfect) 3D models, textures and animation in a singular location, as the acting performances and solemn worldly ambience serve to craft presence in place of any bombast or melodrama. Not every narrative needs to elicit a necessarily visceral reaction to gain merit or even be effective, and every moment peering through the window that ‘Adios’ gently pulls back the curtains on helped build to an internal exhalation of immense finality that will nonetheless stay with me for a not insignificant amount of time yet.
Earlier sections will guide the player towards key points of interaction almost on rails complete with waypoints, even as they allow the player to wander as they please thereafter, really placing an emphasis on embodying the main character and thinking as they would. This is all before the game slowly places enough trust in the players to even nix the waypoints entirely and leave them to their own devices with the surprising number of delicate interactive elements littering the world (though, perhaps a little too delicate in my experience). It felt somewhat intimidating when taken on its own (I kept dropping apples by accident), but the strong emotions brought about by the scale of exposition before it guaranteed I never tore myself away until the end.
Depending on how interaction-happy you are, you’ll amble through Adios in about 1–2 hours for the cost of a modestly-priced movie ticket, fitting for an experience so narrative heavy that it could tip over an ocean liner. Anyone looking to tuck in to a lean and tender evening meal of a story and lend Mischief some positive reinforcement in the process would be doing a great justice by playing ‘Adios’.
- Written by George A. Cheal, game was purchased personally