Bury Me, My Love Review (Nintendo Switch)

It’s not every day that a game is able to both captivate gamers and keep them coming back for more. The Pixel Hunt has been able to accomplish both with their recent title, Bury Me, My Love. Follow Nour, as she attempts to flee her home in Syria and find refuge in Europe through a numerous amount of endings. It’s an emotionally gripping narrative that showcases the highs and lows on a strenuous journey like this, while also detailing just how random and spontaneous life can be.

Brilliantly Executed Concept

Bury Me, My Love is a text-adventure game in which the player helps accompany Nour on her journey out of Syria and into a sanctuary in Europe. One way that it stands out is just how the game makes the user feel. From the beginning, they start to offer advice and suggestions on where to go, what to do, and even what to buy. Nour usually takes this into consideration but she does whatever she feels is right. This can cause quite a bit of frustration, yet it’s incredibly immersive. It’s a feature that will draw users in and make them feel for these characters and the situations at hand.

Another way that this release feels realistic is with the passing of time. Often times, Nour is forced to put her phone away and the player is left with silence until that next text message pops up. It’s a fabulous use of the medium, however, it isn’t as impactful on the Nintendo Switch. The game’s mobile port, for instance, can display texts in real time, leaving you waiting to see when Nour responds. On the Switch, it doesn’t do this, rather it fast forwards time to get to the next message. Each display of time, however, always felt a bit annoying. When still reading a message, it would cut off to show how long time had passed before returning to the previous screen. These took away from the immersion a bit but still helps make things feel real.

One way that the game does feel good on the portable console is with its vertical mode. Simply flip around the console upwards and the touchscreen becomes the controller. This makes the game appear more like an oversized smartphone app which helps the overall experience. Using the touchscreen sometimes has problems with selecting a response, so a joy-con should be nearby when attempting this. Also, holding the Switch’s screen upwards may be a bit tedious, but if you own the Flip Grip controller, then it might may deter this.

Relatable Characters

Both Nour and Majd are compelling characters with incredibly realistic and relatable feelings. Majd often gets upset when Nour disregards advice while Nour becomes disgruntled whenever Majd won’t support a decision of hers. The way that each character responds is a part of their personality and it shines through surprisingly well despite being in a text message. One example of this is when Nour comes across a Starbucks and becomes extremely excited. How the two characters interact over this encounter are a perfect display of their relationship and emotions. Text responses can range from emojis to full-blown sentences. Whatever is chosen helps craft both characters accordingly.

Majd and Nour feel very human instead of just being emotional vehicles in a video game. Nour is often known to lie and keep secrets from her husband, as not to upset him. On the other hand, Majd can be often times controlling when it comes to what his wife does. They both have their own flaws and are by no means perfect which helps craft how this long-term relationship plays out. The two must learn to overcome these in order to stay sane throughout the duration of this journey. It’s stressful and can be made harder through errors made in part by the character, and not the player.

User-Crafted Experience

As previously mentioned, this is a user-crafted experience but it isn’t fully up to the player. There are 19 different endings that can take place and each can be met through various experiences. Every decision that pops up can shape where Nour goes next and what she does. She’ll send a slew of pictures detailing her journey, as well as her location. Nour is able to enter through a vast amount of countries and it’s up to the player to try and get her there. Gameplay can sometimes feed off of the emotions of Nour, so if she’s happy she’s more likely to be level-headed but if not, things can go haywire quick. She’s her own person and is more than willing to make a decision on the fly. This makes you feel like you’re actually a part of the adventure instead of a puppet master pulling the strings.

Bury Me, My Love is a delightful experience that is sure to draw users in right away. One thing that would have made the game a bit better is a soundtrack. What you see in the screenshots are what you get, alongside some texting noises like a normal phone. Staring at the screen can sometimes be a bit tiring since there isn’t much else going on. Another thing that was a bit tedious was reading through older messages. It’s not as simple as using a phone because of having to click through specific days instead of just scrolling. You won’t often need to look back, but it is nice to see where the journey has been.

The Pixel Hunt’s latest game is an incredibly memorable title that will keep users invested from the get-go. Its characters, story, and experience are worthwhile and are sure to leave an impression on those that play it. Bury Me, My Love is a smart title that is dealing with a difficult and serious subject matter, yet it has no interest in pushing a political agenda. This is more along the lines of a documentary while providing a creative twist to the text-adventure genre. Although this game is better suited for mobile devices, it’s a quality experience and worth a playthrough, especially for its $4.99 price-tag.

Thank you to The Pixel Hunt team for providing us with a review copy of the game!