Oracle

To be, or not to be? Literally.

A neat, prettily designed short game without much action besides walking on a strange island, discovering half-ruined landmarks and reminiscing on your relationship with a sinister woman whose influence on your life has been disastrous. The deeper nature of the narrator's feelings for and about her are gradually revealed in voiceover as he stumbles upon each key location.

Although any underlying themes are never made entirely clear, the experience in total is quite absorbing and enjoyable. That said, there are some amusingly unrealistic details, like the fact that you won't be killed even if you fall down a mountain slope - you never really fall, you just keep running along the cliff - or spend hours wandering underwater without needing to come up for air (which could simply be a device to avoid complicating the plot, but it also made me think of a certain theory that I won't divulge for fear of spoilers).

Interestingly enough, the way dry ground blends into the sea bed is poetically surreal in places, with stunning colors and blooming vegetation peeking from just below the surface of the water. The various monuments are beautifully made (if creepy sometimes) and relatively easy to find and explore - except the ancient mine which, sadly, appears to be inaccessible for some reason.

This isn't a game for action enthusiasts. It is somewhat idiosyncratic, story-driven but obscure at the same time, looking more like a demo rather than a brief but complete game. However, the lovely landscapes and dreamy atmosphere are worth at least one playthrough. The puny price and the bonus of achievements and trading cards are an additional couple of reasons to give it a try.