Dear Me, I Was review: A life-affirming tonic for the soul

I’ve rewritten this opening line umpteen times and so I’ve decided to settle on providing you with my frankest truth. Art is intended to generate discussion; conversation on how it makes us feel. Well, occasionally in life, you stumble across a piece of art that’s so profoundly beautiful and moving that the very best thing to do is to let it speak for itself and that’s most certainly how I feel about Dear Me, I Was. That’s not exactly the goal of a review though, so it’s with deepest consideration that I’ll attempt to convey what a must-play and triumphant release Dear Me, I Was is.

Developed by Arc System Works, Dear Me, I Was is an interactive drama game that’s about as unconventional as a game can be. It charts the life of a woman, encompassing both her struggles and triumphs, in what’s roughly a 40-minute-long experience. Utilising watercolour-inspired animations and rotoscoping technology (where live-action footage is traced over), Dear Me, I Was is an emotionally-affecting game that’s a feast for the eyes and a tonic for the soul.

It’s not an entirely passive experience, with players progressing parts of the story via simple point and click activities, but I don’t want to undersell just how important these can be. There’s a deep, resonating poignancy to each and every interaction, many of those bringing a tear to my eye. In one chapter, I pressed to hold and embrace the hand of a dying mother, feeling the palpable grief of our unnamed female protagonist. In another, she was presented with a marriage proposal; having already noted the protagonist’s masked unhappiness, I knew the only path forward was to reject the ring and close the box. Tapping a screen isn’t difficult and yet this felt so uncomfortably hard to do.

Arc System Works

Furthermore, each chapter of the game, without fail, began with our protagonist having breakfast, with players clicking the order in which to consume this morning sustenance. To some, that may seem like meaningless fodder, but it was a reminder that whilst life is full of unexpected twists and turns, some things never change. This simple, repetitive act became somewhat of a grounding ritual, and there’s most definitely something many of us can take away from that.

In fact, this very action ties into exactly what Dear Me, I Was is all about. It’s a celebration of the aspects of life that we’ve perhaps come to consider as mundane; or a reminder that it’s those universal experiences that are the very lifeblood of being human, whether that’s reuniting with an old friend, discovering a lost hobby, or having a furry friend enter your life when you need them most.

Dear Me, I Was is also heavily concerned with just how intrinsically linked our lives are to art, with a totally unexpected epilogue that so poignantly brings that message home; you’ll have to discover that one for yourself. Throughout this story, so many of our protagonist's memories are linked to art. The player participates in bringing to life childhood drawings, photographs taken by a great love, and paintings, all prompting us to discover a new milestone moment in our protagonist's life. This belief is also wonderfully conveyed through the game’s art style. As I said, Dear Me, I Was utilises rotoscoping technology where animators draw and adapt live-action footage. The watercolour animations players see aren’t just mere representations of what it is to be human. They’re reflections of real emotions so beautifully brought to life by the game’s talented cast, bringing a depth and sense of realism to this game.

Arc System Works

And then, there’s art director Taisuke Kanasaki’s use of colour. In moments of struggle, our protagonist or those around her are shown in muted grey tones, with colour used to represent the reemergence of light whether that’s in the protagonist’s own life or something she’s able to bring to others.

Dear Me, I Was is certainly not a ‘game’ that’ll appeal to everyone, especially if you’re unwilling to challenge your notions of what a game can be. For those willing to succumb to what Dear Me, I Was has to offer though, it’s an unforgettable experience and one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever had the privilege of playing. Director Maho Taguchi has crafted a masterpiece, evoking similar feelings to those I had when I first watched Isao Takahata's 1991 triumph Only Yesterday. I cried; I smiled. This game won’t be leaving me anytime soon.

Pros: Beautifully animated, wonderful story, poignant player participation

Cons: None for those willing to broaden their horizons of what a game can be

For fans of: Another Code, Life is Strange, Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club

10/10: Perfect

Dear Me, I Was is out today, 31 July, on Nintendo Switch 2 (version tested). A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.