Sunset Hills review: A beautiful but imperfect story

Ever since I bid farewell to Nico in the Sunset Hills demo, I’ve often thought about the dapper little dog and his ability to stumble into a series of events that require his unique resolutions. So much promise nestled between the twisting streets of this quaint story, but does the full release deliver on its unspoken oath?

Much like Nico’s story, this is a tale of two halves. Although there is much depth to be found, especially after we move into the second chapter of this visually stimulating game, there are multiple aspects that prevent the title from receiving the accolades it should be claiming with ease.

Watch the beautiful trailer for Sunset Hills now

Let’s begin with the elephant in the room: there’s only two chapters. Although I am no stranger to episodic gameplay – and oftentimes enjoy its format – not being aware that this is the case makes for a disappointing realisation at the end of the game. A disappointment that increases when we learn that the remaining chapters will be launched as additional “complete stories”, but ones that come with a price tag.

None of us would claim that independent developers are unworthy of being paid fairly for the time, effort, and money they put into their projects. Nonetheless, to have to pay twice without first knowing somewhat sours the experience. Personally, I think the issue has arisen from players not being aware that the game is (kind of) episodic, and thus they thought they’d paid £14.99 for the works, aka the complete package. Whether due to miscommunication or language barrier, this problem has impacted how the game is viewed.

Putting that unavoidable drama aside, though, you embark on a gladsome adventure in which Nico crosses paths with both familiar and unfamiliar faces. Initially, you’ll be drawn to Sunset Hills for its attractiveness, but beyond its dazzling looks you’ll find much depth in the illustrations that decorate every inch of its environment.

In terms of style, Sunset Hills has it in spades. You feel like you’ve leapt inside an illustrated storybook, and, to begin with, it’s hard to focus on anything else other than how beautiful it looks. There are numerous cosy games available that deliver gorgeous aesthetics, but few have felt this vibrant and full of life, at least for me. There’s almost a tangibility to the imagery - as if you will touch aged paper if you reach out to feel the moving components of each scene.

These visuals wouldn’t feel so tactile, so mesmerising, if it wasn’t for the ambient sounds of the game. I mentioned this within my preview, so I can only apologise for touching on familiar ground, however, it would be a grave injustice to the developers if I didn’t praise the richness of the diegetic sound utilised. Sometimes these noises stop abruptly, which unavoidably hinders their immersive quality, but for the most part they play alongside the imagery like a film.

Arguably, the way that these two elements are meant to be brought together is via the story; Nico’s journey. Sadly, for English speakers, following that story isn’t always easy. Despite improving the English localisation, there are still translation issues. It’s a weird one because there are times when the localisation feels spot on, and then other times it feels like it hasn’t been checked by anyone native to that language. This results in an unpleasant disconnect during some of the game's tender moments, which is truly a shame given how prominent they are throughout the story.

Puzzles also feature heavily alongside the heartfelt reunions and new beginnings. Thankfully for my illogical brain, none of them proved too taxing. This simplicity might put some of you off because you don’t have any true head-scratcher moments, however, for me it was a delightful experience. That said, being an errand boy inevitably wears thin. One puzzle nearly always leads to another, and thus the cycle repeats. This is an overarching issue with all cosy games, though; the grind is ever present. It wouldn’t be so bad if there was a form of fast travel, but alas, none is to be found. Given the size and genre of the game, that’s not all that surprising. Still, it makes for a slow and sometimes tedious intermission between finding and completing quests.

We come to my conclusion. At this stage, it feels like I should be certain of my feelings towards Sunset Hills, yet all I feel is conflicted. As much as certain aspects of its gameplay make my cosy loving heart sing, there are too many issues that can’t merely be overlooked or forgiven. As curious as I am to see how the story properly ends, I’m not certain I’m passionate enough to push past the cons of the experience I’ve detailed above. Improvements need to be made for Sunset Hills to come into its own, and I fear that those improvements will come too late, if they even come at all.

Pros: Excellent diegetic sound, visually stimulating, dogs in little outfits

Cons: English localisation needs improvement, a lot of back and forth, tedious navigation

For fans of: Sky: Children of the Light, Farewell North, TOEM: A Photo Adventure

Score: 7/10 - Very Good

Sunset Hills is available on Steam. A code for review was supplied by the publisher. Find a complete guide to GAMINGbible's review scores here.