Bizarre, beautiful, dramatic. It takes more than one word to summarise Drinkbox Studios’ Severed. Yet clearly, the game enthrals its audience from the very first scene. And how do we know this for sure? Well, here are just a few reasons.
A tale of courage
Severed is a story about a girl named Sasha and her challenging journey through a nightmare world. One day, a terrible monster kidnaps her family and, in the process, severs her arm. Undaunted by her mutilated reflection in the mirror, she sets off to rescue her family, holding a sword tightly in her remaining hand.
As the game progresses, the once ordinary girl becomes a brave one-armed warrior. Our protagonist’s transition into adulthood is based on the personal experiences of Augusto Quijano, who developed the game’s concept. “I immigrated to Canada several years ago, but my family still lives in Mexico. So the idea of living away from family was constantly on my mind. I also found myself learning to live with that feeling.”
Quijano says that slowly he began to overcome the loneliness of being separated from those he loved. The memories of his emotions during those times underpin the game. “My experiences are densely projected onto Sasha’s character and her world. Like myself, Sasha had to face insecurities from being separated from family and could find courage there.”
A mysterious world
It isn’t clear if the world of Severed exists in a dream, or another imagined space. Although saturated with colourful shapes that are at a glance beautiful, there is something unnerving about how obscurely put together it is; that feeling which comes from exploring the unknown. As Quijano describes the in-game visuals, “The fear and loneliness Sasha was undergoing did not necessarily have to be expressed with murky tones. Choosing to use intense colours over a simple drawing style served the fiendishly beautiful world quite well.”
Outlandish enemies
You’ll meet monsters around every corner of this odd, yet fascinating world. Some are bubbling with billions of blisters, while others look like giant eyeballs! Whatever their appearance, they are an overwhelming presence. Quijano explains that villains were concocted solely on the notion of fear to best capture Sasha’s state of mind. “I was looking for far more than the run-of-the-mill fantasy villains. You know the type: some predator with an axe, an ogre, an elf, so on.”
Their battle tactics are just as quirky as their appearances. Watching for a chance to strike is a challenge, as there is seemingly no pattern to how they attack and defend. But as you master the art of quick swipes, you’ll begin enjoying the experience. Take the truncated torso of the enemy and boost Sasha’s offensive capabilities.
Looks like we’ve said enough! Now it’s time to try your hand at this. And after the final battle, as you gaze upon the last scene of the game, you’ll be exclaiming what an unusual, stunning and poignant experience Severed is.