Future Unfolding

Future Unfolding is magical experience; an elegant world waiting to be explored, with wonder at every step. But with each discovery, the wonder disappears – and isn’t replaced with anything new. Once you’ve uncovered everything the game has to show you, puzzles soon become petty barriers, the magic runs out and the procedurally-generated world loses its charm. In the end, Future Unfolding keeps unfolding for just a little too long.

I can’t decide what rating to land on with this game. I’m frustrated by the lack of direction, but I know how essential it is. I would hate it if there was more detailed info laying around, if there was any handholding taking place. There is no plot to speak of, which is both a disservice and an asset. The textual information you do get is infuriating, part philosophy notes, part riddles.

Future Unfolding doesn’t compete with the open world delights of this season’s big hitters like Horizon: Zero Dawn or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but instead offers a wonderfully relaxed and immersive combat-free alternative. It’s a safari rather than a big game hunt, but one that deserves to be explored.