Gerda: A Flame In Winter Is A Compelling Wartime Tale That Puts WWII Shooters To Shame

The Gestapo building looms heavy over me as I trudge through a fresh Danish snowfall. The oppressing shadow of Nazi occupation is almost as real as the shade that falls from the overhang of the upcoming clocktower, and I am beginning to realize that Gerda: A Flame In Winter is unlike anything Dontnod have asked us to play before.

gerda in front of the gestapo building

 

Gerda: A Flame in Winter is the latest title from Dontnod, and the inaugural third party title to be published by the studio. While this outfit are responsible for journeys of discovery and deep discussions on what it is to be human, this time around Danish studio PortaPlay are in charge of the narrative. With the Life is Strange series and similar adventures behind it, Dontnod is ditching time bending teenagers for a look at a much more somber subject that is equally compelling. Taking place int the town of Tinglev, during the closing year of WWII and exploring the impact of this tumultuous time, Gerda is a point and click adventure with a very real history behind it. While Gerda may only be inspired by real world events, this brand new tale from sems almost prescient in its timing. Let’s not ignore the fact that war has returned to Europe and as one uninvited force sweeps across the border, plenty of people will draw plenty of parallels to the current conflict and how the fate of ordinary citizens and their daily lives are interrupted by a whole set of other decisions.

 

character influence menu in gerda

 

It’s this set of decisions that A Flame in Winter focuses on when this title opens up. There is not battle cry against any invaders. Instead, the opening moments of this introduces a sleepy village in an extraordinary time. The eponymous central character in this title is a half German half Danish citizen, and being stuck between two warring factions makes life unfortunately interesting for Gerda. During my hands on preview, A Flame in Winter didn’t just fill out the history of Tinglev but a town already conquered without any resistance. It included a social and familial circle with a range of loyalties. Form Gerda’s German father, and Nazi party member, to the local husband and civilian doctor. Each of these individuals come with their own deeply divided motivations and a range of interactive narrative nodes to work through. Conversations had in the town square or in the ration line are more than just cannon fodder in a deeply divided town. While this seemingly traditional point and click might seem straightforward at first, it quickly becomes clear that loose lips certainly do have an impact. Discussions can quickly have an impact on how other computer controlled characters view Gerda, and this is reflected in an ingenious favor system. Bombs might not drop during discussions, but one wrong word can destroy you in the eyes of a close friend or acquaintance, cutting off an entire flow of conversation and options. While this might just be a minor annoyance a high fantasy RPG, we already know the impact of war can be intense and people cruel and unyielding. I did manage to keep our own nose clean when touring Tinglev and stay relatively neutral all round, but I expect the choice to say what you mean or censor some outbursts to have a meaningful long term impact on the outcome of events in this close knit town.

Much like the favor system, plenty of other TTRPG style mechanics seep into this narrative heavy experience. A Flame in Winter is far more than a point and click. Between innocuous conversations, you’ll find you can influence the course of events or unlock dialogue choices with extra character points. Favor isn’t the only way to ensure somebody wants to help out. There’s an adequate inventory system that provides items that could open up new events, or even the option to chance a dice roll to turn an encounter your way. This mix of decision making, simple puzzle solving, and dice rolls rather than doesn’t just make the narrative feel nuanced, it gives it decisions agency and impact on your journey. I only did get to interact with the first couple of hours, so the long term consequences are still limited but I have high hopes that this approach deftly sidesteps the often odd Sam & max style point and click logic that many narrative titles lean on.

gerda conversation dice roll

While these inventive gameplay systems ensure that the button clicking is more than simply spamming next, the characterization and writing is the heart of this story. Whether you chose to take a difficult dice roll and make an enemy of the Gestapo or simply want to talk art supplies with your friends, Gerda must move through a landscape pulled between two cultures that grate against each other. The context of a discussion and the fear that everything that appears on screen sits atop a powder keg of implications shines through with different characters eagerly exploring their own issues, and to hell with the fine line you’ll have to walk. Sure, some of the less inventive writing is a little moustache twirling, but individuals like Gerda’s father are deftly constructed to feel, not evil, but a reflection of a time when evil was simply acceptable.

Of course, before you even get to know the local doctor, your father, or your future husband and his friends, A Flame in Winter introduces the town of Tinglev in subdued colors. Rendered like an oil painting, reminding us that wartime TV news wasn’t really an option, A Flame in Winter reflects the downtrodden town and its disconnected existence. While the war carries on outside the city, a dull ache still seems to hang over the palette of this animated painting. It’s not the first time we’ve seen a title do this, and it still works as a brilliant way to more easily engage with some very adult subject matter, and it comes accompanied by a stripped down piano track that feels utterly of its time.

Gerda: A Flame in Winter is unlike anything I’ve seen from Dontnod before and feels far more engaging than recent turns in rural America of the slick uncaring FPS shooters that top the charts. Whether it’s the haunting soundtrack or the inventive quest like puzzle system, this game of Dungeons & Denmark in a time of war is a gripping experience that brings the emotional cost of conflict past the rifle scope and right into your desktop. Gerda: A Flam in Winter is due to arrive on PC and Nintendo Switch later this year. For the full release date, check out the news or head over to the Steam Store page to Wishlist it now.

Written by
For those of you who I’ve not met yet, my name is Ed. After an early indoctrination into PC gaming, years adrift on the unwashed internet, running a successful guild, and testing video games, I turned my hand to writing about them. Now, you will find me squawking across a multitude of sites and even getting to play games now and then

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