Valand

We're a small child, and we've washed up on the beach of a mysterious island. We're told by a mermaid that we survived because we're a witch. The other inhabitants of the island are also witches: a fellow by the name of Sabino, his son Corbin, and a girl named Emily.

The initial part of the story felt pretty much on rails. It's only later on that our choices, perhaps even the ones made earlier and which didn't seem to have any effect, begin to matter: the interactive aspect seems largely about our relationship with Corbin and Emily, and whether we can count on their help in the end. The story itself, however, seems written in a very perfunctory manner, like a sketched outline. An argument, for instance, is glossed over so hastily I'm not sure it even happened. It feels a bit like a children's picture book, only without the pictures.

And you know, it's not as if this thing is lacking in substance. There's a fair bit of stuff here that could stand to be expanded upon. What, for instance, is this Council of Witches? What about our own magic, and wouldn't it be nice to actually explore it a bit more? Can we get a bit more about what Sabino is doing, and why? Surely there's more to earning Corbin's or Emily's trust?

If this were breakfast, it would be buttered toast served on a very large platter, with a cup of English Breakfast tea. There's something vaguely BritKidLit about it, and I suppose it works as IF, but in the end it really only gestures at a much larger and more satisfying whole than it actually delivers.