This case study worked as a reference for a concept project of mine that I was working on for one of my Master's assignments.
(Florence, Mountain Studio, Annapurna Studio, 2018)
Florence is a game developed by an Australian Studio by the name of Mountain Studios. This game is a direct inspiration for my game and my biggest feal as I don’t want my game to be Florence. Irrespective of my personal thoughts, Florence is a masterpiece and delivers a small, compact, emotional driven narrative to the player in less than an hour.
Right from the beginning of the game, the game makes it evidently clear to the player that the actions you would be performing here are going to be simple mechanics based on touch and its derivatives to showcase the daily life or Florence Yeoh.
AT THE BEGINNING:
The player is introduced to the toothbrush as a tutorial to let the player immerse in the simplistic gameplay. From the first scene itself, the game starts playing with the player using the mirror and showcasing Florence, this gives the player a direct reflection of what they would be doing for the next few minutes of their life. The game offers no real choice to the players, just day to day activities turned into mini games.
Now, there's room for debate about whether or not a game with no options is a game at all, but for now, let's agree that Florence is an experience masquerading as a game.
Florence has a tale to tell, and it tells it in a way that is both engaging and memorable. It appears to cover enough territory in the “play” department to be classified as a game.
(All shots taken on iPad Pro 2019)
LIFE OF FLORENCE:
As we proceed in the game, we get to explore the life of Florence Yeoh through her work life and childhood which both have been synchronized via a box of memories that has been forgotten by Florence. The also slowly start revealing mechanics which start showing the change in Florence’s life using the clock mechanic which becomes a major mechanic in the game.
CHANGE:
After this point, Florence takes a turn not just as a game but also in the life of our character. The game introduces a new “color” which portrays the arrival of a new thing in the life of Florence.
Musical notes start flying and so do you while taping on them and floating through the rhythm to reach your destination. The colors also signify a major change in her life, as seen previously in the game’s art. As you begin the game, the game is very dull and saturated in terms of its aesthetics, then you transition to Florence’s childhood which is filled with colors and then you are bought back to the dull life. Now with a new “Yellow” change appearing in Florence’s life, the game starts picking it pace and Florence starts flying.
Florence's perception of music in yellow may indicate that she is a synesthete, and there is further evidence to support that notion. The most astounding part of this scenario, though, is how Florence is physically lifted off her feet and how color returns to her world after years of monotony.
It is the personality that immediately surprised me about Florence. The play follows the story of heteronormativity about the relationship between Florence and Krish, but at least the character is not within the whitewashed Hollywood romance. Both, Florence Yeoh and Krish’s characters are a keen product of their culture. Asian and Indian characters are very rare in this type of video game. How they treat their families and each other is a refreshing change. Even without dialogue, Florence and Krish feel real and complete. This is evidence of good design, given that the game is barely an hour long.
Having character’s that speak volume without a trace of dialogue and connecting with the player on a personal note irrespective of the player’s background is an amazing feat to achieve and works as a good reference point for Love Through Ages to develop meaningful characters and helps building their respective relationships.
There are many difficult and grotesque aspects to heteronormativity relationships in the world, but one of the most powerful is the idea of a "soul companion." This concept is used to sell movies and albums, but it pervades our daily lives until the feeling that there are no people without soulmates. It was one of my personal quest to try to create a game that runs on the idea of soulmates and constantly breaks that idea until it is finally achieved in once the character is an adult and matured to figure out her issues.
At first glance, Florence seems to fit this idea. Florence and Krish seem to be made for each other, and the give and take is perfectly perfect. Suddenly, Florence becomes interested in art again. She urges Krish to continue his music and go to school. Krish cleans up the messy room, and Florence finds joy in what she has never been interested in. They fall in love with each other sooner than either one notices. The puzzle pieces of their conversation (complex and difficult at first, small and inappropriate pieces) will be easier and simpler until the final conversation consists of only two puzzle pieces and end with a kiss.
Their relationship is a whirlwind, as we see the fluctuating cracks in the relationship, the stress of being in love, and the emotional tension of imagining these two together in some way. Only when they move together. Florence Krish is actively promoting in her dream of becoming a famous and renowned musician, but her own desire to be an artist is delayed. Krish gives her some watercolors and suggests that she paint her, but her support has an uneven side. Florence is making a sacrifice. Krish continues.
The similar type of situations is created in Love Through Ages but as the game’s name speaks it takes place in different ages and on different scale of maturity.
Their relationship has been around for a year, and they feel good but unhappy. The relationship between life and their up-and-coming relationship is no longer exciting. Krish still makes music, but his work is discordant and sloppy. Florence hasn't picked up a pencil for months, and her talented set of watercolors is buried under a piece of paper on her desk. When the two finally fought a big battle, the puzzle pieces will reappear. The pieces turn jagged and red, and the pieces come together more easily and quickly than ever before.
There is this first feeling of broken heart when their relationship collapses and eventually, they progress. Florence is discouraged and alone, some of her misses Krish. Your city map, lovingly decorated with shared adventure snapshots, will be thrown into the trash. Florence seems to be able to return to her depression and normal for a moment until she resumes art, and it becomes the focus. She paints and paints, turns her room into a studio, posts work, is praised, and suddenly loses her job. Her art becomes her life and that's a good thing. She found herself and Krish's Polaroid only on the last day of work. She thinks about him and their time, and what that means for them.
In Love through Ages, such heart breaks are created in each chapter as it is a constant reminder of reality but is showed in a perspective of, each break-up brings something good in life for everyone. Until the game takes on the Teenage/ College drama, this is where the depressive aspects, and lack of freedom is created to showcase how a single wrong decision can lead to a spiral of bad choices.
The point of the game is to strike a very similar chord in everyone, “You cannot love someone, until you love yourself first.” This statement is sometimes wrong and untrue on all accounts but is another showcase of the difficulty of love — the way we love ourselves is often indicative of how we love others, but not always. The process of self-love and exploration of the self is the most monumental relationship in life, and sometimes you need the correct person along your path to make you realize you needs, that’s something that Love Through Ages tries to feed in the player’s mind with its multi chapter storyline.
Florence is exploring relationships in a bittersweet light, but thanks to the fact that the climax included this kind of self-care and exploration of personal needs, which was rarely explored in popular media. did. Krish and Florence may have solved the problem of their relationship with more personal honesty and expectations, but they are both young and their dreams exceed each other-they should.
Florence will be part of a genre that allows viewers a ubiquitous view of all aspects of the relationship. This is similar to what you see in movies like (500) Day Summer and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And with. Presented in an easy-to-digest way. Everyone knows that there is no such easy relationship, but a small and calm moment that makes Florence feel real and serious. At the end of the relationship between Florence and Krish, no one seems to be a "bad guy." Both made mistakes, but their relationship was valuable and gave us valuable lessons and love that everyone longed for.
Florence’s love is not only because of its beautiful style and expression, but also because in a short season it began to think about previous relationships and artistic goals. In life, if it is too difficult to pursue what we want, we too often sacrifice our own happiness for what we believe to be socially appropriate or necessary. Our daily relationships are the support systems we often take for granted, but in the end we take ourselves for granted because we all have strong motivational powers. I am. Each of us wants to make great progress, succeed, create, dream and love. Often, our relationships with others include the components of those moments of trust. Even a fateful relationship can have something in it that serves as a powerful lesson.
When asked by Florence and Krish, they would say they would redo their relationship, even if they knew it was destined. Their division was annoying, sad and troublesome, but it leads to an anchor for her personal life, especially Florence. Her facial expression shows her relief and self-confidence, and her love, as she lovingly lifts her last Polaroid before putting it in her box.
Love is difficult. For yourself, for others. As Florence learns, it’s worth it, as all things are.