In The Bear, you’re told a story in five chapters, and at the end of the last four, you are given a choice: the way that you want to go and the way the bear wants to go. The Bear is an artistic expression. The art style is all simple shapes and flat colors that make it the perfect canvas for the story being told.
The Bear is less a game and more an interactive bedtime story. For this reason, it didn’t seem fitting to review it the same way we normally review games. So, I’m not doing scores or listing out the pros and cons. Personally, I didn’t really find any cons, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on crucial information.
I followed the choices the Bear wanted because it seemed the politest thing to do, but it, also, means that I could replay the game and follow a different route. If you want to earn all of the achievements, you’ll have to explore all of the options.
Your story with Bear starts in the tunnels. You find him in the back of a cavernous hole, alone and curled up. The only thing to do is to help him leave the tunnels. As a tiny creature, you drag him through obstacles until you’re both free from the oppressive confines. The stars are there to greet you, welcoming you to come and explore.
Physics plays no part in this game as evidenced by your ability to lug around a bear, but it’s further reinforced when the bear starts climbing planets.
The Bear lets you explore a quiet galaxy that still manages to seem full of life
The mechanics for The Bear are simple. You click and drag. The motions are slow and lazy to the point that they could feel cumbersome, but because the nature of this game is to lull you to sleep, I can’t find fault within that.
As for the story, I’d say the best way to describe it is ‘poetic’. There are nuances in the structure that give you an idea of what’s being talked about without saying it plainly and, honestly, I love that. I guarantee that the interpretation that is left up to each player is going to be different. It leaves room for you to connect in the way that is most meaningful to you.
The game, in full, is only around 40 minutes of content, add in about 20-30 if you explore all the routes. However, I found it charming and well worth those minutes as I explored a lifetime through five small chapters.
This game left an impression on me – enough of an impression that I have to recommend it to those of you who wouldn’t normally go for this sort of game. In a way, the story is bittersweet much like everyday life is.
I’m not sure how much The Bear will be upon release, but it’s coming March 4th to PC. It’s out on Android and iOS now if you’d prefer that platform.
If you want to play the demo to feel the vibe, you can head on over to Steam to download it. While you’re there, wishlist the game because it helps out the dev.
If you’re looking for something more sped up, you can check out the review that we did of Mika and The Witch Mountain. You’ll take to the skies as a delivery girl, À la Kiki’s Delivery Service.
[…] In The Bear, you’re told a story in five chapters, and at the end of the last four, you are given a choice: the way that you want to go and the way the bear wants to go. The Bear is an artistic expression. The art style is all simple shapes and flat colors that make it the perfect canvas for the story being told. […]
[…] you want to check out our latest review, you can check out The Bear, it’s a cozy little interactive bedtime […]