Welcome to Elk Review
Release Date: February 10th, 2022 (Consoles)
Developer: Triple Topping Games
Platforms: PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch (Reviewed)
Price: $14.99
One of the most incredible things about storytelling and the people behind them is that we all have one to tell, and some of these stories can be so exciting, sad, or shocking that it's hard to believe they're real, especially when you try to associate something that can be seen as any extreme set of emotions to a face that doesn't seem to match the narrative being told. It's what makes us human and proves that anything can happen to any of us at any given point in time, however bizarre, lucky, or unfortunate the circumstances may be. Ways to convey stories have also proven to be flexible time and time again with growing and evolving mediums throughout the ages, and Welcome to Elk prides itself on being able to tell some of these stories in a more interactive way that'll make you feel all of the aforementioned emotions and so much more throughout its humble 3–4-hour playthrough.
The island of Elk is set with a weird art style and even weirder people, and while this may deter some, it actually plays really well in the entire vibe Welcome to Elk is going for when telling these odd stories - all of which are based on real stories from a select few people who have decided to share them. None of the stories necessarily relate to each other on their own, but the developers have cleverly weaved it all in so that the townsfolk all feel from each other and experience a portion of their own flaws in unique ways. The way these stories are conveyed aren't always just mere dialogue exchanges either, with mini-games, certain perspective changes that may seem unorthodox to how the game naturally plays and looks, as well as live footage of the people themselves that inspired these stories. Even at home and away from the society of Elk, you'll wake up to new stories in the form of bottles that show up on your kitchen table that can be read. Some of these stories relate to what's going on currently in the game, while others tell a written standalone piece that may pertain to a character inspired by such. Welcome to Elk in a lot of ways feels like a video game version of Chicken Soup for the Soul where stories are contributed from everyday people to make a larger whole, and it's a part of what makes Welcome to Elk feel special in more ways than one. Even the outcasts of Elk - of which they all seem in their own way - have a voice that can be heard with a story to tell that can range anywhere from humorous to life-altering, and even with its odd art direction you can still find a way to feel for the characters and how they're shaped from these stories and backgrounds.
Though stories will be a big emphasis on what you'll be experiencing in Welcome to Elk, the game has players going around the island of Elk and meeting other townsfolk, naturally speaking to them, following them towards activities, and completing tasks within these dialogue exchanges and intermissions of freedom. It's a fairly straightforward gameplay process but works well to how Welcome to Elk is structured and the message it's trying to convey through its compilation of stories. It can easily be compared to having a sort of feeling of progression that echoes the likes of Oxenfree, A Night in the Woods, or Old Man's Journey in which you'll mainly be walking around and talking to the townsfolk in a slice-of-life style segmented story that all weaves and really hits you emotionally in one way or another. Some are interesting, others are shocking, but ultimately, it's the empathetic nature of the game that shines through and really makes it feel special. What's even nicer is that Welcome to Elk looks extremely crisp on the Switch and runs fluidly, and having tested on two separate TVs, a monitor, and all models of the Switch in handheld modes, it's safe to say that Welcome to Elk couldn't find a more perfect place than the Switch to be played. Minigames within Welcome to Elk are also what help keep things a bit refreshing as to not be a basic and linear game, giving an extra layer of activities to do alongside the folks of Welcome to Elk; some are pertinent to the story and make certain moments more interactive and immersive, while others are genuine invitations to play a quick card or party game to better familiarize yourself with the people there as a newcomer.
While the stories can certainly hit home because of how poignantly they're told rather than a player's personal connection to the contents of the stories themselves, Welcome to Elk just misses the mark of being a powerful foray into telling the stories of others, however shocking, heartfelt, infuriating, or eerie they may be, but still does well with what it works with and how it goes about telling these stories in a more unorthodox way. The game touts itself as an adventure, and it does so competently without ever letting the dialogue go too long to the point it feels like a glorified visual novel, though the repetition of going to the local bar and then to the top of the island back to the bottom of the island before ultimately heading back home to sleep and experience a weird "dream" can cause moments of sluggishness for a game that isn't particularly long to begin with. At the very least it doesn't ever overstay its welcome, and there are moments of fourth wall breaking and mini games that change the tone and atmosphere up a bit to keep things consistently fresh throughout even when the moments of staleness begin to creep in. For those that love a good narrative adventure game, Welcome to Elk is excellent in this regard if you can get over the art direction that typically comes tacked onto more raunchy adult cartoons, and it's also one worth checking out whether on the Switch or elsewhere to experience and share these stories that feel like they only come once in a lifetime.
Welcome to Elk hits all the right notes when it comes to an adventure that builds upon its mysteries and weirdness, and does so in an odd slice-of-life approach that works extremely well to the structure of how the game paces itself and plays. Despite the art style being that of less appealing mature adult cartoons you'd usually see on Adult Swim, FX, or Netflix, the game looks incredibly crisp in both handheld mode and TV mode, running beautifully with the colors that are available really popping even outside of an OLED model Nintendo Switch. The stories you'll experience from beginning to end weave into each other in an interesting way, and they're also all true stories that some may find striking or odd depending on their sensitivity to certain subjects, but either way Welcome to Elk is one that feels unique in more ways than one that sets itself up there with the likes of Oxenfree and Night in the Woods.
PROS:
Unique stories and circumstances make a lot of the game fairly memorable
The writing is extremely well done, with characters and situations feeling natural and authentic
Even with just a small number of characters on a small island devoid of color, Elk feels alive and vibrant
CONS:
The repetition can cause the game, while short, to feel like a bit of a drag at times
The art is that of more raunchy adult cartoons
Our sincerest gratitude to Triple Topping Games for providing us a copy of Welcome to Elk on Nintendo Switch for the purposes of this review!