As I somehow was just in a land where I was helping cats in a battle, I too was a cat which was strange enough as I have never been an animal before, now back in the time tunnel. I looked around, trying to process what had just happened and waiting to see where I would end up next. I had to remember that by entering the time tunnel, I never know where or when I may end up, who or what I may become, or what destiny awaits me. As I looked through the entrance, the world differed from the last. I had the feeling that from the time tunnel closed behind me; I felt things were about to get interesting.
It was the three knocks that I awoke with my head killing me, and not knowing what was going on, I heard a voice asking me what I was most interested in right now. I didn’t fully understand what I was supposed to do. My head was splitting with a headache, and I had no idea where I was. Someone handed me a drink and said I was in the Tomb of Ingvar. I somehow knew the name and questioned what happened to Ingvar. I was told that the wine brought on the trip had been poisoned, causing the deaths of Ingvar, Vanadis, and Bjorn. Questioning what happened, I was told we all died, and that I have resurrected thanks to the one who calls himself Mortis and who called me Persival. At least now, I know who I am in this world. I still had many questions, as one would with what has happened thus far. Mortis told me to go home and would contact me again when he needed me. I left, not sure of anything, only to wake up again in the Tomb of Ingvar. Mortis told me that every time I die, I would return here. Only to be told that I moved back not in space, but in time as everything that happened after my resurrection hasn’t happened yet.
As I learned a little more, it was time that I ventured out into the lands of Midian. But first, the map that Mortis gave me, showed the different paths that I could take. Each path could have a battle, a treasure, a camp, and so on. Upon picking my selection, the world and the beautiful colors it generated captivated me. The trees with their characteristic could almost come alive with every movement in the wind. The forest with the ability to hide anything inside of it. And seeing the sun being wrapped within the clouds, these lands help set the stage ready for the poetic battles to be held.
Upon continuing on my path, I encountered two hyena-like creatures ready to dine on my body as if it were a feast prepared just for them. As I looked at my sword and shield, I noticed that I was not wearing any type of protection on my feet. I know when I entered the time tunnel;I had shoes when I entered the time tunnel, but now I don’t. Either someone stole my shoes after I died, or I’m about to learn a life lesson that I should have learned before embarking on this journey. But this was not a normal battle, as it seemed that I only had a certain amount of moves before the evil laughing twins over there could have theirs. I also received cards to use. These cards would help with either guarding or attacking. The cards varied between something new or being repetitive. At this point, I am going to roll the die on life and use the Lunge card to attack. It had some effect. I then played the Guard card to help with any attacks that might be coming.
As my turn ended and the enemies began, I just kept thinking that I had to win this fight, for if nothing else, to find some shoes. The enemy howled in harmony to help heal themselves, which ended their turn. Now that one of the hyenas was greatly damaged, it was time for my turn. I healed myself and then attacked with the final strike of the first hyena, leaving a full-health one to try to avenge the fallen. As the battle went back and forth, I finally defeated the remaining enemy. And like that, I received some gold that I could add to my shoe fund, along with a choice of a new card reward.
After the battle, I talked with Mortis again as he was trying to find out what I knew. As we talked, we had what felt like a formation of a plan. But to know more, that meant I had to go further on my path of choice. That’s when I came across a drunken dwarf who was trying to pick fights with some elves. I decided to indulge in a battle with him. For one, he was drunk and hopefully, we would have the upper hand, but in looking at him, he too was not wearing any shoes, so at least we had that in common. But this was not going to be even a fight, as there were three elves versus the two of us. As I used my trustful lunge card, the hits weakened the first elf. The defeat of the elves happened one by one. We received additional gold for the shoe fund after our victory, and I acquired a new reward that I had equipped.
It seemed that Mortis and I were finding out new information after every single battle that I was victorious in. I then came to a question mark on the pathway which represented an unknown event. And it wasn’t until I saw what I was up against that made me a little hesitant, as I had to go up against a bomber. With bombers, they have nothing to lose as they also had barrels of explosives at their disposal. Upon winning, there was something that I elected as my reward and that was boots. Finally, something for my feet.
It seemed that the more I progressed to find out the truth, the more I was winning. That was until it seemed I met my match on this pathway.
With my death, I returned to my coffin, awaiting those three knocks again from Mortis. Even though I died, to continue finding the truth means having to start over on the map with a pathway to select from. Everything I earned and gathered didn’t exist. Some of the battles were ones I had fought before, while some were new along with new friends and enemies along the way. From the treasure chests, I opened to the items I could buy, sell, and trade. Everything seemed to go my way until I met the Queen which ended my victorious reign.
As I was prepared to embark on more pathways, I saw the entrance to the time tunnel, but before I stepped through, I started to think about everything that I had learned thus far. The art style of this world, along with the different characters I came across, kept me engaged and that’s a good thing The colors chosen throughout brought to mind art museums, with each scene bursting with every stroke of the brush to help tell the story. The music that I heard was complementary to the scene that was going on along with the voice acting to match. Each victory gave me the choice of the reward of a better life than the last. Starting over, even though a tad frustrating at times, gave me a chance to reflect on my path choices. This reminded me about other life choices and how important it is to pick the right one. We all have choices to make. Some are easy and some that can be very challenging. Either way, we must learn from our choices to avoid repeating the mistakes we wish to leave behind.
- Knock on the Coffin Lid is out now on PC via Steam. A review code was provided.
- For more information about RedBoon, please visit their site, like them on Facebook, follow them on X, join their Discord, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
Enjoy the trailer. Until our next journey through the time tunnel, know that you are appreciated, happy gaming, and remember to game through time.
1 comment
[…] time tunnel journey has been something. I remember being in the art-filled world of Midian, where each death was followed by an awakening to three knocks from Mortis, and now I find myself in Connecticut, in 1998, as Rebecca Owens. Wait, I know that by […]