Over the last decade, gaming companies around the globe have slowed down the production of local co-op games. In fact, many gamers did not fully grasp this shift to online co-op play until the start of the pandemic. This change from local co-op to online co-op can easily be seen with the elimination of split-screen campaigns (Halo Infinite). So why the change? Many companies realized that it’s more financially beneficial to have players buy a game twice. Slightly before the pandemic started, we noticed more indie games offering local Co-Op gameplay to players. At PAX East 2022, we saw a good mix of games including We Were Here Forever offering cooperative gameplay.
In case you missed it, we shared with you our PAX East We Were Here preview; this preview of the game would actually help us greatly when playing through the actual game. The reason why it helped us is that the PAX East demo was the final level of Chapter 1 when the players are trapped in a magical box. We won’t speak too much about specific moments in the game but will give an overall synopsis of the game and our thoughts on it. Of course, that synopsis will be as spoiler-free as possible.
Story
If you plan on playing We Were Here Forever, you might want to skip over this story section. We Were Here Forever tells the story of two characters as they escape a mysterious dungeon. As they are about to escape the physical dungeon, they are captured by the king’s Jester. Despite being a captive himself, the Jester still does the king’s bidding. At the completion of Chapter 1, the player learns that there is a resistance fighting against the king and they have made a special weapon to fight against his power. The rest of the game is about finding the weapon and its pieces to ultimately escape the land in which you are captured.
Overall the game’s campaign was enjoyable and in a way gave a critical analysis of humanity’s enslavement to the organizations that manage our day-to-day lives. Though most of the plot is told through solving puzzles, there are moments where there is an actual dialog to help progress the story. In these few instances, you can sense the characters’ intentions and in a way feel their struggles. For a co-op narrative, we enjoyed the puzzle aspect pushing us along. In fact, we could not wait to see how the story unfolds; however, the story’s ending reminded us of a tragic moment from our childhood that we’d rather forget.
Gameplay
We Were Here Forever is fully a puzzle game. Each level’s puzzle is different from the previous and no puzzle is directly repeated. Only one puzzle has a semi-similar mechanic and depending on the path you choose it is spread out. Even the beginning puzzles will make you think. Coordination between players is key. If playing the correct way, players must use the in-game voice chat to communicate with one another; the only twist to this is that the players must use walkie-talkies and cannot talk over one another. This is circumnavigated by using Discord, Steam Voice, or any other voice application software. Even with this workaround, completing the puzzles is no easy feat. Like we said before communication is key.
This game can easily put any relationship or friendship through the wringer. While playing through this game, we found ourselves getting frustrated with one another and occasionally had to take a break. Each puzzle has its own unique way to solve it and the answer is very rarely clear. Once you figure out the puzzles, they can be completed quickly but it does take time to solve each one; sometimes two heads aren’t better than one. The game does offer hints in the start menu, but most of the time these hints feel worthless.
At no point during our playthrough did we hate the game for its gameplay. The overall gameplay was solid and so was the level design, but we’ll talk about that more later. Now on to some bugs.
Graphics/Minor Bugs
We Were Here Forever’s graphics were nearly flawless, but there were some frame rate issues. While playing through we encounter more frame skipping issues than visual impairment or loading sequence issues. The game itself looked great with a great amount of texture and detail on each item. Even the game’s alternate graphics settings were helpful for the visually impaired. Each level’s design felt unique and inspired; the level would set the mood for each puzzle and never strayed from its vision. Throughout our playthrough, there were only two times that we noticed something was texturally incomplete and that we could look through the level design.
The biggest problems we faced came with frame rate drops and loading issues. On numerous occasions we noticed that we were unable to interact with an item and would have to reload; this often came after a frame rate drop. The biggest issue was when loading into a new location, one of us would get stuck and be unable to move no matter what buttons/keys we pressed. This would force us to exit the game and load back in. On a few occasions, loading back in caused other bugs to occur or us to jump ahead in the game. Although these were annoyances, they never broke the game completely. During the time that we would have to restart, we typically were able to think of faster ways to solve each puzzle or complete the puzzle for the first time.
Overall the game’s graphics and artistic style were great to see but the bugs were definitely a hindrance.
Controls
We Were Here Forever allows players to play the game either on a keyboard and mouse or through a controller; however, controller support is not fully functional. In the game, the controller layout works perfectly but in the menu, it can be a challenge to navigate. If you are using a keyboard and mouse you will not have an issue. For those using a controller, there will be certain tabs you will need to click on with a mouse in order to navigate it.
When it comes to actual gameplay using either, the game runs smoothly. Each command has a very limited delay and works as intended for the most part. Players can also remap the game’s controls to fit their needs.
Audio/SFX
The game’s music was a delight to listen to. At no point throughout our playthrough did we get sick of a certain level’s music. The only two times we got frustrated with the game’s sound effects were when the game would have frame rate issues and the Kraken level. Without spoiling too much, there is a level in the game where the player has to differentiate the audio frequency of a Kraken. For those with audio impairments, this puzzle is a bit of torture. In fact, this puzzle is what took us the longest to solve.
Replay Value
We Were Here Forever offers a decent amount of replay value. The game has two perspectives on each puzzle; this means that if you want to see each puzzle, you will have to play through the game at least twice. Then there is the speed factor. If you are not happy with how long it took you to complete a certain puzzle or the game as a whole you can always race to complete it.
The Price to Play
When it comes to We Were Here Forever, it truly takes two. Yes, this title at first seemed like a bad pun; however, after booting up the game, you realize that in order to play you must have a second player to play with. In fact, you can’t even look through the levels menu to see which levels you completed without a second player in your lobby. With the game costing 17.99 on Steam before any sales, you are looking at an overhead price of around 36 to 40 dollars spent between two people before you play the game with a buddy. When you compare that to AAA titles it is cheaper than the industry norm but is a slight kick in the teeth if you plan to play the game with someone else in your household. So is it worth it?
The answer is yes, but it does come with some pushback. Yes, you can play the game with random players either through a random lobby or by creating a public game; so you are not actually forced to buy two copies, but if you want to play with someone you know then you will both need a copy. Even with this buy-in cost, you will at least get your money’s worth.
At the fastest time, you can complete the game in under six hours. That time was set by someone who completed the game. On average the game takes a minimum of 10 hours if everything goes smoothly.
Verdict
We Were Here Forever was a great experience even if the ending was devastating. The game’s puzzles are thought-provoking and each side of the puzzle has its own feel; you will need to play the game twice to experience each side. The game’s visual bugs, although annoying, were easy to fix and get around. The game’s music was enjoyable and alluring often setting the mood for the level. Control-wise, playing with a keyboard and mouse is an easier time, but for those who like using a controller, you will still need a mouse. The game’s replay value is there especially if you plan to play with random people and is still worth buying if you have a specific person in mind.
A Steam review code was provided in order to review We Were Here Forever.
