Sumire

Genre: Graphic Adventure

Players: 1

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Review:

Sumire, released on PC and Nintendo Switch in 2021, is a family-friendly Graphic Adventure that puts players into the role of the titular young girl as she goes on a quest with a friendly flower to try to have a perfect day in hopes of speaking with her late grandmother.

The presentation in Sumire is absolutely gorgeous, with vivid, colorful 2D artwork in a watercolor art style and a subtle 3D “rolling landscape” look to its world. This game is an absolute joy to look at, although the “paper doll” style of animation the game uses for its characters may not appeal to everyone. These visuals are backed by a lovely acoustic soundtrack with some really beautiful, calming themes (although unfortunately I can’t provide examples at this time).

At first glance, Sumire’s story seems light, silly, and juvenile. The dialogue is simplistic and even seems a bit unnatural and stilted at times. But gradually it becomes apparent that there’s a reason for this, and Sumire’s story is a bit deeper than it initially lets on, as it appears to be exploring some rather sensitive topics from a child’s perspective. The titular character’s grandmother has recently passed away, her father has been spending more time away from the house, her mother has become sad and inattentive to the household needs, and her best friend has become distant. Suddenly, she encounters a magical flower that brings her on the aforementioned quest to have a perfect day, which seems to involve doing something to solve all of these problems.

Suddenly, our heroine can talk to plants, animals, statues, and even rocks, and even run errands to help them out and make them happy. It’s all very silly and childish, but then we are seeing the world through the eyes of a child, and it gradually becomes apparent that our protagonist is having to process a lot of difficult things all at once, and this silly quest is perhaps her way of interpreting events she may not fully understand. That’s how I’m reading this, anyway. There’s a lot going on here that’s a bit abstract, and different players may read different things into what’s going on here, which may not quite work for everyone.

Then there’s the gameplay, which is mostly fairly standard Graphic Adventure fare of picking up various items and handing them to the appropriate character later. This isn’t especially inspired, but it works well enough. However, I did find myself frustrated by the game’s way of having time pass in-game, without a clear indication just what time it is (beyond the color of the sky), nor what will trigger time to move forward, something that’s important to know because some actions can only be taken at certain times, and if you miss them, you can’t go back to them.

Overall, while Sumire has some positive and negative elements, this is still overall a solid Graphic Adventure game bolstered by a gorgeous presentation. The game’s abstract nature and childish outlook may not appeal to everyone, and its Graphic Adventure elements aren’t exactly inspired, but this is still a beautiful experience that fans of the genre should enjoy.

tl;dr – Sumire is a family-friendly Graphic Adventure about a young girl who joins a magical flower on a quest to have the perfect day so she can see her late grandmother again. The seemingly silly and childish story is told in a somewhat abstract manner that conceals hidden depths, and while the Graphic Adventure elements are a mixed bag, the presentation here is so gorgeous that fans of the genre should definitely consider giving the game a look.

Grade: B

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2021 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Best Graphical Style, Most Overrated

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