Deer & Boy Review – An Emotional Treat

Stepping into the shoes of Boy (Not the Kratos kind) as he runs away from home, begins a one of a kind journey. This latest indie game from first-time developer Lifeline Games is a linear exploration in loneliness, loss, and ultimately grief. At first, I expected a completely different journey as these two unlikely friends traverse the wilderness, but Deer & Boy quickly become something entirely different.

Experienced through environmental storytelling only, besides a few adorable baby deer sounds, you get fed tidbits of the Boy’s background as you progress. As he embarks on his mysterious quest, he comes across the Deer that suffers a loss not too dissimilar to the famous Disney deer, Bambi. Initially, it’s unclear why he’s running away and what his purpose is, but it soon becomes a trivial matter as the duo encounter a mysterious purple goop that turns animals into monsters.

After escaping a giant boar and some other strange creatures, Deer gains a powerful ability to keep the goo at bay. This blends into the puzzle aspects of the game, which is complemented with a touch of platforming. Whilst neither is too hard, there were a few occasions where Boy had to be at an exact point to solve or continue, creating a slight amount of frustration. Thankfully, it wasn’t often, and the bulk of the fun puzzles were easy to surpass. Another small issue seemed to be a little bit of input lag, especially when jumping in quick succession. This only really affected a few parts in a couple of chase sequences, but it was prevalent enough to mention.

To keep up the pace of Deer & Boy, quite a few of these chase sequences are littered throughout, involving all types of creatures and even a few policemen. The finale also sets up a much grander section that matches the increasing momentum and the overall tone. As their adventure comes to a close, Boy, Deer and the player reach a point of emotional closure whilst maintaining a satisfying twist.

Exploring the varied landscapes, from factories, sewers, mountains and icy caves, each is more artistic than the last. Designed with a cartoonish style, it doesn’t take away from the gorgeous yet simple scenery. This creates a certain innocent feeling that is soon shattered by the darker themes on display. The whole game is also letterboxed deliberately to create a cinematic feel as you explore these vast locales.

Although this isn’t necessarily a dark story, Deer & Boy is about fighting against a certain darkness in order to proceed. There is a lot of subtext and analogies that go unnoticed until the very end, which creates a full-circle feeling once the credits roll. Some of the more meaningful moments include several fantastic original songs by Corentin Brasart, that resonate with specific scenes. Most of the themes are relaxing as they play in the background, which helps blend into the visuals to establish the perfect atmosphere.

All of these elements combine to provide players with a short, sweet, dangerous yet immersive narrative. On top of this, there are no collectibles and very few optional trophies/achievements. However, some of the funnier trophy names relate to Metal Gear Solid and even Spider-Man. With a decent amount of loadable checkpoints, there is nothing to miss, and clean-up is easier than an entry-level Chocobo race.