There is another influence I noticed, a primary one, but I cannot mention it because it would be a major spoiler. I can only point to two words, or three if we count the conjunction.
Space and Time.
Rue Valley is an isometric narrative RPG, and I will try to discuss it without revealing anything about its plot. I would even suggest that you avoid watching the trailer; perhaps look at a few images just to get a feel for the art style, nothing more. I hope this text is enough to convince you to give it a chance, because it is a wonderful experience worth the ten or so hours it lasts.
We find ourselves on American soil, specifically in one of those regions with vast deserted stretches, where the empty spaces create a sense of isolation for the people who live there. The story focuses on a motel and a few nearby locations. Our protagonist, Eugene Harrow, is the center of the narrative, and as the story unfolds, his inner world gradually opens up, revealing what is happening to him.
The mystery is set up immediately, and the atmosphere envelops the player like a curtain through which you move and interact with whatever you can discover. As the story advances, that curtain slowly lifts until the finale, when everything becomes clear.
Through dialogues and monologues you come to know the other characters, trying to untangle this thread with the belief that doing so will help you escape this labyrinth of mind, space, and time, because these things always go together. A person understands where they are and when they are by relying on memory and on criteria that are mostly grounded in logic.
By controlling Eugene, the player is asked to enter his mind and find a way for him to continue existing. From the very first shot it is evident that he is tormented, burdened with thoughts and trapped in personal demons, obsessions, and dead ends he has lived with for a long time.
One of Rue Valley’s important features is the ability to choose the protagonist’s temperament. Will he be introverted or extroverted? How will he behave? Depending on your choice, you will face the corresponding obstacles or avoid them. I am certain the game deserves a second playthrough after the ending, now that you know what is going on, both to catch details you might have missed and to take the path you did not choose. I am not sure if further attempts are worthwhile, but I do not want to underestimate it either. As I see it, the game gives you everything it has to offer across two runs.
There is plenty of dark humor and social commentary, yet the core emphasis remains on the protagonist’s psychology, his choices, the decisions that led him to his current state. I believe the creators’ broader intent concerns psychoanalysis as a discipline, its foundations, and the work the patient must do with themselves in order to heal.
I am including the soundtrack below in case you wish to listen to it.
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