Boku no Natsuyasumi 3 Review - Part 3

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Boku no Natsuyasumi 3 is at it's root an adventure game. It's not the tedious puzzle-solving style adventure game that has you finding items and combining them together to progress to the next section. Rather, Boku no Natsuyasumi 3 is a true adventure game in the sense that you are discovering the world that the creators made for you and seeking out adventure within that world. There is no stat management or progression trees or leveling up of any kind. The enjoyment comes from discovering what is available for you to do, and discovering what those things have to offer. Exploration is nearly always rewarded. Along the way you are treated to the story of a boy's summer vacation. Depending on what you do, more or less of the story is experienced.

There are some things about this game that American gamers may find different, unique, and even frustrating. Americans value personal freedom, and this extends to video games. Games tend to go to great lengths to provide the western gamer with the ability to control the camera so they can alter the view as they see fit. They also tend to feature "save anywhere" save systems. Boku no Natsuyasumi on the other hand takes a more Japanese approach featuring fixed camera angles and a save option at the end of each day.

These elements are not merely throwbacks to old game mechanics or something put there to frustrate foreign players. Rather they have a great impact on the look, feel, and flow of the game. For starters the camera angles create a beautiful, film-like view of the pastoral and domestic settings in Boku no Natsuyasumi 3.The backgrounds are a mixture of 3D and 2D hand painted elements that create a whimsical feeling like a picture book or an animated movie. The overall effect is beautiful to see on the PS3 and works wonderfully with the tone and subject of the game.

Each day progresses from morning to night and normally takes around 20-30min to complete. I find myself playing 2-3 days worth at a time constituting about and hour to an hour and a half of game play time which is a satisfyingly easy amount of time to fit into my day. Time in the game progresses not as the clock ticks away, but as you advance from one camera angle to another. Therefore in order to "get anywhere" in the game, you must literally get someplace! This further reinforces the exploration and collection aspects of the game and is a really novel approach to the game design.

If you'd like to learn more please continue to the next part of my review of Boku no Natsuyasumi 3 - Part 4. Or you may go back to my Boku no Natsuyasumi 3 Review for PS3.