Secrets of Raetikon

Available as an early access game for some time now, Secrets of Rætikon has finally released. From  the independent studio, Broken Rules, it follows the successful titles And Yet It Moves and Chasing Aurora. Following in the footsteps of its predecessors, Secrets of Rætikon boasts beautiful 2D graphics, and a fantastic musical score tops off this open-world game.

In a single-player campaign, players control a bird, flying through the mountains of the Alps, warding off enemy creatures and coming face to face with artifacts left behind by an ancient culture. To discover the mysteries within Secrets of Rætikon, players search for clues to translate mysterious Rætik runes and collect pieces from ancient machines and statues. Successfully putting together the pieces means watching the machinery and figures come to life, revealing more about a culture long gone.

At the forefront is a simple, beautiful and entertaining game. Simply flying around and soaking in the visually stunning environment is enough to make one instantly attached to this dazzling title. Hours will disappear as players float along the horizon, catching glimpses of a beautiful sunset and discover new creatures to interact with around every corner. 

These creatures are not all kind, gentle bunny rabbits. More than not they are hostile, out to kill you and will do anything to protect what is most sacred to them. However, avoiding their painful inflictions is a possibility with some quick-wit and some simple problem solving skills. Pulling a thorny plant from the ground and flying it into an enemy will harm them, making them retreat, or if you're a bit more sadistic, distracting a predator with a fluffy bunny or cute squirrel will do the trick.

Even those with a darker side will soften up a bit at the sound of a whimsical flute or airy percussions. Secrets of Rætikon's soundtrack is a beautiful instrumental compilation, composed and performed by Christof Dienz. A zither, bassoon and other intriguing instruments will push the story along as our bird comfortably soars through the sky or suddenly finds himself in danger. Dienz made the game ever more beautiful with his breathtaking composition, and once put away for the day, it will be hard not to think of the images and sounds of Secrets of Rætikon.

Simple, elegant gameplay and visuals are truly what make Secrets of Rætikon shine, but for the strong proponent of "games-are-not-art,"  on top of the game's puzzles, its achievements offer a whole new way to explore the game. From baby making rabbits to a pacifistic playthrough, there's a magnificent world to explore in Secrets of Rætikon.     

On top of all that is the stunning Secrets of Rætikon, this title gives players the opportunity to edit the game in its entirety, through the built-in level editor. Through Steam Workshop players can let their creativity flow and share their masterpieces with their friends - always a plus.

The entire game is nearly flawless; any glitches or bugs present would see the player searching and trying very hard to find. With this being said, it's nearly impossible to find anything negative about Secrets of Rætikon - a game that deserves just as much, if not more, attention than this month's AAA titles.

Secrets of Rætikon is now available on PC, Mac and Linux. It's a must play, and with a price tag of only $9.99, it's a must own.

Megan Bethke (@XboxBetty), NoobFeed