Gray Skies, Dark Waters Reviews

One of those games you will play two or three times to see the different outcomes and will think "yeah... that was...neat" afterwards. But for the very fair indie price, you don`t make a mistake. It is very story-driven, not much pointing and clicking and no classic puzzles, just atmosphere, story and decisions. Which is exactly what I personally prefer, and the style and atmosphere of this game is top notch. The location backgrounds are drawn in a pretty unique childrens book style and the speed and pacing of the game is laid back and relaxed, which goes along with the graphics style very well. The character models and animations are a bit disappointing, though. Only the protagonist ever moves, there are no animations aside from walking, and one character is drawn so distant and small, that I could hardly make out the line where the cap ended and the head began. The voice acting isn`t that strong, either. It works well for the protagonist and okay for most of the other characters, but the quality is incoherent and I could clearly hear it was recorded by a standard mic in front of an opened text file by amateurs - with different backgrounds, so sometimes it sounds studio-like, sometimes more like a bathroom. The accentuation isn`t on the spot all the time, at times it was clear the actors were missing any context and downright misinterpreted a sentence at all. A pity and I think, most of this mistakes could have been prevented with a little more planning ahead. But, when all is said and done, none of this weak spots damaged the experience for me. I was hooked all throughout - but you should have an interest in slow and silent games, because this isn`t Telltales Walking Dead ... The premise is actually one of the strongest features this game offers, it is very original, emotionally moving and interesting, leaving you to wonder not just about the fate but also about the heritage of your missing mother. In the end, it will be a "is it?" or "is it not?" kind of dichotomy, where you continue to think about the hints you stumbled upon during the game and have to make your own decision whether it was or it wasn`t ;)

Interesting adventure game with an interesting story. It's not very long and has no riddles/minigames in it but I still think it's worth buying. The voice recordings could be done in a better way. You can hear it is recorded probably in various rooms (sometimes with echo, sometimes not). But in general I have positive feeling about the game.

I like the mechanics that drive this game forward with very few fetch quests and the like, instead concentrating heavily on dialogue and atmosphere. Some say GSDW is a short game. On one hand it is, but it manages to tell a complete story during its short stay. The way I see it, this game appreciates the players' use of time. It doesn't try to stretch the game duration needlessly, there are no extra filler sections and there's even a very efficient fast travel system. GSDW is simply as long an experience as it needs to be. And I like it a lot for that. The characters are life-like, likeable and interesting. The voice-acting is actually fine by me, but the voice quality is a bit modest - it has that "boxy" studio booth effect to it. Plot-wise, I loved the duality between realism and some fantastical elements and also how your character's attitude and interpretation towards what she discovers actually affects the way the story is concluded. There's a really nice balance of open-endedness combined with concrete conclusion. It's hard to explain thoroughly without spoiling the experience, so if you decide to play it, you'll see for yourself. ;)

Gray Skies, Dark Waters tells an interesting story shaped by some of your choices about myths and mental health. Dialogues recording are uneven and could use some polish but hey, it's an indie game. Give it some love.

I really did not know what to expect from this game, when I first bought it and started playing it. It was more than I expected. I honestly enjoyed this interactive VN/point & click adventure. Much more than I expected to, especially with it being the first game from an unknown Indie studio. Yes, the facial animations were a bit rough, as were many other small things. Some of the VO's were a bit "off", with some obvious mic echo, or variation in sound levels. But for a game made in Unity Personal, by new devs, animators and artists, just learning the ropes... I was easily able to look past the small flaws, and enjoy the sparkly gem hiding underneath. The story actually was quite good, deeper, and touching on more serious and important things than I expected. Like the interpersonal realtionships in a broken family, mental heath challenges hidden for many years, the apparent burden of a daughter, who had to become a surrogate mother to her siblings, in a short period of time. I do wish there had been a touch more back story, to explain what it was like before, a little more depth to where this family had been before Mom disappeared, and how, 1 year ater, they got to where they were, in what we read and see. But, it was still quite well developed, and touched on some very senstivie subjects, quite well, and in a way that seemed realisitc. The way average human beings deal with such things. The choices-matter aspect was very good. Choices DID actually matter, and change outcomes, and dialogs, in a significant enough way to make a second playthrough worth doing, for more than just achievements. The music was quite fitting, folksy, a very good fit for the game, with the ending song a wonderful (to me) folksong, sung by a "regular" folksinger. Someone I would expect to hear performing at a Ren-Fest, an open mike night, or a college campfire get-together. Yes, it is a little rough around the edges. But, for a first time effort, it shows a ton of love was put into making it and telling its story. Yes, I would pay full price, the price is reasonable. On sale, even more so. Don't expect high drama, or fast action. This is a slow paced, emotional journey through the day of a young woman with some heavy feelings and possibilities to come to grips with. Adrenaline junkies, this isn't for you. People with heart, who want a story and experience made with love, give it a go. Greenn Willow- well done. I look forward to seing you grow and become better with your next projects. I think you can do it. :)

This is a well-fleshed out story game that presents a thoughtful, multi-dimensional picture of loss through the eyes of a family. The 2D art is consistenly beautiful, moody and engrossing, which makes up for some rough 3D character models. The music is likewise very good, adding a dark-folk tinge to the environment. But my favorite thing about the game would have to be how the dialogue - internal and external - interacts with this environment. Visually, the game's a bit doom-and-gloom, with grey dominating the landscape (this is adressed point blank by several characters). The muted watercolor-esque art conveys this without sacrificing clarity. And yet, the dialogue shifts between humor and gravity quite freely. The conflict between the environment and the humor really parallel my experience with grief - everyone tries to act like things are normal, but when levity enters into that equation, it throws everything off and makes us question how we're supposed to balance our joy and our sorrow. This is a question that Gray Skies, Dark Waters asks over and over again, and the last choice in the game allows us to provide our own answer. For that, I love this game. Highly recommended for patient or story-oriented players.

Just finished my intial play through of GSDW, the debut title from Green Willow Games. A fanciful yet grounded tale with attractive visuals and a quick playthrough time, good for a pick up evening of gaming. I look forward to exploring some of the other choices in the future!

For once, an indie game I unreservedly consider a hidden gem. In a word, powerful: says more than it shows. The influence of literature is clear and it has that quality; design and music are also lovely. Production can be amateur (not that I care) and I only completed it once (has multiple ending) but to any tolerant indie fan this gets a resounding recommend. Edit: after replaying some years later, just to add that despite any flaws, it is beautifully written.

Nice, wholesome little game with a deep and interesting story and beautiful art. The characters are well done and the voice acting adds to the immersion. However, like many other reviewers have pointed out, I also don't like the 3D characters, who don't fit into the beautiful 2D backgrounds and just have dead, hollow expressions. I think the story would've been much better served with fitting 2D characters. But it's okay, the story and overall experience is still great.

if you dont want to read the review I will link my video at the end Grey skies, dark waters A game whose backgrounds are beautifully drawn. Where it feels like your walking through impressive drawings that are real enough to make you feel that you are in a world but not completely realistic. It is the main strength of this piece of work but just as a symphony needs all its pieces together to be perfect so does a game and unfortunately not all the pieces play together to make that perfect symphony. It is the characters where the first few pieces fall apart. They aren’t drawn like the background they are rendered with computers with eyes so dead that you would be staring into and abyss rather than eyes. It’s a shame that the characters stick out like a Picasso between ancient Greek architecture. The character dialogue is overall well written and makes you feel for the characters in this tale but where is most stories you see the characters grow over time here you only get to know them. The story is so short that there is no room for growth of change, they stay at the same place and never change. Lastly the voice acting, this is a hit and miss, like a drunk violinist it manages to sometimes play beautiful notes but overall it leaves a bad taste in your mouth for you know they could have done better. Even though the story and gameplay make it a fun game and does ask for more there are parts in this game that make the experience less. It’s like a beautiful symphony that gets ruined by a drunk violinist and a conductor that seem lost to what the symphony is playing. If you like story based games and can handle a short play this is one for you otherwise if the things I pointed out annoy you too much then this game is not for you, otherwise take a look and maybe you will be leaving with an orchestra playing swan lake for you. my video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcKAscEfYxc