Keeper XSX Review

Gameplay

Graphics

Audio

Narrative

Summary: A touching tale of friendship and the power of light over dark that is as spellbinding as it is jaw dropping.

4.5

It's a Keeper

Keeper is one of the weirdest and most visually arresting games I have ever played.

It’s a tale as old as time: a sentient lighthouse falls over, grows spider-like legs from rope and rubble, totters about, falls over again, destroys a small fishing community, then goes for a stroll up a mountain accompanied by its new bird friend called Twig.

Still with me? Good.

That’s all you need to know, and that’s all I’m going to tell you because Keeper is best played in a single sitting and going in knowing as little as humanly possible about what you’re about to experience.

It’s a picture book in video game form. This touching tale of a lost bird and his keeper is told with no dialogue; instead, the narrative is conveyed via the actions and subtle, emotive movements of its characters, and the shifting, often dreamlike environment. As such, aside from a few obvious story beats, it’s mostly up for interpretation.

In fact, the only way to uncover the story is by unlocking achievements at various hidden statues you find throughout the adventure. At which point, the achievements tell you a couple of lines about the state of the world. An incredibly clever little twist that makes them worth seeking out if you want to get the whole picture.

It’s a meditative adventure with no HUD and very little signposting at times that places a lot of emphasis on the interplay of light and shadow, as your main means of interacting with the world is by shining a beam of light on various parts of the environment to solve basic puzzles, along with a little help from your friend Twig, who turns cranks, collects important items and hammers things into place with their beak.

The minor issue I had with this approach is that I occasionally didn’t know what to do next. At one point, I ended up stuck for the best part of half an hour before I hit the Twig button, then they plunged into some water in a part of the level I had traversed at least a dozen times and grabbed a vital item.

The best part about Keeper, though, is that it’s an absolute feast for the senses. It is easily one of the most beautiful games I have ever played, with some absolutely jaw-dropping scenes.

It’s a world full of strange creatures, light and shadow, and an expanding colour palette that feels consistently dreamlike. Interacting within the world almost becomes second nature as the barrier between game and gamer melts away, as you are drawn into this wondrous and increasingly bright and beautiful world teeming with life.

The sound design is also top-tier stuff. The sounds of the island’s creatures, its colossal protagonist, and even the island itself, carry a proper sense of weight and almost a musicality that is further enhanced by Keeper’s light but effective score, effortlessly augmenting the experience without ever feeling intrusive, using a mix of lighter tones and ambient vibrations to create a soundtrack that almost feels transcendental at times.

Final Thoughts

Keeper is Double Fine at its very best. Inventive, weird, and packed full of heart. Keeper is easily one of this year’s best games, and weirdly one of only two that Microsoft has kept exclusive to Xbox, along with the equally beguiling South of Midnight.

It’s a surreal, but achingly beautiful game, that has far more twists, turns, and stakes than its initial odd premise suggests. But it’s also ultimately a simple, heart-warming tale about the power of light over dark, and of a sentient lighthouse and his bird friend.

It’s also very easy for me to recommend. This one’s a Keeper.

About the Author

Gareth Newnham

Keeper XSX Review