It's another gorgeous day on the small but charming island of Shelmerstone, the most British of islands. And you're in the shoes of one Morris Lupton, a soft-spoken curator of a local maritime museum, dedicated to the island's history. The sun is shining. Your sweet dog, Sparky, follows you around with merriment, and all would be great in the world if not for the rather jarring fact that you're dead. Very dead, in fact. Deadest, if you please. That does put a bit of a pebble in your shoe and steals a bit of joy from such a gorgeous day, especially given that it seems you're bound to the island to haunt it! Quite unfortunate. However, it appears that you can earn your freedom and a pass to the Great Beyond if you help other spirits on their way and ensure that Shelmerstone is going to be alright - give or take - without your presence.
I AM DEAD is a game of juxtapositions. The title itself sounds grim, and death sits front and center as the game theme. You are, after all, a specter of the recently deceased curator that needs to move on - but worries, it seems, do not stop with the simple fact of kicking the bucket. Despite the morose topic the game manages to be rather cheerful. Colorful even! The made-up town of Shelmerstone might be bleeding 'Britishness' through every nook and crack in the cobblestones, but there's a big touch of the fantastical to it. Fishfolk roam the streets. Peculiars buildings jut from its sands. Spirits roam the land and the sea. The atmosphere tries its best and succeeds in making sure that being Dead doesn't seem like such a terrible prospect.
There is a very interesting set of insights to be discovered here. You interact with the world in new ways now that physical boundaries no longer hold you. You can peer through layers of baseline reality, check every hidden thing, find the tiniest of objects, and inspect them through and through. There's an intimacy here on display. Now that you're free to roam the island, unhindered by any boundaries, you can glean the life of people through a new, unbiased lens. See what was important to them. Learn about their drives, wishes, and wants. Hear them anew, with a mind open and unclouded by mortal follies.
There's an ongoing conversation here - one with the dead, those who are gone, by learning of the impact they left behind in their lives. And you, Morris Lupton, can learn the same. Can see how your work, your passions, and your very self managed to make an imprint on your community.
It's bittersweet without grief hanging over the story like a leaden blanket. It's cheerful, even! In death, life. There's a bright vitality to everything you do, and I can feel a warm sense of comfort overtaking me when enjoying the game premise especially when mixed in with its straightforward gameplay. In broad strokes, it is a very simple exploration game with a strong whiff of a hidden object DNA blended in. Being a ghost means you can 'peel' the layers of things, of any material object, to get to the bottom of it. Guided by the wisdom of your dog and some whispers of more ancient spirits, you embark on a journey through the history of your island as seen from the eyes of those who came - and went - before you.
And so you find various items important to their lives to puzzle together a narrative of their lives, so you can help them piece their pasts together. Oh, and your power to peer through objects is a bit more mystical than a rudimentary X-ray vision. You can pierce into the minds too, reading and unfolding memories. All that to find peace and solace. But also to save the island itself, as it seems a volcano deep under the island is waking up, the spirits keeping it docile fading at last. And so, it is your newfound role to find a suitable replacement for the keeper of the Shelmerstone safety amongst the spirits who reside there.
I AM DEAD is a very casual experience when it comes to challenge and difficulty. It is more interested in selling you on the visuals and story than trying to test your mental acumen. It has to be said that Shelmerstone is a beautiful place - the art style is vibrant with color and soft in shape. It's like a toy town but made with great taste. A good game about exploring and peering under every surface makes sure to pack everything full of little details, and here there are lil finds aplenty.
Every shop, every building, every corner can hide a tiny thing that - while not specifically related to your task at hand - adds a narrative block to the building of this colorful world. It is fun to explore, and finding these morsels of worldbuilding is always a rewarding experience. And the music by Vic Mars is excellent - it sells the atmosphere so well. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say it builds it up, perfectly fitting the game aesthetics, making for a tender guide through its colorful vistas.
I AM DEAD is as unique and unusual as you can expect from a publisher well-known for pushing peculiar games into the hands of gamers. And while Annapurna makes sure we can see those games, I must say I am becoming a fan of Hollow Pond as a studio - FLOCK was a delight too, a title worthy of recommending to anyone I know. And I AM DEAD shows that they are working on their unique brand of coziness that doesn't rely on straightforward ideas, always having a solid bit of a unique twist.
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