Blanc Review: Blinded by the white
Have you ever been caught in a white-out? Days where the snow causes the land and sky to blend into a figid haze can be fun if you’re bundled up indoors, sipping on hot cocoa and listening to a crackling fire, but they can be absolutely deadly if you’re outside in these conditions. If you’re driving, you should reduce your speed as much as possible since you’re likely to hit the car in front of you before you see its tail-lights; if you’re walking? Unless you’re an animal primed for the conditions, like a deer or wolf, you should do what you can do get indoors as quickly as possible, as visibility is going to make it hard to figure out where you’re going before you freeze to death.
Actually, even if you’re one of the aforementioned animals, travelling in these conditions is no walk in the park as the cozy co-op game Blanc illustrates. Available on PC or Switch, Blanc allows 1 – 2 players to take on the role of a wolf cub and/or fawn as they somewhat recreate Homeward Bound in game form. Touting a gorgeous hand-drawn art style and text-free storytelling, Blanc will certainly captivate those looking for a cute and casual adventure while still offering quite the challenge (for better or worse).
Blanc opens up on a fawn and wolf cub — separately — as they discover they have been left behind by their kin. The babies of different breeds leave their small coverings and head into the blinding white snow, only to eventually stumble upon each other. Realizing it’s dangerous to go alone (or at least less advantageous), the duo decide to depart together, following the scent of their respective species. Good thing, too, as there are plenty of blocked pathways requiring the fawn’s strength and the cub’s teeth to create a passage, so cooperation quickly becomes key. Through crystalized towns, frozen ponds, and frigid winds, the unlikely pair make their way together, never considering their kind to be natural-born enemies… even if the scents they pick up tell a different story.
Let’s talk about Blanc’s art style, as that’s the first thing to likely catch anyone’s eye. It’s undeniably gorgeous — originally hand drawn on paper before being transformed into the 3D world both fawn and cub traipse around in. The fact that its a completely black and white game makes Blanc all the more alluring, as it’s an art direction not typically seen in gaming. Coupled with the world’s setting being a frozen one of ice and snow makes the black and white style beautifully cohesive — simply put, it just makes sense and looks stunning.
Unfortunately, it’s this same art style that holds Blanc back slightly when it comes to gameplay. I wouldn’t go as far as to say Blanc is totally minimalist, but it does err on the side of minimalism when it comes to actionable cues. Blanc will herd players into a route it wants them to take, but the actions required to make traversing said route possible aren’t always immediately understood. Playing with my editor, the esteemed Francis DiPersio, there were a number of times where we’d correctly make a beeline for the right area, only to hit a literal wall because the action prompt wasn’t spawning correctly. Additionally, there were times when the fawn or cub would sniff out their families and cry out without player input, tricking the other player into thinking they found something interesting and returning to their side post-haste in their confusion. I see what the art style was going for, but it came at an unfortunate cost.
When it worked, Blanc was a fun, cute little romp that really sold the whole animal world feel. The text wasn’t missed because it makes sense for animals to communicate without it, and every roadblock encountered by the pair felt right for them, be it knocking over bundles of logs or herding ducklings through a windy passage. Once my player 2 left and I was on my own, however, I found controls to be a little more frustrating, even if they were doable. And as the game is short and the puzzles are simple, Blanc isn’t really one for high replayability; instead, I consider it to be a title best suited for a gamer and their non-gamer partner or a child, where one person takes the lead and the other does their best to follow.
Blanc is certainly cozy, cute, and charming, and it deserves high marks for its aesthetics and ideas, but I can’t deny how frustrated I felt while playing it. There were some high moments where cub and fawn flew through the frozen fields, delicately criss-crossing darkened paths in an otherwise blinding white spendor, but they were often followed by whiplashed lows of missing actionable cues and odd technical difficulties. If Blanc speaks to you, I think you’ll enjoy it, but if you’re on the fence, give the dev team some time to address the issues. Until then, Blanc remains the perfect example of a snow day — enjoyable in theory as long as you don’t have to travel.
Final Verdict: 3/5
Available on: PC, Switch (reviewed); Publisher: Gearbox Publishing; Developer: Casus Ludi; Players: 1 – 2; Released: February 14, 2023; MSRP: $14.99
Editor’s note: This review is based on a digital copy of Blanc provided by the publisher.
