This game. This gaaaaame. THIS GAME.
I’m pretty sure you know about the Untitled Goose Game. If you don’t, you need to go check it out, and play it if you can. The reason why I downloaded this game was because its art reminded me so much of the goose game. I’m not sure what this type of art is called but I love it. The colors are so vibrant and warm, and it makes me happy just looking at it.
Wide Ocean Big Jacket is an interactive story game about four people going on an overnight camping trip. We meet and get to know the characters through their interactions and conversations with each other.
Mord is the central character; she is 13 years old and has just started dating her best friend, Ben, who is the same age. Mord’s Uncle Brad and Aunt Cloanne are the ones in charge of things and have been trusted by Mord’s parents to look after the young pair.
I found these characters very interesting. Mord is your typical wild child — she has no filter and is not afraid to ask whatever question that crosses her mind.
She’s the complete opposite of her boyfriend Ben, who is quiet, soft-spoken, and keeps to himself. As young children, this dynamic works well for them. The contrast in personalities makes them perfect for each other, as they are both still growing and maturing.
Brad and Cloanne are different, they already had a pre-existing relationship. I honestly thought that Brad was Mord’s older brother because of how young they seemed, but you can’t really tell with the 2D art style. They were chill during the camping trip, they didn’t set any rules and let the kids explore, which was nice because you, the player, have to play as the characters and it would have been annoying if you came to this camping game to escape the restrictions of the real world and encountered stupid rules like “don’t go three feet away from the campsite.”
Upon the arrival at the camping spot, we are introduced to the game’s mechanics. You can basically just walk around and find things or places that you can interact with. And by ‘interact’, I mean talk about. The objects that you find, the places that you go to in this game, are all just subjects to talk about with the characters.
There isn’t much freedom when it comes to exploring, but the dialogue that you get with every encounter is pretty entertaining and each line tells us more about the characters. I love the innocence and wonder and curiosity in Mord and Ben’s conversations. It was hilarious how free-spirited Mord was — how she insisted that nature was your toilet when you’re going camping. I agree with her, but Ben didn’t. So we get a funny little moment with Mord trying to find a bush to pee in, but in the end, she gives up and just goes to the restroom.
While the kids are getting ready to go to the beach, we switch to Brad and Cloanne’s perspectives. As adults, they’re the ones setting up the camp. Brad does the heavy lifting and Cloanne arranges the campfire area and prepares the food. We find out that Brad is the protective one, asking Cloanne questions about where the kids went, and Cloanne is the chill one, having a smoke and reassuring Brad that the kids will be alright.
By now, you might have noticed how menial and dull the scenes are. Just talking about it doesn’t give it justice. You need to play the game yourself to see the beauty in its simple design.
The small interactions, the little stories, the jokes and banter, these things made the boring aspects of the game brighter and more interesting. Walking to the beach with Mord and Ben suddenly became exciting upon encountering a group of bullies who make fun of them for being a young couple. Birdwatching with Cloanne became sweet and fascinating as she thinks about Brad and how he would love to see the colorful bird she’s just spotted.
The first half of the game was basically just an introduction. When we get a little more used to the game and the characters, it’s already night time and the group gathers around the campfire and eat the hotdogs that Cloanne prepared.
It was a heartwarming scene. Going from character to character and hearing their thoughts and stories were so fascinating even though you’re just clicking at the game. The dialogue keeps you interested in the game that you won’t even realize that you’re already halfway through the game.
My favorite scene in the game was Mord and Ben’s nighttime trip to the beach. Brad and Cloanne had already went to sleep in the tent, so the pair decided to sneak out and have a lovely stroll to the beach without the threat of bullies.
The 2D animation works wonders when used perfectly. People might look at it and comment on how it’s flat and lacks depth and character. But I think it’s fitting for a game that shows its depth and message through its dialogue and characterization.
Mord and Ben are only 13 years old. They have so much more life to live. But in this moment, they make a promise to go back to each other if they ever grow apart. Mord, the little sass, even says that she’ll still like Ben even if he grows up to be a nerd. I can very easily imagine a real kid saying this exact same thing. A young me would probably have said the same thing.
The young pair is such a contrast to Brad and Cloanne. Brad and Cloanne have their own adult problems, but you can still clearly see their love for each other in the form of sweet nicknames and exchanged cans of beer. It’s as if we’re seeing the past and the future side by side. Mord and Ben will someday be just like Brad and Cloanne. Their differences will still be there, there might be some clashes in personality, but the love is there, overpowering the differences.
If there’s one word I can choose to represent this game, it will be “honest.” The game shows the shameless honesty of children, their intense curiosity to understand the world more, their need for reassurance. It also shows the truth of relationships, young and old. If your love for each other is true, no differences will have power to drive you apart.
Before you know it, morning comes and the early risers prepare breakfast. Ben was the first to rise and prepared coffee for the adults. This was a nice moment where Ben genuinely felt like he’s a part of this family. He gains the love and approval of both Brad and Cloanne. The once shy and quiet boy now feels like he’s grown a little after earning a little bit of wisdom from the trip.
So everything is all packed, but Mord declares that she wants do a ceremony to properly end the camping trip. She holds a big stick that she and Ben discovered from their stroll, and announces that she, The Stick Holder, will pass her title to another person, along with the responsibilities that come with it.
This part, you get to choose who to give the stick to. So I went ahead and passed it to Cloanne. I chose her because she and Mord formed a personal connection. Mord was feeling lost, which is understandable since she’s a teenager, and Cloanne was like an older sister to her, rather than an aunt, and I think Mord really needed that. Then I made Cloanne choose Ben, because Ben made coffee for them and he deserves to be acknowledged. Finally, there’s only Brad left.
Brad is the final stick holder and we majestically stick the stick in the fire pit, ending the camping trip the proper way.
So. Did I enjoy this game? Yes. Did I like the characters? Yes. Did I overanalyze the game and its characters? Probably, maybe, yes. But, with good reason! This is a short, feel-good game, and we’re provided with only a slice of the characters’ personalities and lives. I’m a writer with a hyperactive imagination, and it’s my actual duty to connect the dots, even if the dots aren’t there.
I give this game a 4.8 out of 5 stars. The interactivity is great, but dear God I really wished we had the option to walk faster. That’s the only thing that annoyed me. But overall? I recommend everyone to play the game. It’s like a 90-minute vacation, except in some ways better than an actual vacation. (No annoying family members and screaming children.) So go ahead, treat yourself a little and grab this game.
Wide Ocean Big Jacket is available on Steam, itch.io, and the Nintendo Switch.
