Have you ever forged an unlikely alliance? Maybe found friends in odd places? Well, this fawn and wolf cub duo have you beat in those departments. Blanc is a co-op adventure game where each player takes on either the fawn or cub to find their way home. Players first got a glimpse of Blanc in last year’s Nintendo Mini-Direct. Developed by French studio Casus Ludi and published by Gearbox, this unlikely friendship is too cute! With a monochromatic art style and a simplistic story, the game hits those wholesome notes familiar to the genre. Does Blanc allow the friendship to grow authentically? Or does it throw it to the wolves?

Make it last forever, friendship never ends

Blanc begins with the wolf cub as you travel through the snow. The cub is all by itself, following a path to find its way home. Only moments later does the cub meet the second player, the fawn. While at the start the two animals are wary of each other, they learn to warm up to one another. Throughout the game, you need to rely on your co-op partner to traverse roofs and buildings. Both animals have specific abilities, the fawn can help the cub up to ledges that are too large of a jump, whereas the cub can cut or pull rope. You’ll also be able to meet other animals that need help, and you’ll even be able to learn new abilities like sliding down a hill and running through the snow.

The whole game is set during a winter snowstorm that’s so thick you can draw in it. Gusts of wind pummel the characters, slowing their movement and showcasing the harsh environment they’re in. The game is also textless. There are no notes explaining what’s happening, so you can only understand the story through the actions of the animals. The game doesn’t have any humans either, so whether this is a post-human winter apocalypse or just a bad storm, well that’s up to you. Blanc is heart-warming, as you learn and figure out how to help the cub and the fawn survive and make it out in the end.

Blanc Review – You and I will walk together again

I’ll be on your side forever more

The art style is amazing. The game really does look like it’s from a sketchbook with a monochromatic colour palette allowing for certain art techniques to shine. Specifically, the hatching technique is used, where you mimic shading by drawing parallel lines. It offers such a unique art style that really lifts up the game. However, sometimes it’s hard to see objects that you can interact with. Options allowing you to change the interface and graphic size help the problem somewhat. Although Blanc’s dedication to its monochromatic colour scheme makes for an at time challenging to read experience. A pop of colour to highlight key elements may have been worth it.

Another issue while playing is that the camera didn’t work as well. While the cub and fawn would walk in the forest, the camera might get caught on a tree and then it would teleport quickly to catch up with the players. It becomes really jarring in the end, and it would even clip through buildings. There are moments where the camera places itself in weird angles leading to a lack of clarity around what to do. Cramped spaces and a lack of visual cues simply compounded this issue.

Help me get my feet back on the ground

“The art style is amazing. The game really does look like it’s from a sketchbook with a monochromatic colour palette allowing for certain art techniques to shine.”

At times Blanc could be frustrating in its objectives and design. It’s a shame because it runs contrary to the atmosphere and vibes of the game. A lot of it does come down to patience and persistence. It’s irritating when you feel as though you’re doing all the right things but are being penalised regardless. The game’s shielding mechanic, which is initially introduced during a sequence where you have to protect goslings, is particularly annoying. I do love that there are these gameplay elements that break up the monotony of walking. But not all are as fun as others.

Count on me through thick and thin

The game itself is 10 chapters long and it takes a little under 2 hours to complete. The story hits the heartstrings. Watching the cub and fawn go from nervousness to inseparable friends is definitely emotional. There are multiple ways to control the game, whether it’s through a keyboard or controller, providing a lot of different options. Both online coop and local coop are also available, though do keep in mind the generous offer found in games like It Takes Two where you only need one copy between two online friends is not available here.

Blanc handles co-op pretty well. With each character having their strengths and weaknesses, it’s a joy to be able to play with friends. Running smoothly and glitch-free with only a couple of pockets of lag, the experience is certainly polished.

On the accessibility front, Blanc allows for you to change the size of the interface or graphics, which is great! The lack of text on-screen also helps to be inclusive of many gamers. Other accessibility functions such as controller remapping are missing though. And whilst the game has no story text, it does have tooltips that could have benefitted from optional text narration.

Will they stand their ground?

The game’s music is soft but cute. The sound design is atmospheric, with the howling of the wind and the crunching of snow beneath paw. It’s really impressive! Even the sounds of the fawn and cub, the barks, bleats, woofs, whines, and whimpers feel so authentic. I wouldn’t be surprised if the team just went out and recorded the sounds of actual cubs and fawns. The music is great at conveying moods to the player, helping to build the story it’s telling and the relationship.

Overall, Blanc is a short co-op adventure you can pick up easily and finish within a day. There are some issues that might stop people from playing, however, I was always interested to see where the game would go. Especially wondering if the fawn and cub can overcome their environmental instincts. It’s awesome seeing co-op gaming having such a resurgence, as the medium allows for more stories to be told and from different perspectives.

7

Good

Positive:

Sketchbook style is unique
Sound design has a superb attention to detail
Emotional storyline
Co-op works well

Negative:

Needs clearer visual cues
Camera is wonky
Challenging progression

Blanc is a great game to play if you’re looking for another co-op game to share with someone close to you. There are some noticeable issues including a lack of visual cues and a camera that’s just not as effective as it should be. Though the journey the game takes you on is fun, and the beautiful art style is clearly evident. It’s a short enough game and there’s definitely room for improvement. But it’s also clear that the passion is there. Another good and wholesome game for anyone to play!