Monument Valley is a brief, wondrous piece of art about structure and perspective. …show more content…
Ida’s footsteps pitter-patter neatly as she moves across the stage. Ancient stone columns release a deep grind as they shift and slide. Even more notably, each movable in-game object works on a musical scale, resolving as it settles into position. It might be a stretch to say Monument Valley is a music game, but music and sound are absolutely integral to the full experience. Headphones recommended.There is something deep and intangible at work inside Monument Valley. The game is light on plot details, more proverbial than narrative, but it constantly exudes a sense of existential wonder. Cryptic utterances like, “How far have you wandered, silent princess?” and “…but forever, will our monuments stay in this valley,” lend import to Ida’s journey. Dark, anthropomorphic crows wordlessly watch her progress, squawking menacingly as she gets near. At the start of chapter six — one of the game’s most challenging and emotionally touching stages — Ida makes an unlikely friend, a moment that shortly after turns into genuine heartbreak. Many of these junctures are of course interpretive, perhaps even meaningless, but that is oftentimes the beauty of an artistic