Keeper Review – This One’s A Keeper

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Keeper is definitely a unique game. That’s not too surprising coming from Double Fine, a studio known for its quirky and unusual titles. However, even for them, Keeper stands out. It doesn’t quite fit into any established game genre, sometimes feeling more like an experimental art piece. But that’s also what makes it so good – Double Fine hasn’t compromised its vision, and the result is a truly memorable experience.

The game Keeper is most similar to 2012’s Journey – both tell their stories without words, focus on movement that ranges from slow and thoughtful to quick and energetic, and involve traveling towards a faraway mountain. However, comparing the two feels limiting. Journey is a simple, direct fable, while Keeper constantly changes and explores new ideas in surprising ways. Unlike Journey, where the world is easy to understand, Keeper’s world feels strange and unfamiliar, and its rules aren’t always obvious.

Let’s rewind to the beginning. Keeper starts with a lighthouse using its beam to rescue a bird from a spreading, shadowy threat. The lighthouse then dramatically falls apart, but surprisingly rebuilds itself, growing a set of shaky, three-legged legs. You control the lighthouse as it takes its first clumsy steps, often stumbling and falling – though it’s funny to think about a lighthouse having a face! – while you figure out how to navigate the world.

Now that the lighthouse is stable, you begin your journey with the rescued bird resting on your roof. A distant mountain draws you forward, and you start walking towards it. The game currently feels like a rough draft – your movements are slow and deliberate. Besides walking, your main actions involve shining your light on objects, sometimes focusing the beam, and occasionally sending your bird to interact with things.

From the very beginning, Keeper encourages players to slow down and appreciate its unique style. You’ll spend most of your time traveling between locations and solving straightforward puzzles. It feels more like an atmospheric experience than a traditional game, with no penalties for mistakes. A large part of the enjoyment comes from simply exploring the beautiful, yet often decaying, landscapes and observing the quirky creatures that inhabit them. The same energy that powered the lighthouse seems to have brought the entire world to life, highlighting the beauty hidden within imperfection. While the world is filled with trash and unusual formations, it’s also vibrant and full of movement. The animation of the lighthouse and the bird are especially impressive, giving them both a distinct personality and charm.

The game keeps camera control simple, letting you easily direct the light source with the right stick. This design choice also allows for beautifully framed scenes, almost like a carefully directed movie. It’s visually Double Fine’s best work yet, with many moments appearing picture-perfect and worthy of being displayed as art. A delicate oil-painting style adds to the overall beauty.

This game has some truly stunning visuals – I’ve never seen anything like them in a video game before. Some moments are so breathtaking, they’re almost impossible to put into words.

About halfway through the game, things change significantly. Without giving away any details, the game gives you more freedom to explore by loosening the camera controls. However, this also makes it a little less clear what you’re supposed to do or where to go next. I often found myself having to search around more or revisit old areas to figure things out.

Keeper constantly evolves, and each change feels natural and builds upon what you’ve already learned. While I briefly felt a little confused during one part, the basic controls and abilities were always clear – that’s a real achievement. These shifts also cleverly reinforce the game’s themes, exploring the relationship between humanity’s creations and the natural world and how they both adapt.

Keeper is constantly surprising me with how much it’s changing and improving, both in how it plays and, especially, how it looks. There are some truly unique visual moments in this game – I’ve never seen anything quite like them, and honestly, they’re hard to put into words. You really need to experience them yourself.

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The release of Keeper feels a little off, especially now that Microsoft is facing challenges with Xbox and recently increased the price of Game Pass. I usually avoid discussing business aspects in reviews, preferring to focus on the game itself. However, I couldn’t help but feel that Keeper represents a different era for Game Pass – a time when the service truly showcased unique and creative projects. It feels like a studio was given the freedom and support to make something genuinely unusual and confident, without restrictions. Even with a large studio and publisher behind it, Keeper still feels like a deeply personal and heartfelt project. It makes me question whether Microsoft will continue to support games like this, and I sincerely hope they do.

Keeper showcases Double Fine at their best – it’s visually stunning, emotionally resonant, and cleverly plays with how you move through the game. It feels like a natural step forward from their previous titles, but also brings a lot of new ideas to the table. Double Fine games are always full of artistic detail, but Keeper, which tells its story without any dialogue, truly lets that artistry shine.

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2025-10-17 18:11