Distraint: Deluxe Edition (2017)
Distraint is a one-man adventure game by Finnish developer Jesse Makkonen. It was originally released in 2015, followed by an improved Deluxe Edition in 2017. This small gem nearly passed me by, and I only picked it up through GOG.com’s free giveaway earlier this year. Distraint tells a story about the collision between greed and compassion. The player controls Mr Price, who is forced to evict the underprivileged from their homes in order to earn a partnership in a successful real-estate company. The game’s ethics and narrative may come across as naïve, but there is something sincere and genuine about them. The audiovisual presentation is appealing and worth experiencing on its own. From a gameplay perspective, Distraint is simple and at times clumsy, though it does include a handful of interesting puzzle situations.
Distraint is the second released game by Kouvola-based Jesse Makkonen, and it was created in as little as three months. The game has since been refined, of course. One person is responsible for everything, which is undeniably admirable. What first caught my attention in the marketing was the unnaturally large heads of the characters and the dim, shadow-laden colour palette. I was not particularly drawn to the horror theme, nor did I enjoy the bloody imagery and occasional scare scenes while playing. Still, Distraint does manage to reach a psychological level.
The young Mr Price, controlled by the player, is assumed to be on the rise in his career. The real-estate company he works for eagerly repossesses homes from those unable to pay. Visiting people facing eviction, however, causes Price increasing anguish. On one side, the company’s wealthy bosses celebrate their riches without regard for others; on the other, Price’s deceased parents appear to him like reminders of conscience. His reality begins to take on strange and surreal qualities.
Distraint is deliberately simple. The 2D screens mostly consist of corridor-like indoor and outdoor areas, which unexpectedly caused navigation problems. This, however, became part of the game’s dreamlike atmosphere and therefore cannot really be considered a flaw.
The inventory is small at any given moment, and the next task is usually clear, as multiple objectives are never active at the same time. Distraint tells a linear story. The way interactive objects stand out from the environment, and how the inventory is used, is both straightforwardly intuitive and slightly awkward at the same time. I played the Windows version, which is controlled via the keyboard.
I completed the game in just under three hours. I had to repeat a few time-based challenges several times. My own slowness led to some frustration, though I am not entirely sure whether the fault lies with the design. Realising the idea behind these tasks was enjoyable; executing them was less so.
Audiovisually, Distraint is intriguing yet accessible. The game is at once bleak and sympathetic. There is humour present, but the power of money is harsh and cold. It makes no one happy, and financial success as the highest value leads to moral corruption. As a player, one hopes that Mr Price will be saved and find a better direction for his life. The answer to that is left for the sequel, Distraint 2. I give my overall experience a score of 63 out of 100.
Availability
Distraint and Distraint: Deluxe Edition are available for Windows PCs and iOS and Android devices, with console versions planned for PS4, Vita, Switch, and 3DS.