Actual Sunlight is a short interactive story about love, depression and the corporation.
The game puts you in the role of Evan Winter, a young professional in Toronto, as he moves through three distinct periods of his life. The story is linear, unavoidable and (hopefully) thought-provoking. You experience his perceptions, fall under the consequences of his decisions, and meet everyone who didn’t change him.
Gameplay is minimal, and serves only to move from one part of the (admittedly) text-heavy story to the next. The game fiercely attempts to be worth it.
Actual Sunlight is not appropriate for children. It features mature themes and an adult-workplace amount of profanity. And it does so immediately.
I get that this is more like an interactive story than an actual game. But I'd like some more interaction and less story. The reality of Evans's life is just a little too close to home for me, but this would be a good learning experience for someone trying to understand depression and other mental health issues.
Certainly not for everyone and absolutely not your typical game, Actual Sunlight provides a deeply emotional and occasionally difficult narrative to wade through on a dreary afternoon.
Not a title for the faint-hearted or for anyone who may already be depressed. However, if you're looking for an experience that will yield an understanding of those who suffer from debilitating depression -- and that is a worthy goal -- then Actual Sunlight may be the right choice.
Actual Sunlight is a story worth experiencing, even if the format chosen to tell this tale is a little rough around the edges.
