I tend to keep a close eye on the Xbox Live marketplace for games on sale, and it often pays off, as I stumbled upon Valley at the low price of four dollars, compared to the normal nineteen. I decided to give the game a try, as even if I found it not to my liking I would have lost little. I was pleasantly surprised however, as this game developed by a small independent company named Blue Isle Studios, while not particularly lengthy, had more to offer than I had anticipated.

               

You play as a man or woman that is exploring a region of the Rocky Mountains in search of a mysterious artifact of legend called the “Lifeseed,” which is said to have the power to shatter the world. You stumble upon a valley with signs of human settlement; however it appears to have been abandoned many years ago. Upon further exploration, you find a crate with a special mechanical exoskeleton called a L.E.A.F. (Leap Effortlessly through Air Functionality) suit. This suit grants the ability to run and jump faster and higher than is normally possible for humans. It also gives power over life and death, allowing the operator to take life from any living thing or give it to any deceased creature or plant. Furthermore, it allows one to cheat death, but as compensation, animals and plants in the valley will die. If no life remains in the valley, death is permanent. You find audio logs with the suit that confirm your original suspicions that the Lifeseed is in this area and it seems to have been central to some sort of military operation conducted during World War II. Hidden in this valley is a dark secret, a creation of an arms race to outmatch the atomic bomb.

               

Gameplay consists mostly of running, jumping, and solving puzzles with the L.E.A.F suits abilities. The player has three major hazards: large falls, drowning, and certain indigenous creatures. Generally speaking, if you cannot see the bottom of a hole, it is not safe to jump down in Valley, even though the L.E.A.F. suit absorbs the impact of most falls. Because the suit is extremely heavy, water that is of any depth is a deadly hazard. There are some creatures in the valley that hunger for lifeforce, and if given an opportunity, will take any stored in your suit. After that, a hit will take life from the player. The suit provides a certain amount of life energy storage, which can be improved by collecting more storage units scattered in old supply boxes. It is displayed in cells of four units, with a single life giving shot taking away one unit. The aforementioned creatures are rendered passive by blasting them with life energy. As you progress, your suit will gain more functionalities, such as being able to grapple and swing from special hooks, or to double jump at the cost of one energy unit. Scattered throughout the valley are acorns and medallions, which are used to open doors. Acorns are needed for several doors along the main path of progression, while medallions are only used for the ancient temple, located near the end of the game.

               

The graphical elements of Valley are its most impressive qualities. The landscape is beautiful and lifelike. The otherworldly creatures encountered are quite enchanting to watch, whenever they aren’t trying to eat your lifeforce that is. The user interface is simple, straightforward, and minimally intrusive. The music adds perfectly to the ambiance, amplifying wonder of the natural beauty of the valley, the thrill of running at over a hundred miles per hour, and the tension of dark abandoned military facilities.

               

Valleyhas very few flaws overall. I encountered maybe two or three glitches in the entire playthrough, which were cosmetic and largely inconsequential in nature. The voice acting was a bit substandard, as in several instances it felt like the actor was just reading the words off the script. This is most apparent in the audio logs left by the scientist Virginia. A few times I wasn’t really certain where to go, and ended up searching for a few minutes before finally finding the way forward.

               

Overall, I rate Valley as a 6 out of 10. It has a moderately compelling story and gameplay built primarily on basic mechanics, with an interesting concept of life and death being at the player’s disposal. The graphics and soundtrack are wonderful. However, it only took me about eight hours to complete the game, and I left few stones unturned, as far as I know. Valley also lacks any real replay value, as it is single player and there are no choices to make. For four dollars, it was pretty worth it.