Zen Puzzle Game Unpacking is Coming to PlayStation 4 & 5
Critically acclaimed indie game Unpacking is making its way to PlayStation consoles. Although it may appear to be overly simplistic and rudimentary at first glance, Unpacking has been praised for its sentimentality, subtle visual storytelling, and satisfying, albeit straightforward, gameplay.
Casual gaming has been a long-time friend of PlayStation. The PlayStation 3 hosted the charming and quaint Flower, a game about breathing new life into an industrialized world, one petal at a time. Some of PlayStation's best-selling blockbuster exclusives can also be considered casual experiences, as franchises like Uncharted serve up story-based experiences, on-rails climbing and traversal segments, and moments of truly brilliant visual spectacle. This type of laid-back and relaxing gaming isn't restricted to first-party titles either, as beloved cross-platform games like Stardew Valley, The Sims 4, and Cities: Skylines are also playable on PlayStation systems. With the nascent arrival of PlayStation's new subscription service, even more soothing experiences will make their way into the hands of gamers.
Yet another cool, casual game will soon be landing on PlayStation hardware: Unpacking. The official PlayStation Twitter account made this announcement earlier today, sharing a trailer for the game that displays all of its charming music, retro-inspired pixelated graphics, and gameplay mechanics. Smaller details like the game's unlockable stickers are also shown in this video. The trailer concludes with the information that the game will be "coming soon" to both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Anyone who considers themselves a fan of games that take a more chill gaming experience may want to consider giving Unpacking a shot. Similar to Flower, Unpacking has an emotional narrative that is told in an unassuming way via individual vignettes of the protagonist's life. The norm in gaming is to either tell a story through cinematics or extensive dialog boxes, so it is certainly interesting to see games that take a more indirect or experimental route when it comes to storytelling. The game's beautiful visuals and smooth animations certainly don't hurt its case, either.
While this game certainly has its fans, some may find it odd that Sony opted to make this announcement on the same day as its PlayStation Plus revamp news. Unpacked coming to PlayStation will draw the attention of many gamers, but perhaps not enough to distract from the negative attention PlayStation is getting as a result of the new PS Plus not including day-one access to first-party games. Nonetheless, PlayStation players can unwind with some calming Unpacking gameplay.
Source: PlayStation/Twitter