Little Orpheus is a charmer right from the first interaction with the game. From the stables of the developers The Chinese Room, this game takes Apple Arcade to a new dimension. Little Orpheus is a deviation from the usual genre of games that the video game developers are famous for; regardless, the award-winning game developers have certainly outdone themselves this time. 

First and foremost, Little Orpheus is not Little at all, neither is The Chinese Room a Chinese company, it is actually a British company based in Brighton England. These are just mild external paradoxes surrounding the game that I find amusing and have endeared me more to the game itself. The game chronicles the adventure of Ivan Ivanovic, a thin sickly-looking Soviet who was sent on a mission in 1962 to explore the earth’s core to see if it is suitable for colonization. Ivan isn’t exactly smart, in fact, he comes off as a dummy that you might even begin to wonder why they sent him on such a sensitive mission in the first place. Another interesting external parody is that in real life, in 1961, the Soviets sent out a mannequin astronaut to test the Vostok spacecraft. He looked so real that they literally had to write the words “dummy” on his helmet.  

Three years after the mission had been launched and everyone had thought Ivan dead, he resurfaces without the Little Orpheus and a huge tale to tell. The game begins with a monochrome video, in the present, of a human hulk Russian general towering over lanky looking Ivan in an interrogation room. Ivan had misplaced the Little Orpheus- which was actually an atomic bomb at the start of the mission with which he was to use power to return to the surface. Ivan has to explain to the General how he returned to the surface without it.

Staged between a monochrome present and a colorful past, we are taken into the adventures of Ivan while he was buried under the earth. He begins to relate how that the earth’s core is filled with dinosaurs and other strange, unbelievable, beasts that were not so hospitable. The fun in the game is much more than the challenge of the Arcade. The real thrill comes from the conversation between the General and Ivan. The back and forth between the General’s brutal threats and Ivan’s narration and retorts serves as the background sound to the game, and it is so comical that I sometimes had to pause the game to get a good laugh. It is easy to become attached to Ivan as his voice takes you through the narration of his capricious encounters in the underground world. 

I couldn’t help noticing how sunny and colorful this world that exists under the earth is. Apparently, it even has mountains and blue skies and dinosaurs and whales living in it. As beautiful and surreal as the scenery is, it isn’t too much that it distracts you from Ivan’s tales and the General’s skepticism. Before long, you might start to share in his skepticisms because Ivan’s tales are full of unrealistic encounters. This misgivings about Ivan’s tale helps you appreciate the banter between him and the General.

Little Orpheus’ 6-hour long play is divided into eight chapters, with each chapter lasting just long enough to retain its fervor. These eight chapters comprise majorly of moving left and right on the screen, jumping, swinging to and from vines, moving obstacles, timing exercises, and simple puzzles. The most complicated action you might experience may be towards the end where we see a surprise boss fight since the gameplay doesn’t exactly promise a challenging adventure. 

However, this absence of action, as it were, is completely obscured in the light of the cinematic effect of the music, beautiful scenery, and background banter narration. The only drag I experienced while playing was some repetition. The first two chapters include an exciting assortment of activities and obstacles, but as you progress, there really isn’t much difference in the exercises, and this can lull the excitement of the adventure. Regardless of this, each chapter feels a bit different from the last, with new locations and lush backgrounds, and the story development makes up for the lack of challenge.

The developers did an excellent job using the cinematics and the motion graphics to relay the character’s personality, and the time it was set. Although it plays across Apple devices, I had an optimal experience when using an iPad. Capped at a 30fps on all Apple devices, I noticed a drop in frame rate and resolution with larger screens. While I enjoyed playing on my iPhone 11, I think the screen may be too small, I made a couple of mistakes because my finger blocked out most of the screen. For this reason, I recommend using an iPad or a Mac. It is also important to note that this game is a little heavy on battery consumption, so you might need to change intermittently while playing. Since it is split into eight chapters, you can charge in between chapters.

I also noticed a decline in gameplay and frame rate towards the end of the game. It is almost as if the gameplay is getting exhausted from all the adventure. I really can’t figure out the reason for this, but in my opinion, it didn’t take away much from the game. For lovers of an interactive story-based adventure, Little Orpheus is undoubtedly a great way to spend $4.99 in the Apple Arcade. Apart from the humorous conversation styled narration, I really like how the game fuses paradoxical comparisons and allusions into its adventure theme. One of the best mobile gaming experiences I’ve had this year.