Atone: Heart of the Elder Tree

Atone: Heart of the Elder Tree is an adventure game, with puzzle games and rhythm games elements. It was developed by the indie Wildboy Studios team.

Plot

Atone: Heart of the Elder Tree takes us on a journey to a universe inspired by Norse mythology. Odin's chosen guardians of Midgard have disappeared, causing the land to teeter on the brink of collapse, and the sacred Elder Tree growing there is in great danger. The only hope for this world is Estra, the daughter of the last great leader of mankind. The protagonist embarks on a journey to save the kingdom of humans, as well as to discover the truth about her family and the death of her father.

Game mechanics

In Atone: Heart of the Elder Tree, we observe the action from a top-down view. We explore Midgard and hold conversations with its inhabitants, gradually uncovering more pieces of the story puzzle. Along the way we often have to make a variety of decisions; we must remember that all our choices carry certain consequences and affect the further fate of Estra.

Puzzles also play an important role here, involving, among other things, the manipulation of various mechanisms. As time goes by, the puzzles become more and more difficult, putting our gray cells to a harder test and requiring us to be increasingly patient. However, the game is worth the candle, as each solved problem brings us closer to completing our main task.

In addition, from time to time we come to fight skirmishes with opponents. The clashes are realized in the form of rhythm mini-games, consisting of pressing specific buttons at the right moments. Interestingly, many duels here can be avoided by properly conducting conversations with aggressive characters.

Technical aspects

Graphics in Atone: Heart of the Elder Tree is made in the original cartoonish, caricature style. We can also listen to a soundtrack, scored by Australian artist James Shuar (also known as Luminist). The music he composed combines electronic sounds with the sounds of instruments used by the Vikings.

Last updated on 27 January 2023