[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.72,0:00:21.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The first thing you notice about the new PlayStation 4 game Bound is just how mesmerizing and intriguing the animation is.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.52,0:00:26.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,\NMost of the game takes place in a constantly shifting psychological landscape which you navigate as a young dancer.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.18,0:00:30.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s clear that the developers captured and studied the motions of a real dancer,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.60,0:00:34.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and at times, the character’s movement might seem overly elaborate and even distracting.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.85,0:00:38.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It can be easy to interpret her flourishes of movement as suggesting a very gendered,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.60,0:00:41.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,traditionally feminine kind of delicacy or weakness.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.75,0:00:45.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it soon becomes clear that there’s nothing weak or delicate about the way this character moves.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.97,0:00:49.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As she goes on a quest to confront memories from her own childhood,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.32,0:00:54.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,dancing is a way of finding the strength within herself that she needs in order to face her difficult past.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.08,0:00:59.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,\NShe needs that core of strength and stability because the universe around her seems so unstable.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.35,0:01:03.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The game’s whole world appears to be in a constant state of flux,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.66,0:01:08.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,platforms materializing and disappearing, the ground shifting and undulating like the surface of the ocean.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.11,0:01:14.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s a wonderful visual effect that lends the experience of playing Bound a feeling of venturing into uncertainty.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.76,0:01:18.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Unfortunately, this effect also contributes to times when you’re unclear about
Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.19,0:01:20.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,whether the game is even functioning as intended.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:20.75,0:01:24.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You might make a jump, for instance, only to see the platform disappear from under your feet
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.46,0:01:26.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and send you plummeting to your death.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:26.52,0:01:29.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Although these moments are rare, they were kinda frustrating
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.21,0:01:32.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and occasionally I wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:32.44,0:01:35.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Interestingly, there is no combat in the game, only defense.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:35.48,0:01:40.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As you move through the environments, you encounter hazards that try to bind you and restrict your movement.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.46,0:01:43.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You protect and liberate yourself from these dangers by dancing.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.98,0:01:47.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Like the environmental instability, this works well on a metaphorical level,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.00,0:01:51.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,suggesting that the character is finding the strength within herself to persevere on her quest.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.35,0:01:55.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s rare to come across a game in which the mechanics and the narrative
Dialogue: 0,0:01:55.11,0:01:58.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,complement each other as naturally as they do in Bound.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.01,0:02:02.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The gameplay feels as if it was designed specifically to support the themes of the story,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.56,0:02:06.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and as a result, it pulls you deeper into the main character’s journey.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.12,0:02:10.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But despite serving the story well, these mechanics aren’t robust enough to make for a satisfying experience.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.22,0:02:15.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can just sort of randomly press buttons to dance and shield yourself from dangers,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:15.29,0:02:19.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and while the freedom of movement and creative expression that this suggests is great,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:19.53,0:02:24.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the fact that you can always fumble your way through these encounters also makes them a bit unfulfilling.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.72,0:02:28.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,\NAt the end of each area, you encounter a memory from the main character’s past.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:28.50,0:02:32.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At first, these memories are in a million little pieces and can’t be clearly seen,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.74,0:02:36.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but as you move the camera and explore the space, the image comes together.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.49,0:02:41.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Like many aspects of Bound, there’s a powerful symbolism here that may strongly resonate with players
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.48,0:02:44.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who have had to confront painful or traumatic memories from their own past.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.19,0:02:47.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It reflects the ways in which those memories are often fractured,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:47.98,0:02:53.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and how sometimes all that remains are images of moments that left some lingering imprint on us.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.66,0:02:59.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,With its focus on painful childhood memories, Bound is reminiscent of Minority Media’s excellent game Papo & Yo.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:59.47,0:03:02.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But where that game had a clear narrative with a strong resolution,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.71,0:03:05.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Bound leaves things more open to interpretation.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.73,0:03:07.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.71,0:03:11.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and oftentimes in life there aren’t clear resolutions and easy answers.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:11.19,0:03:14.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But still, Bound’s ending feels like it arrives prematurely,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.62,0:03:19.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as if you haven’t really gotten to the heart of what you’ve been exploring and investigating all along.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.37,0:03:22.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Still, even if Bound feels incomplete in the end,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:22.01,0:03:26.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the journey is striking and memorable thanks to the game’s mesmerizing visuals and animations.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.85,0:03:32.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Its psychological explorations are missing that bit of soul they needed to leave you feeling fulfilled,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:32.26,0:03:36.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but there’s something beautiful and inspiring in its images of a woman confronting her own memories
Dialogue: 0,0:03:36.80,0:03:40.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and liberating herself from the painful restrictions of her past.