Homeward Bound
Join an international group of heroes and brave the horrors of WWI in Netflix Games’ Valiant Hearts: Coming Home. This side-scrolling, puzzle-based adventure game puts players on the front lines of some of the war’s most important conflicts. With its graphic novel visuals and shifting, character-focused perspectives, Coming Home offers a poignant reminder of the perils of war.
A sequel to Ubisoft Montpellier and Old Skull Games’ puzzle-based adventure Valiant Hearts: The Great War, Coming Home centers around brothers James and Freddie. Freddie, whose story began in The Great War, voluntarily enlisted with the French army after his wife was killed during a German raid. Upon U.S. entry into the conflict, James joins the Harlem Hellfighters, the most renowned African-American regiment of WWI, against Freddie’s wishes. As they fight to thwart the Central Powers’ forces, the brothers’ fates intertwine with a disparate group of heroes. This unlikely band of allies includes Anna, a Belgian nurse, who also appeared in the series’ previous title. New characters include Ernst, a German diver; George, a mysterious masked spy; and Walt, Anna’s canine assistant. Players who missed the previous installment can still enjoy Coming Home, as the game features a unique story.
Enter the Fray
Coming Home opens with Freddie leading James and some of the Harlem Hellfighters on the battlefield during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. This initial stage serves as a basic tutorial. The game prompts players to tap and drag across the screen, ushering the soldiers across the battlefield. Meanwhile, players must avoid falling bombs, highlighted by red shadows on the ground. After making it past the raining projectiles, a cutscene shows an explosive landing near James. As the device detonates, Freddie jumps to shield him, and the screen fades to black.
The narrative then shifts 18 months prior, back to the beginning of James’ journey. Players are treated to two narrated cutscenes, setting the stage for what’s to come. The first cutscene details the inciting incidents which led the U.S. to join the Allied forces. Next, we see James riding in a train car alongside fellow soldiers. James reads Freddie’s handwritten letter, pleading with him to stay away from the fighting, but it’s too late. James, just like the other 360,000 African-American troops, enlisted in an effort to prove his patriotism.
As the scene ends, the tutorial resumes and the player joins James during his basic training. From the start, players see how even within the ranks of the military, African-American soldiers were subjected to racism and segregation. As players progress through the tutorial, they witness James being forced to use a separate entrance for processing. Furthermore, James is also given a broom handle, instead of a gun. The tutorial makes players use bricks to take down targets, instead of the grenades used by the white soldiers in the background. As players complete the tutorial, they can also pick up the first of the collectibles scattered throughout the level. Each chapter within the game holds anywhere from three to five collectibles.
One for the History Books
Each of Coming Home’s three story chapters contains five to seven episodes. The first episode of each chapter usually features one of the main characters within the group. Their tale continues into the following episode before effortlessly switching to another character’s overlapping narrative. This interwoven storytelling kept me interested and invested in the group’s well-being. The game often embodies the seamless interconnectedness of an MCU story—bouncing between individual events, before assembling this team of heroes. The development team’s decision to center the story around the Harlem Hellfighters only made me respect the game more. Not only did I learn more about the racial disparity within the military, but I discovered that the Hellfighters helped introduce jazz to France. Too often, marginalized communities are erased from the pages of history. After playing Coming Home, I felt encouraged knowing that these stories were being celebrated and memorialized.
In addition to Coming Home’s storytelling prowess, the development team deserves their flowers for the historical accuracy of their game. Oftentimes, mobile games based on historical events end up overlooking participants and oversimplifying events. Not Coming Home. The team’s dedication to preserving the stories of these men and women through seamlessly educating players should be applauded. The stories featured in Coming Home not only illustrate the dire conditions of war, but also how intersectionality factored into the war. These often heartbreaking tales culminate in the bittersweet finale, which highlights the dangers that these soldiers faced upon returning home, despite their sacrifices.
On top of playing through several historical events, players can further educate themselves by reviewing the collectibles they unlock. Each collectible photo or item contains a brief description, detailing its significance to the war. With around one hundred collectibles, players have plenty of opportunities to learn about one of history’s greatest conflicts.
Flaws and All
While Coming Home sings with its dedication to excellent storytelling and historical accuracy, sometimes it shows its scars during gameplay. I thoroughly enjoyed the nice mix of puzzles and mini-games available. I found George’s flights particularly enjoyable, as I had to dodge planes, missiles, gunfire and bolts of lightning. However, I recommend that players use an iPad when playing this mobile game, if possible. I often pulled the Notification Center of my iPhone down onto my screen while navigating the plane past obstacles. It’s a minor inconvenience, but one that could be avoided with a larger screen. In addition to flight simulator stages, players can expect espionage (hide-and-seek), rhythm games and even surgery simulation.
During the final episodes of the game, I experienced three game crashes. Once, my progress was saved, while the other times I was forced to replay a previously completed episode. After one of those crashes, I began with Anna on a completely greyed-out stage, with only a couple of assets joining her on the screen. Luckily, restarting the game fixed this issue. Since the game performed well overall, these few instances had little impact on my playthrough, but they should be noted.
While Coming Home has a few performance flaws, the game still manages to deliver plenty of fun, with the added bonus of educating players. Furthermore, Coming Home serves as a reminder that history is better when we honor and elevate all of our stories.
