Distraint: Deluxe Edition Review

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again; Ratalaika Games tend to be short and simple, and this is no exception. Distraint: Deluxe Edition is a super simple side scrolling game with a dark humour and a horror based feel to the game. You play as a man named Price, a bailiff that – after he evicts an old women from her home – has his humanity leave him, leading him to question why he is doing his job.

Price is a simple but smart man who works towards getting the big promotion at his office. He is trying to become a partner, and will do anything to get the role. Once you are told to ask an old lady to leave her house, your conscience comes in to act and you start to question your motives and if the job is really worth it. No spoilers here, but by the end of the game things may be presented in a better perspective…

Of course I don’t want to give anything away as the game is one mad story of Prices life. I will say however that it’s short, taking me around three hours to complete. You will have to play multiple times if you want all 1000G mind, unless you follow a guide to do it in one playthrough. Distraint does have its moments which drag, but overall the games super simple to understand.

As you control Price, you will be able to move him simply left and right, interacting with items and people along the way. This will pop up with a helpful exclamation mark above something or someone as your on your travels – so if you’re stuck, just keep an eye out for these and you’l be fine. On your journey you will find items, generally these are to be used elsewhere in the world. You can carry up to three items, but in all honesty II don’t think I ever actually hit the three item limit across my play.

So apart from the simplistic gameplay and interesting story the game has some simplistic yet appealing visuals. It’s all in 2D, with a grainy filter over the top. All the characters have extra large heads and are all over the top with the actions and language they use,. The music is nothing special, but works well in some parts of the game.

Conclusion

As I said, Distraint is a short game, but well worth the time invested. The story kept me interested, and while the mechanics are simple, they work well enough.

This game was tested and reviewed on Xbox One. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version.