Summary
- Epic Games Store offers a mix of content, sometimes offering two games and other times just one, but next week gamers are in luck with two puzzle-based games.
- The Forest Quartet is a short indie game with a hopeful story and unique jazz soundtrack, while Out of Line is a hand-drawn 2D puzzle platformer with challenging obstacles.
- Both games give players charming puzzles, and they will only take four and a half hours to beat in total if grabbed together.
While it's a great deal for those looking for something new to play for cheap, the Epic Games Store free games promotion is a strange mix of content sometimes. Without warning, the service can decide to switch between offering two games to just one and back again depending on the week, and some Epic Games Store offerings frequently vanish before being made openly available once the promotion is live.
However, next week is a lucky one for gamers as it works out in their favor. Two titles are being made available for free for a week on the Epic Games Store starting at 10 AM CT next Thursday, and it'll be especially great for those who enjoy puzzle-based games and scenic nature imagery. However, as similar as these two titles are might seem on the surface, Out of Line and The Forest Quartet are actually very different.
Epic Games Store Free Game The Forest Quartet Explained
The Forest Quartet is an indie game that is listed as a personal project behind the lead developer and his family. It puts the players in the position of a late singer named Nina who watched her jazz band, the aforementioned Forest Quartet, drift apart once she passed away. Using puzzles and spirit powers while a jazz soundtrack backs every important moment, Nina can help her friends move on and pay tribute to her with one last concert.
As the spirit's friends all moved away from one another, they live in different places, so there are three unique levels that Nina has to complete to help free her friends from their heartache before they can reunite. The game is a short experience lasting about 90 minutes in total that has been praised for its hopeful story and recognized for its unique jazz soundtrack that fans of other similar indie puzzle games like Back to Bed are sure to appreciate.
Epic Games Store Free Game Out of Line Explained
Out of Line is a hand-drawn 2D puzzle platformer starring San, a young boy trapped in a factory who's looking for a way out. San uses a unique light spear to navigate his world; throwing it can push necessary objects to where San can reach them, and activate nearby switches. The level design of Out of Line's obstacles are highly praised by critics, meaning those who pick up the experience that clocks just over three hours long will find a fair bit of challenge in its later sections.
However, when paired with The Forest Quartet, one flaw with Out of Line is immediately apparent. Many critics have said that while the game has been nominated and won a fair few awards, its biggest weak point is its story. Players are ultimately left to decide what the tale of San means, but many critics felt like the game ends with more questions than answers. Still, picking up Out of Line for free on the Epic Games Store will give players an easy game to pick up and put down when they want to challenge their puzzle-solving skills.
In the end, both of the new offerings on the Epic Games Store give players a number of charming puzzles to solve, but one comes from a deep, personal place that many players can relate to, while another aims to take gamers on an adventure into a world they've never been to before. Their lengths are also rather different, but in total, they'll only take four and a half hours to beat for those who grab them both. Together, they may end up being an experience that unifies the sum of their parts, or they'll simply serve as great ways to pass the time for the next Epic Games Store promotion.