Slowly but surely, games are regularly exploring serious societal subjects. This helps those conversations become more common place. One of those subjects being mental health awareness and one game that speaks about it is To Leave by Freaky Creations. To Leave is an indie platformer for the PC and PlayStation 4 about a depressed young boy.
Much like Celeste and Hellblade, To Leave is a game that offers an intimate journey into someone’s mental health. It’s the story of a protagonist with manic depression. His ultimate goal is to use ancient technology to send the souls of everyone on the planet to heaven — bringing him and everyone peace.
Now, before I talk more about the game I want to caution you. The game’s narrative is…a lot to process and I wish I was putting that mildly. The protagonist, Harm begins each day writing in his journal. It’s through this journal we progress the story, find his painful motivations, and his journey’s purpose. He is in a very dark place. His entries are hard to read and very concerning — which is the point.
