Blue Wednesday Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Switch & PC)

Dim the lights and pull out your saxophone, kid — it’s time to unwind to the atmospheric illusion of candlelit  lounges, rhythmic bass lines, and the clinking sound of frosted glasses mulling over the subtle tones of sophisticated jazz and wholesome camaraderie. It’s Blue Wednesday, and so, naturally, the whole town has shown up to commemorate the inception of your debut album. This isn’t a dream, but you’ve still got a long way to go before the local jazz scene is eating out of the palm of your hand. Of course, this could all be yours, but only if you choose to listen and interpret the art in a way that brings meaning to your notes and a muse to your biggest critics.

It’s a tough real estate to get into, the music business — even more so for musicians who possess the ability to perform, but lack the resources to arouse a standing ovation amongst critics and fans alike. And yet, where there’s ambition, there’s hope, and where there’s hope, there’s a chance—a chance that you might find yourself presented with should you decide to tickle the keys and continue down the rabbit hole that is the heart and soul of rhythm and blues, tango and jazz. In Blue Wednesday, specifically, it’s all about reaching for that chance; it’s about elevating your undying love for jazz to create everlasting music and rhythmic harmonies that can move mountains. It’s that, and it’s a golden opportunity to celebrate a timeless collection of music and form an intimate connection with the community that helps make it.

Yes, Blue Wednesday has just launched on consoles and PC, and so, if you are looking to join the band and rediscover your passion for melodic jazz, then be sure to read on before signing the contract.

(Not) Quite My Tempo

Blue Wednesday is a combination of two genres: a visual novel, and a side-scrolling collect-a-thon. The game, which focuses on a young protagonist named Morris, takes you through the oceanic blue streets of Evans, a city fueled with rich musical traditions and a communal spirit of love and appreciation for the arts. As Morris, a fledgling jazz pianist with a heart of gold and a passion for embellishing the local roots, you have the opportunity to explore the city, collect rare albums, converse with the locals, and finesse your jazz career with a selection of engaging mini-games. There is a story to unravel, too—a short episodic tale that progressively rolls through Morris’ attempts to break into the jazz scene and unlock powerful rhythmic plays to broaden his influence on the city of Evans.

Blue Wednesday isn’t a difficult game by any stretch; on the contrary, it’s a short and incredibly simple piece of work that doesn’t stretch much beyond a handful of rhythmic mini-games. For the most part, the goals consist of walking through the streets, absorbing Evans’ cultural heritage, soaking up the local tales, and exchanging small collectibles for a new piece of musical history—an album, in most cases, with which you can listen to and interpret with your own piano. And that’s really what Blue Wednesday is: a calming, well-orchestrated love letter to music and the aspiring musician’s who help grease its axis.

Soothing & Sophisticated

While Blue Wednesday is somewhat lacking in core gameplay features, it is complimented by a significant amount of other noteworthy elements—a stellar score that pays homage to jazz; a stunning, albeit slightly gloomy art style; and a heartwarming story that makes the occasional attempt to touch base on some important mental health issues, to scratch off just a few of its standout components. And it does have a lot of warmth to it, truly, even though it does often fail to strike the appropriate chord with its questionable translations or mismatched dialogue. It’s a bit of a mixed bag in that regard, as a lot of the finer aspects are often overshadowed by dialogue that’s sometimes difficult to interpret. Perhaps this boils down to a localization issue, though, so it might be possible to smooth over the creases in the near future.

I can’t bring myself to say that Blue Wednesday is a gamey game, by which I mean that it is not in receipt of a huge amount of gameplay, per se. Aside from the small bouquet of rhythmic mini-games that you can play, there isn’t a great deal to actually do. And it doesn’t help that Morris’ walking speed is painfully slow—to the point where you often find yourself slugging around trying to reach the next story beat. And yet, even during these tedious moments, Blue Wednesday still finds other means to entertain you, whether it’s with a melodic tribute to jazz, an eccentric setting that’s teeming with fictional cultural themes, or a visually compelling art style that’s bursting with melancholic beauty and grace. There’s a lot of that here, and so, again, while it isn’t a game-game — it is a fantastic ode to good music and homely vibes.

Verdict

If you’re a fan of either Memoir Blue, The Artful Escape, or just about any touching visual novel that centers its existence around the joy of music or the coming-of-age tale of an aspiring artist, then you’re more than likely going to enjoy fiddling the keys in this particular homage to jazz. It’s a well-orchestrated, albeit oftentimes perplexing conversation starter that brings a great deal of heart to a fairly difficult subject — and it does so by providing memorable moments, stunning artwork, and a fitting soundtrack that has the power to transition even the most hardcore punk rockers into sophisticated jazz roadies.

Blue Wednesday isn’t the longest visual novel in the world; in fact, you could probably finish it in just under three or four hours, give or take. However, if you’re the sort of gamer who enjoys bathing in the ambiance and the simple pleasures of life, then you might just find yourself swaying back and forth to the sweet sound of orchestral jazz right through till Thursday.