In the land of the blind, the princess is king.
The Vale: Shadow of the Crown is a game released in 2021 by Falling Squirrel Incorporated.You play as Alexandria, the king's second born, sent to the outskirts of the kingdom to rule over a small chapter of land while your twin brother takes the throne. Ambushed by a horde of barbarians, Alex has to fight her way back and stop the kingdom from being overtaken.
Also, she's completely blind.
The game is audio-based action adventure game devoid of any sort of visuals save for a few motes floating in the darkness, representing how Alex "sees" the world. Any interaction with the world is based through sound whether it be following clues, searching for items, or fighting enemies.
The game provides examples of:
- Always Chaotic Evil: Any Odeden is a mindless beast, ready to put you down at a moment's notice for merely existing. Subverted because it turns out Shepherd was Odeden this entire time and the game's ending requires you to convince tribes not wage war.
- Arc Words: A Good King Listens.
- Badass Boast: ''If you want the kingdom, you'll have to take it from me yourself." Alex says, sword drawn and shield ready.
- Battle Discretion Shot: It's implied that, whenever she enters combat, her companions are also fending off enemies. She's just unable to witness it on account of her condition.
- Bears Are Bad News: Alex and Shepherd will occasionally fight a bear. These tend to be mini-boss encounters, as she fights them one at a time rather than in groups.
- Behind Every Great Man: Ultimately, Alex refuses her rightful claim to the throne. Instead, she has her ear to the ground and understands the needs of the people, relaying them to her brother.
- Being Good Sucks: Shepherd certainly thinks so, given how often they have to place themselves in danger to help people with scant rewards.
- Big Brother Mentor: Despite only being an older brother by a few seconds on account of them being twins, Theo fulfills this role for Alex, teaching her how to hunt and making sure that her blindness doesn't stop her from having her best life. Subverted later on, because he was never actually the older brother.
- Blind Seer: Maggie is a blind woman, who receives visions and is attuned with the fae world. Her husband, Akram, is also a seer, but he uses it to see into history. Alex is also a Seer, and she can eavesdrop on important conversations, see possible paths into the future, and vividly recall important memories.
- Blind Weapon Master: Alex can comfortably wield swords, axes, shields and bows, relying only on the sounds her opponents make to know when to strike.
- British Accents: Given Alex's blindness, the accents of other characters are used to distinguish them from one another. Notably, Alex speaks in the Queen's English, which sharply contrasts with the commoners she regularly interacts with.
- Book Ends: The story begins in the early morning, with Alex asking her uncle to describe the scenery around them. The game ends at sunset, with Alex asking Shepherd to describe the scenery around them.
- But Now I Must Go: Shepherd has to leave Alex because his markings betray him as an Odeden, and he'll surely be executed if he stayed.
- Canine Companion: Alex receives a dog as a temporary companion if she feeds her.
- Cassandra Truth: Nobody believes Alex when she mentions the attack of the Odeden, which would lead to the deaths of thousands. Fortunately, she foresees that nobody would believe her, so she changes her plans.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Alex has difficulty standing by while others need help. She'll often put herself in harm's way to protect strangers, much to the chagrin of Shepherd.
- Defusing The Tykebomb: Ainsley's brother, Finn, has been mind-controlled by the Baker and can throw fireballs at Alex and her squad. Ainsley getting hurt brings Finn back.
- Disability Superpower: It's heavily implied that all blind people have stronger connections to the fae, granting them special abilities. Later on, however, it's shown that anyone who believes in the fae can be granted powers as well.
- Dream Spying: Alex's dreams allow her to eavesdrop on barbarian plans.
- Editorial Synaesthesia: In order to visually represent the things Alex can't see, there are motes that flit in the void, that keep their position in space when Alex turns her head or walks around. These motes seem to represent motion, as they become streaky during chase sequences, or drop vertically when it rains.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Shepherd's real name is Abdul-Rasheed, but he'll only refer to himself as Shepherd.
- Equal-Opportunity Evil: You're as likely as to fight female ruffians as you are to fight male ones.
- Eye Scream: Maggie's eyes are plucked out because she told the queen the truth about Alex.
- Fighting Your Friend: A seer forces Alex to fight her recently deceased uncle.
- Flaming Sword: Anyone who can wield the power of the fae, like Maggie, can set weapons on fire. The Baker can even set his rolling pin on fire. Alex learns how to do this as well.
- Flashback Echo: When a new mechanic is introduced, a flashback occurs explaining how Alex learned the skill in the first place. For example, before the player can fight off wolves with their sword, Alex receives a flashback to her first sword training session.
- These flashbacks actually occur in-universe, as Alex's flashbacks are just as vivid as what the player experiences.
- Foreseeing My Death: A gameplay mechanic. Alex technically never falls in combat. The player losing a fight is interpreted as Alex seeing a possible future where she loses.
- Good Feels Good: Shepherd protests when Alex accepts Robin's quest to find her family, because she doesn't have any money to offer. When you do find them, and rescue them from an aquatic beast, Shepherd admits that it felt good to help a little girl.
- Greater-Scope Villain: The Fay. They're driving the Kingdom and the Barbarians to fight each other for their nefarious purposes.
- Handy Helper: Shepherd functions as Alex's eyes, pointing out things of import or helping her in fights. In return, she hunts for them because he doesn't have enough fingers to properly use a bow.
- Hiding the Handicap: Shepherd gives Alex a blindfold during a tournament, doubling their prize money. Unbeknownst to her opponents, she's used to fighting blind.
- I Gave My Word: The reason why Shepherd chooses to stay with Alex, despite all the madness that surrounds her.
- I Just Want to Be Special: Alex wants something of her own, to prove that she is more than the prince's blind sister. She's ecstatic to learn of her connection to the fae, and her ability to cast magic.
- In Love with the Mark: More of best friends with the mark. Shepherd was an Odeden spy who wanted to capture Alex and bring her to his general. He learns to respect her and sees her as the only person who can bring peace to the borderlands, and decides to help her every step of the way.
- Incredibly Lame Pun: "Not much of a looker, are you?" the cheeky combatant asks the blindfolded woman.
- Karma Meter: Sort of. Your accomplishments stack up, and the more side quests you complete, the more you're recognized for your altruism.
- Lesser of Two Evils: While she doesn't like letting the Baker run the town, it's a far better alternative than it being destroyed by the Fay to create an undead army.
- Limit Break: Striking enough times or blocking enough hits allows Alex to either create a fire burst, or ignite her weapon.
- The Man Behind the Man
- Mentor Occupational Hazard: Your uncle is killed during one of the many skirmishes with the Odeden. His ghost lingers in the place between worlds.
- Mook Chivalry: Played with. Her enemies have no compunctions surrounding her, but they'll never strike behind her nor simultaneously, giving the player time to react.
- More than Mind Control: The Baker insists that he doesn't use magic to control people, using their desires to ensure he gets what he wants. It's only half-true. He'll give people what they want, or use magic, or threaten them.
- No Name Given: The dog that Alex befriends is named "Girl," because she was scared of getting attached to her. Before the final confrontation, she leaves Girl behind with Cass, who gives her a name. Princess.
- Nonstandard Game Over: There are levels that will reset if Alex fails to sneak around her environment, or if she falls off cliffs or deep holes.
- The Not-Love Interest: Shepherd. He's the only character that never leaves Alex's side from the beginning to the end. He puts up with everything she does despite all his grievances, he's the only person she fully trusts, she can't bear the thought of him leaving and he will sacrifice himself for her. There isn't any hint of romance between them.
- Parental Substitute: Her father is much more focused into molding his son into the king, treating Alex as nothing more than his blind daughter. Luckily, her uncle is much more proactive in her life, teaching her how to fight and instilling in her the morals to be a righteous ruler should the day come.
- Parts Unknown: How Darko is introduced in the arena.
- Playing with Fire: Maggie uses fire to fend off magical creatures, and this seems to be the spell of choice of magic users. Alex eventually gains the ability to wreathe her sword in flames and create a ring of fire around her.
- Please, Don't Leave Me: After Alex is forced to fight the ghost of her dead uncle, she weeps, begging Shepherd not to abandon her. When he has to leave at the end of the game, she asks him to stay. They do keep in touch, however.
- Princess Protagonist: The only reason Alex isn't a queen is because her older brother is king by birth order.
- The Quiet One: Darko, Dennis' first bodyguard. He'll only speak if you defeat him in the tournament, declaring that he yields.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Theo often makes Alex unwittingly participate in pranks, which would get her in trouble. Her uncle, in lieu of punishing her, raises her instead to use her authority for the sake of good.
- The Reveal: Shepherd was actually an Odeden spy and the reason he doesn't want to accompany you to the Glades is because he knows he'll be killed.
- Rightful King Returns: Subverted. The games seems to make a huge fuss about how Alex is the true heir and that she's the only one who can bring peace to the kingdom. Instead, Theo remains a beloved king and Alex is content to be his chancellor.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: While your primary goal is getting home, you can also help people along the way. Even restoring villages and protecting them from the barbarians if she's able.
- Sarcastic Devotee / Sour Supporter: Shepherd doesn't like it when Alex stops to help people, but he never denies her the chance to do so. He'll just keep complaining about it.Shepherd:Your terrible plan seems to be working.
- Savage Wolves: Wolves are a regular enemy you find in the game. Later on, they get upgraded to nether wolves.
- Shame If Something Happened: According to the Baker, "If children want food, I feed them. If the sheriff doesn't want pigeons in the street, I keep them away. If the upper class want heirs, I tell my pigeons not to push them in the rivers."
- So Proud of You: Alex's uncle during your fight against him. Every time you'll land a strike, he'll give his pained approval. When he finally falls, he'll say this trope word for word.
- Too Good for This Sinful Earth: A word-for-word description of Adrianna. She was taken by the fay specifically because of this.
- Threshold Guardians: Alex and co. encounter these whenever they find open rifts. They act as litmus tests to determine who is worthy of calling upon the assistance of the fay, making Alex more powerful whenever she defeats them.
- Warrior Princess: She's armed and dangerous, beating off hordes of barbarians at a time.
- Wham Line:
- Maggie reveals that Alex is the true firstborn.
- "He's and Odeden spy."
- Who Forgot The Lights?: The game's central conceit, given the protagonist's blindness.
