Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a minstrel mouse? Well neither have I, but we now have the answer to the question we never asked.  The game is called Ghost of a Tale and though its premise is admittedly strange, the game seems to hold quite a bit of promise.  It is visually striking, the characters seem wonderfully kooky, and the different ways to sneak around appear to be varied and interesting.  That being said, the game was developed by about five people, so it is not going to be perfect but that doesn’t mean it won’t be worth your time. 

If you already know of this game, then you have probably heard about the graphics ad nauseam by now.  However, they are still worth mentioning because on a game like this, certain sacrifices need to be made, usually for financial reasons.  Based on the short videos and images that have been released by the development team, they have spared no expense on the visuals.  From light shining through trees, to the beach, to torches warmly illuminating caves, you can see the amount of care that went in to making this game look the best that it possibly could. 

In the game you play as Tilo, who is, as previously stated, a minstrel mouse in a medieval world entirely inhabited by animals.  The main story line revolves around Tilo unraveling the events of the past and finding your wife, Merra.  Many years prior to the game there was some mysterious green flame that swept through the lands and the rat army managed to stop and presumably destroy it on their own.  You being a mouse, are their enemy.  What the mice have done to the rats to deserve such hatred is probably part of what you will be trying to uncover.  There are plenty of characters along the way who will help and many others who will not, but all seem to be crazier than the last.  For example, there is a pirate frog who is proud of his actions, but also gets offended if you call him a pirate.  Quirky seems to be seriously underselling some of these guys. 

Since you are a tiny mouse and damn near everything is bigger than you, getting into too much combat is ill advised.  This game is described as a action-adventure RPG but it also appears to be a stealth game.  You hide from enemies in chests and baskets, and sneak around trying not to draw too much attention to yourself.  According to the trailers, there should be some puzzles or perhaps platforming to stealthily take out you foes and different disguises you can wear to get to where you need to go.  What outfits could possibly make you look like anything other than a mouse is a question that is plaguing me. 

Overall, the game is a low budget indie game but it might still be worth a gander.  Is it going to play like a big AAA title that has profound consequences for your actions? No.  But it looks like its going to be a relatively short (roughly 8-10 hours) romp around a beautiful world with some seriously bizarre characters that will probably be rather entertaining.  If you play on PC, then this game is already available for $24.99 USD.  If you are a console gamer like me, then you are going to have to wait until later this year when it will be available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.