Arare opportunity presented itself in late 2023, as I had the chance to review the upcoming graphic novel REPLAY by Jordan Mechner. Fresh off the heels of The Making of Karateka, that thirst for exposition led my nose down a path that entails three different generations of the Mechner family.
REPLAY isn’t a companion piece to making video games, but a collection of memoirs from Jordan, his father, and his grandfather. What’s truly fascinating from the outset is the enviable tradition that everyone seems to document their journey – all the better for us as the reader, as REPLAY is an intriguing read.
There is a connection to the videogame world as we’re looking at the creator of Prince of Persia, among other gems. You needn’t be an eagle eye to spot the references to Jordan’s games, though his story is relatable. Though many gaming fans will put him on a pedestal for his achievements, he too has to overcome the same setbacks – from funding to relationships, nothing is a given.
REPLAY By Jordan Mechner Review
REPLAY accounts for three generations of the Mechner family: Jordan, his father, and his grandfather. Jordan’s tale is present-day; his father’s is during WWII, whereas the grandfather’s is the build-up to the war. All three stories are beautifully written and illustrated by Jordan, and his first origin story that doesn’t involve a prince.
Jordan’s father appealed the most. His grandfather, originating from Austria, witnessed first-hand the effects of war, having served on the Russian front in WWI, then helping his Jewish family flee from Nazi persecution is impressive. However, it’s his father, Francis’s tale of separation from his family, who escaped to the States while he remained in France with an aunt as a refugee.
Having digested all the clippings and talking heads in The Making of Karateka, he and Jordan are geniuses. Rather than be sour about someone else’s abilities and achievements, I embrace them and must say that Jordan is a talented storyteller. That’s not mastering a beginning, a middle and an end, but encompassing what makes a story great throughout, which I’ll summarise as an indolent expression of ‘encapsulating the human condition’.
An Origin Story
You may not be a game developer, have served in wars, or understand persecution on this level. Still, the story and circumstances are relatable – including Jordan’s own management of family and career. Even if you haven’t experienced any of these scenarios, Jordan delivers in a way you’ll empathise – to the point where you are a non-speaking character observing the turmoil that life can throw at you, yet provide you with its rewards, too.
Jordan is a pioneer for video games, shaping the medium to be considered a worthy art form in all its cinematic glory. Here, he does his part to elevate the graphic novel to be mature, sincere, and yet another wonderful artful overlooked by far too many.
REPLAY is a beautiful piece, from the narrative through to the illustrations and their respective palettes (each of the three main protagonists has their own style throughout, and like any good movie editor who hides their cuts through tempo, the same here applies in that it all weaves together through multiple timelines with some grace.
REPLAY By Jordan Mechner Review Summary
I seldom review books as I would rather keep these worlds to myself in fear of ballsing up my write-up like I quite possibly have done here. It’s a bit of a fanboy account but a sincere one. As mentioned, I had access to REPLAY some months ago and had to re-read it multiple times to undertake this review, and each time it had the same emotional impact. Even if you aren’t remotely interested in gaming (why are you on this site?!), this is a must. REPLAY launches on the 19th of March, 2024.
Hop on to Jordan’s official site for snippets to whet your appetite.
