It helps to keep a cool head while solving puzzles.
Sounds simple enough, let's get going!
A creation of Journey Bound Games released on February 14th, 2020, Path of Giants follows a group of three coat-clad explorers climbing a mountain. Blue, Yellow and Green (their base colors, though those are customizable) are seeking the grand treasure left up there by ancients, who have also created a series of puzzles requiring these adventurers, also equipped with trinkets of their respective color, to work as a team.
The controls are limited, everything is done with the mouse. You pick an adventurer and then click the square you want them to head to. They’ll shake their head if they don’t have a way to reach that destination. They have very limited physical skills; their jumping isn’t great, so in order to reach a higher ledge they’ll often need to jump on a buddy’s head and then climb up the ledge. Therefore, part of the puzzle is to figure out how to move the adventurers around to get them to their designated goal – the green goal for the green-clad adventurer, etc.
(near the door by the top of the screen) "Oops! Sorry about your head, Yellow." "No need to apologize every time, or we'll be on this mountain all year."
Button spins thingy, button de-spins thingy. Okay, I'm all set!
The puzzle segments get trickier: There are levers that any adventurer can activate, that can radically change the level. Most levels also involve pressure pads that are color-coded, meaning only one precise adventurer can actually use them and, if necessary, can move on and off of them while the other two move about. Second, some bridges are also color-coded as collapsing squares that can only be crossed by the explorer of that bridge’s color. This, coupled with the characters’ physical limitations, makes for pretty creative and often tough puzzles.
Those are sooo easy! Like a nice break between mind-bending challenges.
At the end of each level, the three regroup to open the door towards the next level, which requires solving a very simple puzzle of rotating tiles in order to form a path reuniting three circles of the explorers’ colors.
There is a secondary goal that involves finding three Emblems in each level by breaking pots with the mouse, and finding all of the emblems unlocks a bonus level past the twelfth. On top of that, a second series of levels, Winterfest Island, is unlocked after beating the main Story Mode.
Remember: The goal isn't to make the characters all get to the same place, it's for them to reach their destination. That tripped me up sometimes.
This one was fun! With its very simple controls (likely adapted for mobile play), its style and the puzzles it offers, it’s certainly a game to check out. The adventurers are adorable. Would it be wrong for me to squee? The way they move and help each other is so darn cute. The puzzles are very clever, often featuring contraptions that lead to interesting solutions, or doors that let explorers travel across. Also of note, if you ever get stuck (an adventurer getting trapped in a place where it can’t return from, as an example), you can undo one move with a button on the bottom right of the screen, or start the current puzzle over through the menu.
Customizable colors, too - in case you'd prefer green, blue and red, or any other combo.
Although understandable, sometimes you can’t prepare the characters’ moves in advance (ex. knowing where each character can go, but characters refusing to in case they cross paths). As a result, while fun, the game often feels slow. The game is also not super-difficult; I rarely got to parts where I had no idea how to proceed, though it did happen. It’s actually fairly relaxing, as far as games go.
For a nice, calm gaming experience, I recommend this one. Path of Giants is available on Steam for 8.99$.
I don't frequently get to talk about Quebec movies on this blog. It's rare that I have the chance to, really, though I always want to share more about my own culture. I feel like some must-see from our cinematographic repertoire are the movies adapted from tales of Fred Pellerin. From Saint-Élie-de-Caxton (It rolls off the tongue, even with an English accent), Pellerin tells folk tales and legends from the village he was born in, stories maintained and told, for every new generation, by the inhabitants. And he, in turn, tells them in shows. He got most of these tales from his own grandmother.
This is the third movie adaptation of a show by Pellerin, the other two being Babine, released in 2008, and Ésimésac, released in 2012. Per their nature as legends, they, as well as this film, belong to the genre of fantasy. As for this one... how to explain the title... It's wordplay. "Tooth" (Dent) and "Time" (Temps) are phonetically very similar in French, so the expression of a "Tooth Puller" became "Time Puller" if you translate the original French title literally. Admittedly, translating puns rarely works; I prefer what the English press goes with: "The Time Harvester". Why the Time Puller, or the Time Harvester? This movie is about death, that's why, and she, well, harvests when one's time has come.
In 1988, an 11yo Fred Pellerin (Oscar Desgagnés) is being told by his grandmother Bernadette (Michèle Deslauriers), whose physical health is declining rapidly, about the time she and the village defeated Death. Likely an attempt from her to keep the young boy from worrying about her so much. Cut to the past, where the events of her tale are shown to us, with the 20yo Bernadette (Jade Charbonneau) and everything that happened. The film plays with the way the story is told, making excellent use of the framing device.
In the Saint-Élie-de-Caxton of olde, the young Bernadette sees one night lightning strike the apple tree in front of the church, The apples are left with a black peel, as if burnt, yet still appear edible. Bernadette also sees a cloaked figure floating above the tree. On the next day, a sunday, before the day's mass, the villagers see the state of the tree. One child even eats one of the apples, and so does Lurette (Marie-Ève Beauregard), one of Bernadette's friends. Death is about to strike, as announced by the single toll of the church's bell... And the only other person in the village who seems to believe Bernadette that something terrible is going on is the Stroop (Céline Bonnier), a mysterious woman who has the reputation of a witch and who has several tricks up her sleeve.
Pellerin's cast of recurring characters is here as well: The "hair undresser" Méo (Marc Messier), Toussaint Brodeur the owner of the local general store (Émile Proulx-Cloutier), the new priest (Pierre-Luc Funk), Madame Gélinas the mother of 400+ kids (Genevière Schmidt), Lurette and her father the blacksmith (Guillaume Cyr). One issue I originally had with the distribution was that we already knew all of these characters, who had been portrayed by different actors for two films already in 2008 and 2012; so I needed a moment to figure out who was who, so accustomed that I was to the previous actors. Probably adding to this, some characters in this film are bigger jerks than they were in the previous two.
This being a folk tale, inconsistencies aren't actually such a big problem; in the tradition of the spoken word, details changing is understandable. The film even pokes fun at that, with the grandmother getting details of her own story wrong and the young Fred pointing out the inconsistencies. As a result, there's a very playful tone throughout the film in its approach to storytelling. The most important details are consistent, and that's what matters. And both sides of the framing device are engaging as well: We relate to young Fred seeing his grandma struggle with her health, just as we're invested in what happens in the tale proper.
While many are flawed, most of the characters are still pretty endearing nonetheless. The period piece aspect of the film is very well-done, the Saint-Élie-de-Caxton of the film is a beautiful little place with a lot of interesting locations. There's plenty of humor to be had, especially regarding wordplay (in case the film's title didn't give that away) but also a lot of absurd, yet the emotional moments hit just as hard.
As for Death, the Time Harvester her (or it)self? That design... that makeup is just amazing.
Y'know... At the end of this, I realize that the chances are slim for anyone in my audience outside of Canada to ever see this movie. All I'm saying is that, if you actually do get the chance, if the words "The Time Harvester" come back to you someday, if by some stroke of luck this film crosses your radar, then by all means, do check it out.
….That is all. I could not even play this game. Could not even reach the main menu.
Offensive Combat: Redux! was made by Three Gates AB and released on August 18, 2017. And unlike the multiplayer games I’ve tested during this set of Quick Reviews, there is literally nothing to say about this one. Not like I actually CAN say anything when I didn’t really get to TRY any of it.
I wished I could have at least, y'know, accessed the servers to see this myself, but nope! (picture taken from the Steam store page)
The game’s Steam page at least tries to promote itself like it was still functional, with what I can assume to be a silly multiplayer first-person shooter where everyone wears funny costumes. Some pages even brag about weapons that can be upgraded? Some talk about a single-player mode to earn some experience on your own before facing other human players? Gee, that would’ve been nice, but it’s like the servers were shut down. Here’s a thought: If the game literally isn’t working anymore, maybe don’t keep it in the store.
Among the Guy Fawkes masks and the Oogie Boogie bodysuits seen in promotional material, I saw player skins resembling Donald Trump. The “Offensive” part of the title hints less at proud combat and more at puerile humor that might give a chuckle to immature teens, without any deeper message behind it all. Just “let’s be offensive!”
Maybe it's not such a big loss after all. (picture taken from the Steam store page)
A lot of the multiplayer games I’ve reviewed over the past weeks are past their prime because they were released around 2016-17, and I obtained most of those in a bundle purchased in December 2017 on Humble Bundle. Four years can be a long time for a multiplayer game. It may explain why so many of these are dated to the point where the multiplayer rooms and servers are empty, but several of these still include some form of single-player experience that makes them not a total loss. At least you can play them, even if the experience is diminished.
Not so much for this one. Don’t buy it, don’t bother. I could tell you it costs 14.99$ USD, but right now it’s the digital equivalent of buying a paperweight. Just taking up space.
Next week I won't be publishing reviews, I need to rebuild a buffer. See you on November 29th for the next.
Let’s swap the roles around for once, let’s be the kidnapper of princesses.
♪♫ I'm the baa-aa-aa-ad guu-uu-uu-uy... ♪♫
Made by StarBlade and released on January 23rd, 2017, Nefarious is the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. In it, you become Crow, the famous villain of Macro City and frequent taker of Princess Mayapple. Fully aware of tropes pertaining to franchises that have been going on for decades (Especially that of red-clad heroes who go karting with their worst enemies), this game takes full advantage of, and pokes some lighthearted fun at, them.
A surprise attack by bees? This was a sting!
After the umpteenth time Crow kidnaps his victim, the hero Mack gets fed up of the shtick, breaks up with Mayapple, and leaves Crow be, not considering him much of a threat anymore. Now unrivaled, our villainous protagonist decides to expand his operations and go on a princess-kidnapping spree across the other kingdoms, all to fuel his greatest plan ever! Aboard the Sovereign, his trusty ship, accompanied by his minions, he’s on his way to make history – perhaps in the worst possible way.
How about an explosive to the face, good sir?
Crow, whom you might also remember as the final boss of Arcade Mode in Indie Pogo (reviewed in 2019), has two attacks. The first is a punch that you throw with the Right-click button. The second is an explosive that he can toss with the Left-click; however, if he throws too many, he needs to wait through a cooldown to reload. Both forms of attack require moving the mouse to aim, using a crosshair on the screen. Both can also be upgraded into more powerful or peculiar forms (ex. A further-reaching punch or sticky bombs) using the money you find in levels, alongside Crow’s health bar and number of bombs available at any one time.
"Buzz Off", supervillain Crow tells Insektia hero Dash the Bee.
The levels are varied and include the occasional encounter with a kingdom’s resident hero or villain. Gameplay gets frequently switched around. Some princesses will grant Crow an ability that he has access to only while holding them, like a higher jump. Several battles against heroes are set in what the Kickstarter describes as a “reverse boss battle”, i.e. you take the command of a war machine larger than the hero and must beat them down using that machine’s functions. The first such fight involves a wrecking ball machine like Eggman’s, against a hero who’s an unsubtle mockery of Sonic. Some levels are more peculiar; one is an underwater adventure, as an example.
Unexpected gameplay change? Try unexpected game style change.
Mentioning bizarre etiquette rules of his being a villain? Check. Equal opportunity's always good.
The dialogue and several scenes are hilarious, always highlighting the trope-savviness that permeates this world, but instead of staying at the surface level of merely mocking these conventions, something very interesting is done with the setting. The story is super engaging. I’d say more, but since I want people to play this game, I’ll hold back on giving too many spoilers. The characters are endearing and a ton of fun, and there are bonus levels and some fun scenes that put a twist on the rest of the game. The game looks absolutely gorgeous, a treat to the eyes. The music is also highly memorable, and several tracks were made by Matthew Taranto, of Brawl in the Family and Tadpole Treble fame.
Spend some money - I mean Lucre - on improving your arsenal!
The game starts out pretty easy, but the final levels and bosses can be a doozy. Having so many gameplay changes, while nice, means you need to constantly adapt to the new situation. This is fine, but can be more than a bit tricky especially as the end of the game comes near. The game features two different endings, and the trickier one to obtain requires completing all bonus levels and getting all the lore – which is pretty good. You can edit your equipment to any combo of upgrades – four types of explosives, four types of punch attack, with the possibility to mix two punch upgrades together after you’ve unlocked all four.
This game is great. I recommend it to anyone who loves platform games. Putting aside its relatively short length, this is an excellent experience throughout. Nefarious is available on Steam for 14.99$. Oh, and this story has expanded into an entire webcomic to be read here.
In case this guy's athletic achievements were not ipressive enough, he can wall jump, too.
This game was developed by DeadToast Entertainment, published by Devolver Digital and released to Steam on June 20th, 2019, although it existed since 2014 as a Flash game. This is the tale of a guy who starts seeing a floating, talking banana named Pedro that convinces him to go full vigilante on the criminal underbelly of this city. The unnamed, masked protagonist becomes a superhuman John fuckin’ Wick who can slow time down, shoot two guns at once, and do all sorts of insane feats. All because of a (possibly imaginary?) banana.
Only the first gangsters of hundreds.
This 2.5D platformer has a lot of controls: You aim and shoot with the mouse, move back and forth with A and D, use S to duck. W is used to evade bullets, which is frequently necessary; when your health is low and a bullet could kill you, a QTE-style prompt appears to make you press W to avoid said bullet. You jump with Space (and can wall-jump), interact with items with E, reload the firearms with R, and change weapons with Q. You can also kick with F, which is useful against opponent very close by or to send projectiles at them, like a knife or a gas canister.
Most importantly, you trigger bullet time by pressing a key (I personally set it to my left Caps Lock). Bullet Time slows time, yes, but also slows down the speed at which a score multiplier meter depletes. You can get a higher score by killing multiple goons in a row, and your performance is judged with a letter grade at the end of each level.
That's a lot of guys to kill.
Now, there IS a story to the game. For starters, the protagonist awakens in the cellar of a butcher shop with amnesia, and spies a discussion between Mitch the Butcher, a gangster and arms trafficker hiding behind a good business, and his mooks. After Mitch leaves, we kill the handymen, then must kill everyone on the way to find and murder Mitch. And then Denny, Mitch’s affiliate. Thus begins a roaring rampage of violence fueled by drugs and the elucubrations of a banana.
You have to be an incredible shot if you can activate levels with your bullets...
There’s a bit of a shift in design; in the first half, you aren’t too hindered by blockades and puzzles in your way, so much of the focus is on going through each level and killing every enemy in the most stylish way possible. Probably confident that you’ve got the hang of the basics by then, the second half involves a lot more puzzles forcing you to figure out how to progress through each section, but you still need to kill everyone. In my experience, bullets also get rarer at that point. You find many different weapons, but only the first ones have infinite ammo (though you still need to reload). For the others, you need to find bullets by killing enemies.
That high-speed road fight is a highlight.
A lot of the focus is on facilitating cinematic combat, hence all the controls and options, so the more puzzle-based platforming later on feels a bit out of left field. That said, the game stays true to its influences throughout and features a story that’s pretty interesting (let’s just say, things get weirder) while still displaying that offbeat comedy. There’s even a sequence on the road, which is the part I enjoyed the most. Getting letter grades above C is very difficult unless you master the controls and can chain kills easily, taking bullet time into account. The environments are not super varied, but the soundtrack is really good.
This game’s fun, look it up if you’re looking for an action-packed experience. My Friend Pedro is available on Steam for 19.99$ USD.
Chainsawesome Games is the studio behind Knight Squad, released to Steam on November 16th, 2015. (Oh hey, almost-happy birthday to this game!) This is a multiplayer title in which eight knights duel over a wide variety of competitions, though they all involve killing each other repeatedly to gain victory for themselves or for their team. You choose one of the eight, then friends can join in, choosing their own colored knight (all of whom have a name starting with S, for some reason: Shooter, Solo, Savior, etc.). The remainder will be controlled by CPUs. That way of doing things means that every single mode can be played in single-player, if the Online Mode isn’t busy!
And hey, if knights must fight to take the Grail home...
Each game is played on a map filling the screen, with breakable stone walls alongside indestructible walls. Much of the fun here is to grab the weapons that pop up on the map and use them to defeat the opponents and score a win. The base items include longer swords, bows and arrows, or boots that grant speed; for those three, actually collecting the same item repeatedly boosts its power (ex. Picking up two swords gives a Longsword, two bows lead to explosive arrows, more speed boots = even higher speed, etc.). Shields can also pop up to give a player more HP. Some special items may also appear like a horse, the aforementioned laser gun, bombs… or one of many others!
There’s a lot of modes to try out, and many of these pave the way to different strategies depending on the goal of the competition.
Soccer, I already wasn't a fan of the original game, this did nothing to change that.
-Capture the Grail: You must attempt to grab the Grail at the center of the screen and take it back to your starting position, while slowed down due to its weight, with the others chasing you for it. A team version exists with “Capture the Flag”, in which you have to get the enemy flag on the opposite side of the screen and take it back to base.
-Soccer: A team game in which you help your team push the giant boulder ball into the other team’s net. Yes, killing the opponents is allowed.
-Gladiator: A battle mode where you get points for killing other knights, but get far more if you can manage to stay in the Arena at the center, where you’ll get points just for being there. Highest score wins.
Okay, forget the laser, who the Heck thought giving a knight a minigun was a good idea?
-Last Man Standing & Team Deathmatch: This game wouldn’t be complete without a Battle Royale, right? In the first, knights fight until only one remains and one obtains a pre-set number of victories. The second is a team variant.
-Juggernaut: Everyone fights to reach the center of the arena, where a machine gun lies. When one gets it, the others must kill him to obtain it. You make points by killing knights, the machine gun helps with that a lot. Highest score wins.
-Domination: In teams, pass over beacons to claim them for your team and gain points through them. Be wary of members of the other team stealing said beacons for themselves.
-Crystal Rush: Each team has a number of crystals that must be destroyed using the drill, a special weapon. The first team to completely destroy the other team’s crystals wins.
Gladiator is one of the competitions I liked the most when playing.
This one’s a lot of fun. Between the large number of modes to play through and the many weapons that spice up the gameplay, the base concept of “knights killing each other” remains fresh. The music isn’t particularly notable and the graphics in gameplay are just fine, but I loved the animations for the knights on character select and victory screens (Shooter fingerguns at his own sword, as an example). There’s a “classic Flash game” feel to this one. I particularly appreciate that all the modes can be played as a single player (you pick your knight, and in team modes, select the team you want to play on). That said, though most are simple, some modes aren't well explained (I didn't know you needed the drill to destroy crystals, as an example).
Heck yeah, my orange boi!
Of course, multiplayer is encouraged, with the option to create a server or join one… but with the game being some six years old now, that part is pretty barren and your only option would be to have friends who also own the game and can join in. This does take away some of the game’s interest, but as I said, the variety in game modes can at least keep that interest going for a little longer. There’s also a “Bots Only” mode in which you can watch eight CPUs duke it out.
It’s fun, but worth buying at full price? I’m not entirely sure. There’s also a DLC that includes three additional knight characters and game modes. The state of multiplayer in this one may also have to do with the release of a sequel in April this year. Still, Knight Squad can be purchased on Steam at its regular price of 14.99$ USD.
Just one crystal, and that low power issue will have been dealt with.
A creation of Reflections, a Ubisoft Studio, published by Ubisoft (well, yeah) and released on February 4th, 2015, Grow Home is the story of BUD. The little robot has been sent downwards onto an alien planet by his home ship, named M.O.M., in the hopes that he can rescue his home planet. His mission involves growing a Star Plant on this world that will reach an altitude of two kilometers (2000m), which will also allow BUD to return “home” to the ship, and find a Star Seed on the way as his home world needs the oxygen its plant will grant.
One hand at a time... yes, that will do. Slow and steady, the climber goes up.
BUD is fairly resistant, but not indestructible; a high enough fall or being too long in water will destroy him, but he will be revived at the last checkpoint. His movements are “procedurally animated”, a fancy way of saying that he moves with ragdoll physics, most noticeable when he takes his first steps or does sharp turns on foot. It makes him unwieldy and a bit of a klutz, to say the least. He will mainly be climbing vines and mountains, however, and for this, he uses one mouse button for each hand; Left for left, Right for right. Climbing is a mechanic that’s a bit difficult to get the hang of, but it’s the focus of the game so you better get good at it. You can also use it to grab items and drag them around. BUD also jumps with Space.
Have you ever tried controlling the growth of a plant?
The poor little dodo-like Warble is shaking... I think I traumatized it.
You take control of sprouts nicknamed Star Shoots, which will make them grow, and then you control the direction in which they grow. However, the trunk of the Star Plant itself won’t grow unless you offer it sustenance, and that involves crashing Star Shoots into islands floating in the sky that still have some nutrients (denoted by a green, slimy bottom) on them.
Some plants have abilities that will help BUD, like daisies that he can use to glide as long as they have petals, which they lose over time; or leaves that can turn into hang gliders. Also of note: The wildlife, with creatures resembling sheep and dodos. You can even feed them with the large, edible plants around. One sheep will follow BUD around after the robot rescues it from boulders. This sort of attention to detail, these touches give the world some color, that’s what makes a good game great.
How that daisy can keep me in the air with its three petals, I'll never know.
Gem. Gimme.
There are two important side-quests: The first involves finding 100 power Crystals scattered around the game. After you’ve collected enough you’ll unlock new abilities for BUD, such as a drone you can deploy to get a larger view of the surroundings, a jetpack that will get more fuel and thrust power the more crystals you find, or a crystal detector. The second is to complete the data bank, which you do by grabbing plants and animals and taking them into the teleporters, which are also data scanners as well as BUD’s respawn points when he dies. I had a lot of fun dragging a sheep or a dodo behind me to get them to the nearest teleporter. Once the main game is complete, M.O.M. will give you the optional quest of finding eight more Star Seeds around this world.
I loved this one! It’s on the short side, but it’s still a pretty fun experience. Getting used to controlling BUD, and especially learning to climb efficiently, takes a moment. The game messes with your perception of gravity after you’ve spent a couple hours playing it.
Breathtaking.
Terence? Pfah! I'd call him Shaun.
All of the little details added to its otherwise-simple concept, all of the little things you can find… It’s genuinely enjoyable throughout. The low-poly style helps give the experience a ton of charm. Everything is cute here. The sights are impressive, as well. Look down from 1,800 meters down to the world below. Feels grand. The quest is engaging and interesting, and the side-quests offer enough rewards to entice players to take them. The Crystals, in particular, are items the game wants you to find, with audio clues and upgrades that focus on finding more.
If you can get your hands on this one, you’re gonna have a fun time. I recommend it, definitely. There is a sequel that I haven’t played, titled Grow Up, if you want more after playing this one. You can find this title on Steam for 7.99$ US.
I should have covered this one in October, it's creepy enough for it.
Child to teen, 10 years gone in 10 seconds.
A creation of NonFictional Games released on August 24th, 2017, F.E.X. (Forced Evolution Experiment) is a puzzle game with, I’ll at least give it that, a unique premise. You are in control of a “human” who is also a failed experiment in a massive laboratory. Its researchers studied ways to stop the aging process, but their messing with genetics led to the creations of monstrous creatures. The most normal “humans” created through these experiments suffer from an ultra-rapid aging process, going from child to teen to adult to senior to death in a matter of minutes.
In the intro, we see this process in action, and learn that we can expedite it by holding down the I key. (You move with WASD, hold down the Left Shift to run, and can interact with stuff by pressing J.) You actually control the next “experiment” in line, nicknamed T1M, who somehow gets in contact with a security agent named Frank who takes pity on the “child” and decides to help him get out of the facility.
I'm surprised the kid can push these things, yet can't even push damn buttons.
What the Hell is up with these things' arms?
The child cannot press buttons, but he has enough strength to push blocks. The teenager can press buttons. The adult can press buttons, has greater speed than the others (which is useful to outrun threats), and can push even heavier blocks. The senior has reduced speed and cannot push blocks, but can press buttons. The crux of the puzzles involve switching from a form to the next.
However, be warned: The main character cannot de-age on their own (although, strangely enough, they DO de-age back to a child between “levels”… I’m willing to bet that’s plot-relevant). Also, there is a very strict time limit, as they will age automatically after some time has passed. If they choose to age up on their own, there will be a cooldown before they can use the ability again.
These things are fuckin' chasing me now!
Running very quickly becomes a vital element of gameplay, as a mere few levels in we begin to face monsters that hunt down the main character. For some reason, although the character sprites are in 2D, the game is in isometric 3D view, which causes a lot of issues whenever moving the character around. The number of times I had to go through a door to escape an enemy or activate a switch, and miscalculated the distance… This issue is worsened by the fact that T1M can only move in four directions, a limitation that enemies don't have. The game is at least lenient in that, if you reach a level that you begin as and fail to complete as a senior, you respawn as an adult. Unwinnable situations are prevented that way. There is an additional challenge in gathering the special items that reveal more information as to what’s going on, and getting the best ending requires having found all of those items.
So genetic monsters AND security guards are chasing after the main character? F*** that.
This game isn’t good. It starts from an interesting idea and has clever puzzles to offer with its peculiar setup, but the design is clunky and the levels look very nondescript and bland. Since character designs are limited to silhouettes, there isn’t much personality to how the characters look either. You are limited to moving in 4 directions, a limitation enemies, both monsters and security don’t have. Also, the monsters emit an unpleasant noise that you have to hear anytime you sneak around them.
Nah, I can’t say I recommend that one. But if you really want to check it out, F.E.X. is available on Steam for 6.99$.
Voiceless body seeks bodiless voice that constantly waxes philosophical.
A whole new way to climb a tree.
Developed by Altered Matter, published by Akupara Games and released on July 18th, 2019, Etherborn is thankfully much more than what I just described. At its core, it’s a puzzle platformer in which the voiceless human-shaped lifeform explores floating masses on their search for the voice previously mentioned. The main gameplay element is the ability to shift gravity, on the condition that the translucent body walks on a floor curved towards the angle where it wants to go. It cannot change its gravity otherwise. Said changes to gravity also extend to its falls, so you can step off the platform while upside-down and fall upwards. It’s disorienting, but it’s part of the experience.
Dodecahedrons can make enormous parts of the world move around.
The second part of the puzzle is to retrieve little dodecahedrons and then place them on squares so they’ll modify the level they’re found in. Sometimes they’ll merely make a platform appear or move a piece of the level forwards or backwards… Sometimes they’ll summon an entire, new, gigantic piece that will perfectly interlock with the rest.
This cube was a bigger headache than a Rubik's.
The entire game is a gorgeous visual spectacle. The setpieces are very impressive, seen from all sides. The first level past the tutorial, as an example, involves pieces of bridges, and you move from one to the other by taking advantage of the changes in gravity. There aren’t a lot of levels to the game, but they tend to be fairly lengthy and split into sections. Some of the visuals look lifted right out of a prog rock album cover. You’ll also have plenty of time to take in the sights, as most of the sets are huge and the body, even while running, will take a while to go through them.
Shifting gravity: As easy as walking up a hill!
Of note, due to the constant shifts in gravity, the body can rarely move in a straight line. It’s a bit tricky to control with a keyboard and WASD, the game thus recommends using a controller instead. Walking is the default option with Left Shift to run, but these can be reversed in the options. The plot did not hook me in all that much; the sights, the atmosphere and the challenges did, far more efficently at that. The game is short, there’s few levels, and they're accessible from a tree that serves as a hub. However, upon completion, you unlock a Game + in which the dodecahedrons necessary to complete puzzles are harder to find.
Oh, I am not looking forward to walking all the way back to finish a puzzle!
Gameplay-wise, I was annoyed at the frequency of gaps that the character can just barely jump over; many times, I had to re-take a path because of a missed jump. Yes, the character CAN jump over those gaps, but you have to be half-standing over the edge to make it. Similarly, in spite of the sheer size of the levels, there's nary a shortcut. If you need to readjust your gravity to reach an area, or if you have to move dodecahedrons around, you will often need to make long detours. Or you can jump off the edge and die, as respawn points are frequent.
So, all in all, another very good game! Worth giving a shot for the visuals, in spite of the flaws I’ve found. Etherborn can be found on Steam for 16.99$ US.
