Two and a half decades after the game first released, we have Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered available on modern consoles, and this title is absolutely a blast from the past.
Culdcept the First (also attributed as Culdcept the First Saturn Tribute) is a very fun game, that does show its age. This is basically a re-issue of the 1997 Sega Saturn game that mashes together deckbuilding (think Magic: The Gathering) and boardgames (such as Monopoly).
Sometimes a game will hit your feed that is completely unexpected. That is the reaction I had when I discovered Map Map - A Game About Maps (which I'll refer to as Map Map from here on out). It is a puzzle exploration game where you take the role of a young cartographer setting out on a relaxing journey to many unknown islands.
Welcome to an adventure across the land of Raoah! Help guide Hira on this metroidvania quest across a land that is being choked by corruption. Can you help Hira return peace to Raoah with the help of the companions he meets along the way, or will the world fall into desolation? Only you can help out in Fallen Tear: The Ascension!
Let me tell you about this cozy game my daughter and I are playing together called Outbound. Now, I've been following this game from the initial Kickstarter back in April 2025 to its full release in May 2026. The best Mother's Day gift for myself and my first ever collector's edition in a physical copy!
In OVER REQUIEMZ Yuhiru is thrown into the castle of Oz and is immediately accused of trying to assassinate the King and shoved into the dungeon. Not only is she treated like a criminal...
Today we’re looking at what has rapidly become an absolute favorite in the open-world RPG genre for me. An interesting story, memorable NPCs, stunning visuals, and a setting absolutely dripping with flavor, Dread Delusion sets its tone immediately and sticks with it.
...and I have been playing NHL games since. It didn't matter whether it was EA or another game like 2K in the 2000s; I loved hockey games and still do, but is NHL 27 a step in the right direction?
YAR: the Forgotten Throne will see you “Choose your path as a Warrior, Volkhv, or Archer and journey across the lands of Borea in a story-driven open-world RPG. Uncover the source of the darkness poisoning its forests and wildlife...
Nivalis Nights is an experience that gives a strong sense of what a talented team of visionary minds can create. Nivalis Nights crafts a living breathing painting of neon basked splendor with a futuristic new art style of game that is both beautiful and urban futuristic.
Showing posts with label Puzzle Platformer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Puzzle Platformer. Show all posts
Super Fanger, Plyuk, and Old Towers bring pixel-perfect excitement to the SNES and NES on January 29
PITTSBURGH, PA – January 7, 2025 – The retro-obsessed felines at Creative-first indie game publisher Mega Cat Studios today announced plans to bring three exciting new titles to the NES and Super Nintendo this month, injecting a fresh dose of fun into players’ favorite pieces of retro hardware.
Releasing exclusively on the Mega Cat Studios online store on January 29 are the frantic SNES maze chaser Super Fanger, along with the action-puzzler Old Towers, and the cerebral puzzle platformer Plyuk, both for the NES.
For a look at what’s in store in these exciting new adventures, check out the sizzle trailer below:
Here’s a rundown of each of these upcoming retro releases launching later this month:
Super Fanger: Get ready for the wildest game of tag yet. Chase down your friends or evade their pursuit to avoid capture. Tackle dynamic levels and execute special moves to outsmart your rivals. Keep your nerve as you make every twist and turn count!
4 maps with signature twists
Play absurd characters with unique abilities
Unlockable surprises
One or two players
Plyuk: When Plyuk tumbles into a hidden, underground lab, his quiet evening stroll turns into a nightmare. Trapped in a facility full of failed experiments, his only escape is to use his unique ability: cloning himself.
Navigate a trap-filled world using your cloning mechanics
Solve teamwork-based puzzles
Immerse yourself in Plyuk’s atmospheric 8-bit world
Old Towers: Get ready to climb your way to the top in this addictive action puzzle game! Dash across the screen and across walls, ceilings, and more as you collect all the coins and find the way to the exit past devious hazards and traps.
Dash your way through over 40 levels
Swap between multiple characters to solve devious, brain-boggling puzzles
Dodge arrows, spikes, and crushing blocks
~~~
About Mega Cat Studios
Mega Cat Studios breathes new life into old video game consoles with
artisanal, exclusive projects you won’t find anywhere else. From the
original Nintendo to virtual reality ports, we’re bringing our fans the
games they want.
Do you have what it takes to be
an everyday hero? Do you think you can save people from raging infernos? Will
you make sure not to leave any man, woman, or cat behind? Well, then, start
your training with Fire Hero – Pixel Rescue today!
Fire Hero-Pixel Recue is an
interesting take on a puzzle platformer that sees you join Brigade 38 as their
newest firefighter. When disaster hits the city and fires are springing up
everywhere, it’s now up to you to race in, save the people trapped in the
fires, and get out before the whole place comes crumbling down on top of you.
There is a story here, told in short segments between stages, so don’t go
thinking it’s all just puzzle solving. Can you solve the mystery of the onset
of fires and help the citizens?
Fire Hero is a 2D pixel
puzzle-platformer that works on a stage by stage basis. You enter a stage, and
the main goal is to rescue the trapped person and then get out. You have a sort
of overworld, overstreet really, where you can select the stage you want to
play, so you can go back to replay stages. Each stage contains two sorts of “themes”
to gameplay. The first half is puzzle solving in order to get to your target,
and the second half is escaping on a timer before the stage literally crumbles
around you.
So, what are your tools? What
can you do? Well, this is where the developers got pretty creative. There are
boxes, crates, bookshelves etc. all over the place, individual fires around,
and firefighter tools. You can push most objects, lift and throw the lighter
ones like boxes, and you can find handy tools. There are also valves in some stages/areas
that will let you raise or lower water levels. Now, there is a very unique
aspect here that I thought was rather cool: our health bar isn’t a traditional
health bar. Basically, it’s really hot inside a burning building, and if you
get too hot, you overheat and “pass out”. As long as you stay inside, your heat
will continue to rise. No worries though! If you stand under some water or
start swimming in the raised water levels, your heat gauge will go back down!
There are also some stages without “fires”, but those will have a permanent
impact on your health bar until you pass out or reset the room.
Each stage you explore is
divided into different rooms that act as their own sort of checkpoints. If you
pass out or manually reset in a room, you get returned to the entrance of the
room and the room is reset to its default condition. The manual reset is nice
for when you accidentally break a needed box by dropping it in a fire or if you
get stuck somewhere. Other than increasing the time you spend in the stage
doesn’t have any other negative impact, other than to your pride.
So, what about those firefighter
tools I mentioned? Well, you’ve got a fire extinguisher and an axe, typical
tools of the trade. With the fire extinguisher you can put out fires by using
the extinguisher for a while, or you can use it to hover somewhat when you
jump, allowing you to traverse large gaps or give you a little extra leeway to
reach a ledge or stop a fall. Be careful though, as there’s only so much in the
can. The axe lets you break boxes and bookshelves, opening up areas that were
blocked off. If you’re near a wall and swing the axe, you’ll stick it in the
wall and can use it as a platform. Fair warning on the platform thing, it’s a
little finicky. If used at the top of a jump you won’t have the jump height to
get up on it, so you have to hit the wall either before max height or by doing
a smaller jump. Furthermore, the axe is small and goes in at an angle, so it
can be tricky to judge your available “platform” space. That’s largely fine
though, as it makes sense that an axe platform would be a bit unwieldy. Bonus
use for the axe, you can bust down locked doors instead of rifling about for a
key.
I have to say, I quite like the
style the developers have gone for here. A sort of retro like style with
pixelated graphics and a soundtrack that works extremely well with the style
and theme, it reminds me of old games on the GameBoy Pocket, back before
handhelds had colour, just with updated graphics and sound, and actual colour.
I used to love puzzle platformer style games back in the day, and Fire Hero
really brings that love back out. It’s really nice to see a retro style game
that both captures the old-school touch but also makes modern improvements
where it should, and that’s how I feel Fire Hero does well.
As much as I really love Fire
Hero, there are a few issues here and there. The biggest issue I had was with
carrying objects. The game is a little weird about how that works. You lift the
object above your head to carry it (keys included), so you can’t lift something
in a narrow hallway or if you don’t have room. That is fine, but carrying
something doesn’t “add” it to your character sprite, it puts it above you with
a sort of elastic tether to you? Basically you can be forced to drop the object
if you try to enter a narrow hallway or collide with the ceiling the wrong way.
Minorly annoying at worst, but it can be more annoying at times. Sometimes
the collision detection for this is a little wonky though. I’ve had times I was
carrying a crate and got too close to a ledge, now the crate is on the ledge
instead of my head, and I can’t quite reach it to grab it again. The other
issue is more of a personal annoyance than a real problem, but when you respawn
it doesn’t reset any moving parts of the stages. This means on resetting a
room, you could be waiting a long time for a moving platform for instance. Only really an issue when you are trying to escape on a timer, but overall not a
problem, just it’ll probably be annoying to some people.
Other than your main goal you
also have challenges to bring you back to stages. There are strapped pets to
discover and rescue, journal pages, and coins you can get. There are also time
challenges if you want to challenge yourself on a stage. Some of these unlock
bonus stages, and some are for personal challenge, so do what’s right for you!
Overall, Fire Hero – Pixel Rescue
is a great retro pixel style puzzle platformer for a great price. Stages are
short but can be tricky and fun, the puzzle platforming is both unique and
engaging, and the background story is present but not intrusive enough to take
you away from the action for long. With a great suite of hand-made art and a
fitting soundtrack to boot, fans of puzzle platformers are sure to rejoice. Get
your firefighting on today!
For all you
other finely aged wines out there like myself, have you ever thought to
yourself “I remember how hard old games used to be and how they gave no
direction”? For you younger sprouts, have you wanted to try some old-school
games from before fluid controls were a thing? Back when the only map you had
was the one you drew yourself? Well, if so, look no further than Lumo 2, a
sequel to the 2016 game I picked up on PSVita that made me want to throw a
table out the window in the best way.
Lumo 2 can be
broadly summed up as “Isometric platformer about a wizard trying to get MSPaint
to work”. You get dropped in a very greyscale room, and after some exploration
discover a door that leads to space, your first level. The game starts out easy
enough. Walk around a little, go through the door, pick up some red jetpack
things, and success? When you’ve “finished” (lol, nah, you’ll be back) the space
area, or if you return to the hub, you deposit the red items into a cauldron,
and colour starts to return. Aha! I see what’s happening. In order to unlock
the next area, you need to finish the minigame hidden in the previous area.
Don’t think
just finishing the minigames will be enough though, you may “clear” a stage
with less than 30% of the colour based McGuffin. It’s ok though, because new
areas introduce new tools that expand your mechanics. Can’t jump high enough?
Well, acquire an ability to help. You can then return to a previous area and
discover a whole new load of secrets.
Speaking of
secrets, there are also bonus collectibles to find: ducks and boomboxes, each
with their own mechanics. Ducks require you to leave a room without dying to
acquire them, and boomboxes require you to collect a bunch of tapes in order
within a certain time limit. Yes, some of these are rough as sandpaper, have
fun. Thankfully, death is pretty cheap in Lumo 2. Basically, you just get sent
back to where you entered a room from. While it may be a little frustrating
while trying to collect all the paint or for the ducks and boom boxes, you aren’t
booted from the whole zone.
Lumo 2 is a
very big homage to older-school gaming, in style, controls, and even aesthetics
and references. Each area you explore will have a bunch of references you may
or may not recognize, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the game. With very
basic controls, pretty much just a jump, fall quick, and two other special
mechanic buttons, that’s about all you need. A sort of floaty fall also adds to
some of the platforming as you try and maneuver yourself into position.
Right, so
let me be blunt here: Lumo 2 is frustrating. Not in a “what the heck this is
awful” way, but in a “Cthulhu curse thine entire family tree I missed that jump
for the twenty ninth time in a row. I’m gonna do it again” sort of way. I’m
pretty sure about half the rooms I walked into in Lumo 2 I was yelling “this is
stupid!.......ok one more try” over and over again while I tried to collect all
the extras and paint. Don’t even get me started on the hidden rooms, especially
the Prince of Persia homage room? Sneaky bugger put some added effects in there
that made me think I was glitching until I realized what was going on. Touché
sir.
Now comes
the biggest issue: Lumo is kind of janky. I’m about 90% sure it’s a design
choice to make Lumo 2 seem more retro, but good god when I lose height on a jump
for no real reason or get stuck in a corner because I can’t jump out from
behind a box, it’s frustrating. Good news is, everything you’ve collected stays
collected, so just quit and restart and you’re good to go. Don’t even need to
close the game.
Fair
warning, apart from the fact that Lumo 2 can be swear inducing, you do need a
controller to play, so I hope you have one or a workaround! Plus side is, you can
move with both the control stick and directional pad, so if you want more
precise movement, the directional pad is the way to go, but if you need some
more control? Thumbstick has got your back.
All in all,
Lumo 2 is a great, if not frustratingly difficult at times, homage to
old-school gaming. It’s fun, it’s a great challenge, and it’s a real nice boost
to my nostalgia. While the controls are pretty rudimentary, and death is
extremely cheap, that doesn’t mean the game is easy. Sure it is accessible to a
lot of different players, but be well aware of the difficulty going in if you’re
aiming for the 100% completion. If you’re curious, you can also check out the
first Lumo for pretty cheap, just to know what you’re getting yourself into. If you’re
a fan of isometric platformers, I definitely suggest giving this a go.
Short N Sweet Games and The Bricks Studio announce today that their "single-player-coop" puzzle-platformer Mirrored Souls will be available on Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation consoles, Xbox consoles and Nintendo Switch on August 23 for $14.99 / €14,20. Control the main characters, Ravi and Daru, at the same time and in a mirrored screen, while solving Braid-like puzzles with the goal of reuniting two celestial beings that have been separated forever in this short, indie, premium experience. You can check Mirrored Souls's gameplay trailer below.
About the game
Mirrored Souls is a game about contemplation and living in the present. Ravi and Daru are two celestial beings living their particularly impossible love story, as they live in mirrored worlds and are constantly traversing portals trying to, finally, be together. In their journey to reunite, players will have to solve puzzles in a chill environment. Mirrored Souls doesn't push players to complete the game before a clock runs out but encourages them to find clever ways to overcome every obstacle.
The game from The Bricks Studio has been carefully hand-drawn and emphasizes what the studio has called a "single-player-coop" experience. Players will control both characters at the same time in a mirrored screen, where moving both characters precisely will be paramount to progress. Mirrored Souls is a game with different sources of inspiration: GRIS and Studio Ghibli’s environment art, Braid’s gameplay, and Journey’s relaxed atmosphere.
Key features
Control Ravi and Daru at the same time and in a mirrored world in a quest to reunite them. Pay attention as their movements mirror each other but they live in separate worlds.
Enjoy the hand-drawn world of Mirrored Souls, inspired by Studio Ghibli's movies and games such as Gris or Journey.
Traverse portals to help Ravi and Daru reunite. The vast majority of levels have been designed in a relaxed way so players can reflect not only on the moves needed to get to the next level but on the main plot as well, without having to worry about a clock running out of time.
Experience a philosophical story about the dilemma between the fleeting nature of life and love.
Short N Sweet is a publishing label from Flux Games focused on bringing premium yet affordable, short, quick gaming experiences for everybody. Short N Sweet aims to empower small developers ideas from all over the world publishing their games on PCs and consoles.
ABOUT FLUX GAMES
Flux Games is a Brazil-based game development studio, specialised in creating IP-based full game experiences for Consoles and PC. The 70+ people studio has been in business since 2012 and is known for Cobra Kai 1 and 2, Trenga Unlimited, and GUTS.
In this puzzle platformer, you will embark on a touching journey through the surreal world of a person's mind as a young Griffin and his faithful bear, Birly. Overcome challenges, avoid traps and defeat enemies to help the man find peace.
Immerse yourself in the gripping story of a person who visualizes himself as a small child, accompanied by a cute teddy bear. Solve tricky puzzles, escape terrifying monsters, and avoid dangerous traps on a quest for inner peace.
Travel through a mysterious world of floating castles and craggy caves, fairytale forests and rolling plains. Prepare to be captivated by the enthralling world of Daydream, discovering the transformative power of resilience, and the bittersweet beauty of letting go.
Key Features:
Dive deep into a sprawling story, revealing secrets and unraveling the mysteries of an enchanting narrative;
Meet memorable characters, such as the endearing young Griffin and his devoted teddy bear companion Birly;
Command an adorable teddy bear friend that helps you get to hard-to-reach places;
Enter an unforgettable world through dreamy melodies and mesmerizing music;
Engage in a delicate blend of mind-bending puzzles that challenge you, and heart-pounding action that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
About Frozen Line
Our team consists of 3 people: two 3d artists and a programmer. Everything is invented and developed together, from ideas to puzzles.
About Ravenage
Ravenage is founded by a team united by one trait: substantial developer relations
experience. We understand that the decisions have to be clear and lightning fast, so we
could build trusting relationships with game creators.
Tandem: A Tale of Shadows by Monochrome
Paris and Hatinh Interactive is the tale of Emma and the teddy bear Fenton who
rush out in the middle of the night to solve the mystery of the disappearance
of the famous magician Thomas Kane. Finding themselves in a manor with locked
doors and terrifying traps (I hate spiders), the two will have to come together
in tandem in order to pass through these obstacles while affecting both the
real world and the world that lies in shadow.
Getting perhaps the one complaint that I
have out of the way first, I wish that there had been more narrative to this
tale as it starts off with such promise of an introductory cutscene before even
making it to the main menu to tell you who’s who and what’s going on. From here
though, you’ll only be going through various stages one after another with
gameplay acting as your “narrative” guide as to what is happening on this
adventure as there’s no narrator and both of your protagonists stay silent
throughout.
Otherwise, the gameplay is perhaps one of
the better ones that I've seen of this already hard to pull off style. A bit
like my last review of last year with Shady Part of Me, both Emma and Fenton have to
use one after the other in order to manipulate both worlds in order to move on
to solve the mystery of the missing famous magician Thomas Kane. Unlike the
previous experience which was set about in long stages with various narrative
elements though, Tandem is all about short bursts of action presented as nodes
on a form of world map.
Switching between Emma and Fenton is easy
enough in concept however there’s a bit of a cognitive switch that will also
have to be done and I’m not ashamed to say that I stayed stumped a few times
because I wasn’t thinking in terms of planes of existence properly. While
exploring to find our missing magician, Emma will be in the real world
presented in a top down view as she moves about throwing switches and casting
various shadows around the room with her lantern. Fenton on the other hand
within the shadow realm will be presented in a 2D platforming style composed of
all of the elements making up Emma’s real world.
It’s really bizarre at first but easy to
get into as not only do your points of view change from a top down adventure
style to a 2D platforming style, but the visual presentation also changes from
full colours into a black and white presentation. Mixing that in with the
various physical yet not physical elements of the environment depending on who
you’re controlling and it made me glad to have short bursts set up in a node
design instead of one giant world with checkpoints. Sometimes you really needed
a small break to reset your mind from what you just went through.
But it works, and it works very well as
long as you remember to think in terms of top down and 2D as you go along. Some
switches will require Fenton to step on them for Emma to walk through a door.
Others will require Emma to press in order to unlock something in the real
world that would allow Fenton to traverse once a bridge of shadow has been
made. It’s not all shadows and rainbows however as there is plenty that can go
wrong from mechanical spiders that will hunt Emma down to Fenton missing a jump
and falling into spikes or shadowy waves rushing by just below. Thankfully
there’s no real “reloading” or checkpoint system and instead you just get
warped back to the last safe spot that you were standing on.
Summary
So overall, while I do wish that there
was more narrative and storytelling as I think Tandem: A Tale of Shadows could
have really benefited from that addition, what’s being presented in terms of
gameplay was both fun to play and challenging. From alternating points of view
and visual presentations over to some creating puzzle solving, I think that
Monochrome Paris and Hatinh Interactive have created something worth looking
into.
Vectromirror is an upcoming parkour puzzle game that has Antichamber
style graphics without the eyesore colors. Think like a cross between
Etherborn,
Portal, and Mirrors Edge in one pleasing package. It has puzzle
elements, a HAND OF POWER, and all kinds of parkour! Not only did I
play through the short demo through Steam, but I also introduced my
other half to the game. He completed it in about 15 minutes time.
(Geebus! We've no idea how he did this.) Anyways, after bounding
through the levels, I found myself really excited to see what will
come in the full release, so let's cover some of the gameplay.
Gameplay
and Graphics
Players are test subjects - remember how I said this reminded me a
bit like Portal? Yeah. Upon playing Vectromirror, players can dive
right into gameplay or they can start the tutorial which consists of
about four small sections. Presumably, if players aren't interested
in a tutorial, they would skip the sections with the instructional
wallboards. However, I played through the tutorial anyways.
Vectromirror is not a difficult game to understand in that its
controls rely on the WASD keys, spacebar, and the left and right
mouse buttons. Since this is a short demo, there are no creatures or
interactable objects - though who knows what the full release will
have? Vectromirror also conveniently autosaves as players progress
through the levels, allowing them to focus on the challenges ahead of
them.
The game has obstacles that include nefarious blocks, disappearing
platforms, and toxic water (at least, that is my best description).
Most of the time, the puzzle sections rely heavily on being able to
execute certain abilities while on the run. This gives a player
little time to process what is happening and depends on reaction
time. Examples of this are found within the HAND OF POWER which pulls
or pushes obstacles.
As for the graphics, I compared Vectromirror to Antichamber because
it does have a minimalist graphics style. Unlike the respective
example, this game does not have a black and white palette that often
bothered players. Instead, Vectromirror has a color palette closer to
Etherborn with its red, blue, and green tones. In fact, there are not
many locations where the graphics blinded the player, which is an
aspect I appreciate. (I use f.lux on my computer for a reason.)
Final
Thoughts
Overall, Vectromirror is a fantastic addition to the puzzle game
genre. It's graphically minimalistic and pleasing, contains full
speed parkour, and features smooth gameplay. I love the ability to
use the awesome HAND OF POWER (This amuses me way too much!) to get
rid of obstacles and I know this will be the bane of my existence in
the full release.
Be sure to check out Vectromirror on social media!
Vectromirror is a great contender as a full speed parkour puzzle
platformer. It checks all the boxes of having a cool ability, speed,
tension, and obstacles to keep players on their toes. In my opinion,
this upcoming free to play title should not be missed!
Etherborn is a puzzle platforming game that tries to tackle the answer of life, the universe, and everything. But more than that, it is a game that has players scratching their heads as they climb along walls sideways or across ceilings to reach items that are needed to progress. Presumably, these items lead to humanity's discovery of themselves and their purpose, but this is a point I'll explain later on. Each level is entered by following the veins of a tree after a new pathway unlocks. And while I absolutely love this game, it has its flaws.
Gameplay and Story
The games puzzle design was brilliant in that players had to learn the rules of this particular world with a very small tutorial. It offers new ways to look at levels and solutions in a way that makes logical sense. Furthermore, to solve puzzles requires players to place orbs in receptacles that are located on the ground. Sometimes this will unlock new areas and other times they will open up portals to access other levels.
Unlike other puzzle games where players are able to bully their way through gameplay, Etherborn has very clear limits when it comes to its solutions. As in, a player cannot jump onto one side of a level without there being a curve to change the perspective. What I mean is, players are only able to jump onto platforms that are facing the same way as the character is. So, if the character is on a wall sideways, it can only jump on other walls that are sideways (unless it has a curve).
As players progress to new levels in the game, they follow a path on a tree. Based on the games' theme, that I assume has to do with humanity's purpose in life, I'm led to believe that the tree might represent the many branches in life. (This is also partly because plsyers are transparent humanoid beings that show some of our veins. Also, trees produce oxygen which is a necessity for human survival.) To me, Etherborn is a puzzle game that is trying to make a statement about life.
If I could say one key thing about this game, it
would be that this title needs to be played with a controller. I didn't
not try it on keyboard, but I imagine it would be hell to play in this way.
Now for the hard part. I loathed one part of Etherborn and that is the 'story', especially after I reached the dissatisfying end. See, at the beginning, we get to play a
nameless humanoid figure that has no physically defining features. And Altered Matter makes it a point to keep Etherborn as neutral as possible by providing a character that possesses no voice, name, personality, or anything that would
be construed as biased when looking at its theme. Now, I believe that the whole point of the game is to tackle the question of humanity. So, in a world where we strive to understand our purpose
in life, objects like clothing or sex of the character play no role in that understanding.
However, while the game deliberately shields itself from religious beliefs on life (as an example) or other biases, Etherborn fails to pose
answerable questions. It, instead, asks more basic ones with extremely broad strokes on the topic. This is achieved
through use of a disembodied voice that mentions the beginning of time. It alludes to the ideas with lines like this: "...humans forgot that their footprints
were, after all, no more than what a single raindrop is compared to the
sea." And as I played though the game, I became more intrigued about Etherborn's conclusion. I expected the story to reach some great prophetic conclusion that never came. Therefore, when I reached the end of the game, I felt the
story was shoehorned in with little thought about its theme (A theme that seemed obvious to me). At no point does the game dive into
the philosophical questions and principles that would provide for a
satisfying ending. So, while I enjoyed my playthrough of the game, the story did not add to my experience. It actually detracted from it.
Graphics and UI
Etherborn's graphic style is quite minimalist, which allows players to focus on the challenges of each level. Since we play a character that is undefined in every way, it allows us to marvel at the graphics style and solve puzzles without distractions. And believe me, some of the areas are quite breathtaking (like the one shown below).
As players solve the puzzles in Etherborn, the camera automatically changes based on the surface they stand on. Sometimes this adds to the challenge of the levels, which I believe is intended by the developer, but other times it's just frustrating. Also, there are levels that require a leap of faith in order to obtain an orb. Though, in the instance I am thinking about, the camera doesn't obscure the area.
When it comes to UI, it has none because it simply doesn't require it. There are no hotkey buttons that appear on the screen nor is there any form of compass (Not that that would help because of the way the game is designed. I'm not even sure how that kind of feature would work in a game like Etherborn anyways.) There are options when it comes to language, screen resolution, and subtitle sizes, but otherwise, the player has nothing to worry about. Etherborn is designed to be a mentally stimulating experience, both graphically and auditorally, without requiring any complicated tutorials or explanations. Players receive one tutorial section that covers all of the buttons required to play the game.
Music and Audio
As with any puzzle game I've played, whether it be a puzzle platformer, a codebreaker style of puzzle game, or a murder mystery game, the music is unobtrusive. The same is true for Etherborn. Its soundtrack is quite beautiful and does not impede problem solving.
It was recorded and mixed by Abuelita Studios, located in Barcelona, Spain. They have been in business for a couple of years and offer services related to producing, composing, recording, mixing, mastering, and publishing. For more information about the studio, check out their website.
Etherborn's official soundtrack was composed by Gabriel Garrido Garcia, who is a video game music composer that has created pieces for film, television, video games, and documentaries. Some of the tracks in the game can be heard on YouTube, like the one linked below. Anyways, more information about Gabriel can be found on his website here.
Puzzling Final Thoughts
If I were to surmise Etherborn's purpose in the puzzle game genre, it would be that life is not something that can be bullied; solutions to problems have to be worked through in a logical manner. In the image shown below, there are statues of other humanoids. I took this to mean that people will always observe others' actions. And if I were to draw conclusions about the tree that players traverse to reach other levels, I would say that it represents a connection in life, no matter how disjointed that may be.
There are two minor issues I have about the game itself.
Etherborn is entirely too short. So many other levels could have been added for a more worthwhile price point and;
The hard mode of the game was not nearly as challenging as I expected it to be.
But as I mentioned above, the story is the main gripe I have about Etherborn because it fails to shed any understanding on humanity. It tries to provoke thought without posing the right questions and it tries to do this by explaining humanity from the beginning of time, when we had less understanding of life. In this way, Altered Matter failed to do what they set out to achieve, if any of my assumptions were close to correct. In the end, I found that the imagery in the levels and the lack of information was much more thought provoking than the story presented.
In my opinion, it was ambitious of Altered Matter to develop a
'storybased' puzzle platformer when the focus of the game was clearly its unique puzzle platforming design. And after completing the game, I felt that The Witness was better at showcasing a similar theme (if you found the right ending), where Etherborn tried to tackle it in a much shorter time frame without enough context.
However, despite all of that, Etherborn is well done. The puzzles themselves are quite clever and require players to think outside of the box. Its jumping physics are sometimes mind boggling and at times strange, but every puzzle is easily solved.
Overall, Etherborn is a lovely title that I thoroughly enjoyed, even though the story didn't need to be included. As a result, I give it an 8 out of 10. It has some beautiful music, an interesting puzzle design, and a fantastic minimalist art style. I highly recommend this title if players are looking for a quick puzzle game that will challenge their understanding for a time.
Platform:
PC Developer(s):
Altered Matter Publisher(s):
Altered Matter Genre(s):
Puzzle,
Platform Mode(s):
Single Player Other Platform(s):
Nintendo Switch,
Playstation 4,
Xbox One
PQube (London, UK) - May 22nd, 2019 - PQube and developer Corecell Technology are excited to announce AeternoBlade II, a brand-new action/puzzle platformer for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One! Dynamic and versatile time-bending mechanics give a fresh spin to the fast-paced combat and ingenious puzzles, making AeternoBlade II a game to set your watch for this Autumn!
Harness the AeternoBlade and play as three unique characters, including returning heroine Freyja and newcomers Felix and Bernard. Each equipped with an individual set of skills, they journey across dimensions in a desperate struggle against the destruction of the Dark Abyss. The power of the AeternoBlade must be returned or reality, as they know it, will face total collapse.
Darkness is closing in: defy the Abyss with Freyja and her new allies!
The gameplay of AeternoBlade II is pure poetry that puts puzzle-platforming elements and dynamic combat in perfect sync. Engaging jump'n'run and puzzle passages seamlessly transition into action-packed battles that let you push the game's visually striking combo system to its limits. Combining both components by using launched enemies as mid-air stepstones to access new areas and much more will challenge your creativity in completely new ways this Autumn!
Use the power to control time wisely to solve tricky puzzles!
Corecell Technology Co., ltd is a game company base in Bangkok, Thailand with 17 years experience of making games on all console platforms and mobile with many international game companies world-wide.
About PQube
PQube is a leading publisher, distributor and service provider for the interactive entertainment industry with a global reach through UK, Europe, Middle East, Australia and North and South America from its offices in Letchworth (UK), Bristol (UK), Paris (France), Los Angeles (USA) and Hong Kong. As a licensed publisher with Sony, Microsoft, Valve, Nintendo and Apple, PQube’s software division publishes and distributes video games for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, iOS, Android, PC and has full coverage across all digital download platforms, establishing a track record of success with major franchises including: Gal*Gun, Chaos;Child, Cat Quest, Valkyrie Drive, White Day, Root Letter, BlazBlue, Guilty Gear, Kotodama, MotoGP, Ride, MXGP, Harvest Moon, Senran Kagura and Steins;Gate. PQube’s hardware division designs, manufactures and distributes officially licensed consoles and accessories including the brand-new Atari ‘Retro’ range.
We thank all our partners and acknowledge all game names, brands and trademarks as properties of their respective owners. Visit: www.pqube.co.uk/games
Rydal, GA — April 25th, 2019: David Draper Jr aka Playing with Color, a solo independent developer, is releasing his 3D puzzle platformer One Drop Bot on Steam, Itch.io, Game Jolt, and Kartridge. Harkening back to the difficulty of retro 2D platformers, One Drop Bot attempts to bring that kind of gameplay into a 3D environment. This brings a new kind of difficulty that is sure to satisfy those who are looking for a refreshing challenge.
“I found the simple yet at times frustrating challenge in many old 2D platformers quite satisfying. I also love playing 3D games and working in a 3D environment. One day I was playing one of those old retro games, and I felt inspired to bring a similar experience into 3D”, said David Draper Jr, “One Drop Bot is my attempt to marry these two concepts. To create a 3D challenge like what can be found in many retro games, that was my goal.”
Playing a cute yet somewhat creepy robot, the player travels from one room to the next. Each room has a new challenge in order to keep the game fresh. Each one will test the player’s skill with tricky platforming and tough puzzles.
Collecting health throughout the game is key, because when the player dies, all health collected up to that point is kept. That means that at respawn, all health ever collected respawns as well. The catch, however, is that the player has to start over at the very beginning of the game, similar to a rogue-like.
Special attention was given to the controls of One Drop Bot. Many games have a smoothing factor when moving, but there is very little to no smoothing factors here, making the movement one to one with the input. This gives the player full control. A lot of effort was put into the camera as well, making it as non intrusive to the player as possible.
Playing with Color is all about creating amazing video games and animations. David Draper Jr spends most of his time trying to figure out how to make all aspects of his work better, from art to music to programming. Above all these though, creating something truly fun is his goal.
