A game that seems to be plagued by a curse of AA & some key choices that don't work in their favor. To start, I think the artstyle chosen for this (while it makes sense to fit in with the themes) does not complement the budget or online aspect very well. I think the landscapes look excellent, and it's a neat trick that they seem to all be fully rendered at all points in the game, but the character models are pretty busted & clash with the overall look of the thing. Had they gone for a more minimalist or cartoonish style I think it might have worked better, but the Talos Principle influence rings too strong.
The online aspect leaves me with very mixed feelings. On one hand, for some of the puzzles I was able to learn through natural observation of other players how to get through some of them (the glass maze & some of the ring puzzles) which is a really cool way to do collaborative multiplayer. However, I think the budget of this game again constricts it so that load times are pretty busted, and there's just the slight whiff of jank that stops me from investing a lot of time into it. I wish there was also more accessibility options, as I was able to jerry-rig controller support but this game was obviously not designed for it. I fully intend on coming back to this if it stays up for a decent amount of time, but in some ways it feels like the first attempt at something that could be really well-refined over time.
The online aspect leaves me with very mixed feelings. On one hand, for some of the puzzles I was able to learn through natural observation of other players how to get through some of them (the glass maze & some of the ring puzzles) which is a really cool way to do collaborative multiplayer. However, I think the budget of this game again constricts it so that load times are pretty busted, and there's just the slight whiff of jank that stops me from investing a lot of time into it. I wish there was also more accessibility options, as I was able to jerry-rig controller support but this game was obviously not designed for it. I fully intend on coming back to this if it stays up for a decent amount of time, but in some ways it feels like the first attempt at something that could be really well-refined over time.
You know those Steam reviews where they've played 3000 hours and then give it a thumbs down? I finally understand how they feel. This game is made for me, and I love it a lot, but I also hate it a lot and I absolutely can't recommend it.
The decision to make this an always-online MMO-lite is ruinous. The servers can't cope, and you keep getting lagged out of position, which is a killer when so many puzzles are based on accuracy or dexterity. I had to stop playing for a month when the server just refused to let me in. I'm also certain they've got the min specs wrong - my computer is within the min specs (if not the recommended specs, admittedly), but I had to turn the graphics all the way down, which makes some of the puzzles in the recent Archipelago of Curiosities update impossible because the object I need to target is being automatically culled.
If not for all that, this would be one of the best puzzle games ever made. The variety is fantastic, and the sheer amount of puzzles scattered around make this compulsively playable. The set-piece Enclave levels are cleverly constructed, with a few good gimmicks peppered through them, and the Mysteries (post--game challenges which usually require you to hunt down and solve a previous puzzle with a new set of rules) really make me appreciate that puzzle design is an art. Not all the puzzle types are winners (sorry, Morphic Fractals), but the good ones are really good. Logic Grids, styled after Japanese logic puzzles, are the clear winners, but Pattern Grids and their lateral-thinking solutions are delightful too.
I feel sorry that the publisher closed the dev studio. I don't think any of this was the devs' fault. All this needs is an offline mode, really, and then it can be fully appreciated.
The decision to make this an always-online MMO-lite is ruinous. The servers can't cope, and you keep getting lagged out of position, which is a killer when so many puzzles are based on accuracy or dexterity. I had to stop playing for a month when the server just refused to let me in. I'm also certain they've got the min specs wrong - my computer is within the min specs (if not the recommended specs, admittedly), but I had to turn the graphics all the way down, which makes some of the puzzles in the recent Archipelago of Curiosities update impossible because the object I need to target is being automatically culled.
If not for all that, this would be one of the best puzzle games ever made. The variety is fantastic, and the sheer amount of puzzles scattered around make this compulsively playable. The set-piece Enclave levels are cleverly constructed, with a few good gimmicks peppered through them, and the Mysteries (post--game challenges which usually require you to hunt down and solve a previous puzzle with a new set of rules) really make me appreciate that puzzle design is an art. Not all the puzzle types are winners (sorry, Morphic Fractals), but the good ones are really good. Logic Grids, styled after Japanese logic puzzles, are the clear winners, but Pattern Grids and their lateral-thinking solutions are delightful too.
I feel sorry that the publisher closed the dev studio. I don't think any of this was the devs' fault. All this needs is an offline mode, really, and then it can be fully appreciated.