This is absolute poetry. Beautifully written and powerfully atmospheric. I could feel just how much grief went into the creation of this deeply-personal game. I can't imagine many would make it through without feeling a strong resonance with at least a scene or two.
I love how unflinchingly bizarre the world of Strangeland is. Many scenes reminded me in the best way possible of the less-gratuitous (in terms of shock-value, at the least) David Firth animations, albeit far more heady; particularly the cicada and teratoma interactions. Every corner of Strangeland is dripping with Giger and Poe and various mythological and biblical allusions. These references thankfully serve to strengthen the unique narrative of Strangeland -- it never feels like a hollow vessel for previous works. In fact, there's a great comment or two in the game about leaning heavily on quotation.
The puzzles and interactive gameplay elements serve their purpose well in creating a connection to the narrative. I never felt too stuck or frustrated, and a simple call to the operator could point me in the right direction if I'd overlooked a cue.
I'm not particularly keen on replaying this one any time too soon, however. It was just a lot to take in! I finished Primordia earlier this week, and will almost certainly return to it sooner than this, despite the excellent evolution in design. All of that being said, I'm very happy to have had the experience and give Strangeland my highest recommendation.
I love how unflinchingly bizarre the world of Strangeland is. Many scenes reminded me in the best way possible of the less-gratuitous (in terms of shock-value, at the least) David Firth animations, albeit far more heady; particularly the cicada and teratoma interactions. Every corner of Strangeland is dripping with Giger and Poe and various mythological and biblical allusions. These references thankfully serve to strengthen the unique narrative of Strangeland -- it never feels like a hollow vessel for previous works. In fact, there's a great comment or two in the game about leaning heavily on quotation.
The puzzles and interactive gameplay elements serve their purpose well in creating a connection to the narrative. I never felt too stuck or frustrated, and a simple call to the operator could point me in the right direction if I'd overlooked a cue.
I'm not particularly keen on replaying this one any time too soon, however. It was just a lot to take in! I finished Primordia earlier this week, and will almost certainly return to it sooner than this, despite the excellent evolution in design. All of that being said, I'm very happy to have had the experience and give Strangeland my highest recommendation.