Viewfinder (First Impressions)
Developer: Sad Owl Studios
Publisher: Thunderful Publishing
Released: July 18th, 2023
Price: $25 USD
It's not often that we come across works of art in the Puzzle genre of video games that are on par with, if not better than, Portal 2 or The Talos Principle.
Some puzzle games are too difficult and not particularly enjoyable, unless you enjoy challenging your mind, whilst others are simply uninteresting since they do not challenge you sufficiently. Very few have an equal balance of both that will entertain but not exhaust you giving you a much more refreshing experience.
This is especially true if the game delivers new and stunning methods to dazzle you with puzzle mechanisms and a unique universe of exploration and secrets.
Story
A simulated world
You've come here on a mission to discover something within this realm. You're not sure what it is, but you'll figure it out once you see it.
A wonderful addition
Consider the story of Portal and the main character, as well as all the good and evil things they encounter along their path to Glados. This creates an immersive universe, which adds intrigue and a motivation to continue undertaking content and puzzles even if they become monotonous for the sake of knowing why you are here, who these people are, and why they matter.
It also offers a sense of companionship to the player, especially when positive reinforcement is used for completing some of the more difficult problems that may have taken some time to complete, or for your speedy solution solving.
There are numerous recordings scattered throughout the levels that give you snippets of the underlying characters involved in this virtual universe. You are not required to interact with them and may choose to ignore them if you so like.
Presentation
Innovative and relaxing
The utilization of music accompanied by bright and alternating gradients with photos, images, and other such approaches to develop and traverse the virtual world around you is wonderful. It makes you pause for a moment to admire the developer's coding and how difficult it must have been to get it to work the way that it does. It's simple on the surface but shows a lot of depth to it in many ways.
Gameplay
Somewhat Non-Linear
When it comes to puzzles, the solution is often the same no matter what you do.
Completing one task unlocks another, but usually in a specific order, such as snapping a picture of a bridge and using it to connect the gap of a ledge to travel to the other platforms. However, you may not need to use the bridge directly.
You might find alternative solutions to the problem that would eventually bring you to the teleporter, even if it is only a slight deviation from the optimal solution, I like that about the game. It allows for a little bit of freedom even if just barely.
Rewinds
A rewind feature is available, which is a fantastic addition. It reduces errors and allows you to effortlessly glide through some of the puzzles without having a feature that leads you to fail the entire task and return to the level's beginning.
Conclusion
I've taken a liking to this game
When it comes to puzzle solving and exploring, the first few hours have been incredibly refreshing. With my prior experience with recent games of the same type, I didn't expect much, but this is a true gem if ever there was one.
I intend to finish it and get to the bottom of the story, as well as see how much more difficult and insane the puzzles become, but thus far I have not become exhausted or stumped by most of them for an extended period of time.
Many have been quite remarkable in terms of design and mechanics, which I want to see a lot more of in the game's later stages and, preferably, in other games in the future hopefully paving way for better puzzle games to come!
My initial thoughts on this game come to a close with the caveat that, while others may disagree, that is what makes gamers unique. You don't have to share their interests or agree with them and are welcome to critic me on mine.
If you want to catch me on one of my streams or locate me on social media, you may do so at the following locations, I'm always playing something new.
- Pawkt
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