Pattern

[h3]Not Eidolon[/h3] A procedurally generated world, a bit of a monologue and a bit of almost "interact-ability", and not much more. I'm not selling it am I? Pattern is quite pretty, but it's very low detail and has no further actual gameplay aside from climbing the random ladders and towers. Sound track is very well done, it moves the soundscape continuously and feels almost alive. But immersion is spoiled by the way your camera viewpoint is really low to the ground. A mixed bag, but in the finale it's probably best as a meditation and calm breathing app. Maybe get it on a sale? Or better yet, try one of these games https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41773079-EmpathyGames/list/90741/

There's a lot more to this game than meets the eye (both in terms of story and imagery).

[h3]Conceptually Interesting. But Way Too Expensive.[/h3] [b]General Review:[/b] The procedurally generated worlds are interesting. But often there's objects clipping into objects and the movement is weird. If this game was five dollars that might be reasonable, but as is, full price, I can't recommend it. [b]The Walking Sim:[/b] 4/10 - There are some neat mechanics where you can climb anything and jump pretty far, but the movement is too smooth and there is no sound for any of it. It's disconcerting mostly. Kind of feels like you're just drifting around. [b]The Mechanics:[/b] 3/10 - You go from campfire to campfire sleeping. I think you're supposed to explore more but there is just a lot of objects in varying locations so there isn't much to look at. Got boring really quickly. [b]The Story:[/b] 1/10 - In the 'about this game' section they say "A journal like story about the process of creating art discovered through play." What story? I would very much like to know what story they mean. There didn't seem to be one at all. [b]Graphics/Visual Design:[/b] 2/10 - A lot of 3D objects with limited colour palettes. It was interesting for about ten minutes, and then the following …

I've played a couple of Ice Waters games before and so far they seem to make concepts. There's not anything resembling a fleshed out idea here. There are apparently blue orbs you interact with to obtain the narrative, but I didn't see any of them. The first few objects I tried to interact with offered nothing so I then made the assumption that it was just a visual experience and stopped looking for interactable objects or terrain. The music is nice, but the environments don't really present a reason to explore them. They feel like a collection of randomly assembled assets. £11.39 full price for this is genuinely hilarious (I think I obtained it in a bundle at some point). I've gotten about 15 minutes of 'gameplay' out of it and there's nothing to bring back for more. It's a game seemingly trying to do what Proteus did but it's failed to realise there's not really anything to expand on in a one note genre.

I love wordless experiences. From Scorn to The Witness. When this game is wordless, it is a profound experience, close to EVERYTHING in its quiet grandeur. When this game has words it's...hit or miss. At times too specific and at times too vague, the written words in the game are interesting and not unwelcome, but I could take them or leave them, in the nicest way possible? It's hard to express myself about this game. I recommend it completely. Michael Bell's score is a massive reason this game succeeds at what it does.

I remembered giving this game a try a few years ago. I liked it, but it just wasn't for me. Recently picked it back up and I'm very glad I did. The main reason I like it is because of how open-ended it is. I enjoy games without a set goal where I can roam around, explore, and yeah even take pictures. This is the kind of game where I can just put on some music and relax while playing (although I also enjoy the in-game tunes) The colors are rich and vibrant, and make me feel like I'm in a surreal dreamscape. If you're in the mood to play something that emphasizes wandering and exploration with minimal instructions, definitely check this game out!