Swiss Cheese

Sure, there may have been framerate issues on release and there may still be some on the switch, but I'm going from my experience on Ps4, and let me tell you this is definitely one of the greatest experiences I've ever gone through. It has many similarities and inspirations from games like Journey, Abzu, and even Ico. Things like the beautiful art style and the music, (which is composed by the same person as Journey, Austin Wintory, by the way,) really make it feel like an adventure. The isolated world makes those few character interactions really worth something and makes you care even more when something happens. However, despite the similarities to other games, this game still stands tall on its own. It's split into five, technically 5.5 chapters and while I definitely will say that chapter 1 and 2 are just good at best, everything past 3 is masterclass. Especially 3 and 5, I would say those are my favorites. The story is incredibly gripping and while not incredibly cryptic, still holds some mystery throughout as it slowly gets revealed each chapter. The characters that are introduced throughout have no dialogue whatsoever, but even still, manage to be more characterized than a lot of other characters in some other games. Not to spoil too much, but my personal favorite was very tall friend met in chapter 3. As stated before, the world, music, and atmosphere really hold a lot of the game together because if you've played the games previously stated as inspirations, you'll know that this is less of a game and more of an experience with a few puzzles tacked on. But just like those games it does it amazingly and is well worth a playthrough, or two if you're looking to 100% on Ps4. An incredible experience and would definitely recommend, at least on Ps4.

(Slight spoilers so here's a summary. This game is incredible. It's gameplay, art style, and mechanics make this package super-duper worth it. Get it if you enjoy top-down, fast paced, ping-pong action.) Incredible. That's almost all that can be said about this game. This game is literally you playing a robot that's just been programmed to be a ping-pong god. In all seriousness though, this game is actually incredible. It's gameplay is fast and exhilarating, the art style is beautiful and fits perfectly with the world, and a surprising amount of customizability in gameplay. My only gripe is with the story and more specifically in the antagonist. Now this is more subjective, but I feel like the antagonist just didn't get enough development in the story. Now, I'm not saying there should've been a redemption arc, but I feel like there should've been a bit more to what they were saying. In the finale mission, the antagonist begins to say things like, "You don't understand what you're doing," and this made me think about what we were doing in the game. We've been told the entire time that the machine we are trying to turn on would free the people in the village from the storm, but we never get any conclusive evidence in game and with the quote stated before, I really thought there was going to be a twist where the machine was actually containing something bigger and much more dangerous than the other antagonist. Overall, I feel like these are more my subjective issues with the game, and less actual faults in the game's design. In conclusion, this game is really, really good. It's gameplay is fast and exciting, it's art style is lovable, and it has very few flaws to speak of. This game is almost a must have, and is if it's on sale. I'd give it a 8.7/10

(Warning before reading, I'm going into ending spoilers so here's the sum up. I think it's a really good game to pick up if you like puzzle games with an enticing story and decently challenging puzzles. If you're not into that type of gameplay, I wouldn't recommend this unless it goes on sale. If you're still thinking of picking it up, it's about four and a half hours long without much exploration. It's achievements would most likely extend it to about Five hours.) Overall, I think the game is solid. The story is interesting, the story is enticing, and there is no good or bad ending(s), they're both justifiable in the context of the story. A decent game on that front, not to mention the music which is incredible to set the atmosphere. I did have a few issues with the game however. My main issue, however, was the duality in the gameplay. I think that the hotel sections were so much more interesting and compelling than any of the subway/challenge rooms. The challenge sections were sometimes tedious and especially with the last challenge room, very repetitive. One mistake and you had to restart the entire room. The hotel sections were so much better, in my opinion, because they had a mix of styles that worked together. The hotel had a really intriguing atmosphere, especially on the higher floors. They even snuck in a few jumpscares in between to set the player on edge whenever they turned a corner or woke up from the bed. At certain points, namely the 4th floor, the game actually turned into a slight horror game with how the atmosphere played and it was incredible. I feel if the game played more into a horror element with certain aspects, like if it had a basement floor or something like that, it would've been much more compelling overall. In conclusion, I believe that if they were to shorten all the puzzle sections and increase the length of the hotel sections and add a few more horror elements, this game would've been and almost 10/10. At it's state however, it's definitely still a must pick if you like portal style gameplay with a hint of walking simulator between each of them. I'd rate it a 8.7/10