Scanner Sombre

The Good: - The LIDAR scanning mechanic is great, if a little tedious towards the end. When rooms become larger and more complicated towards the end, scanning becomes a bit of a roadblock. However the creativity in this concept should be applauded. - At the time of writing (April 2020), it costs £1.19 on GOG during a -75% sale. At this price, it's hard to argue with anything that can keep you distracted for an hour or two. The Bad: The game boils down to a paper-thin walking simulator. Very little in the way of horror, a shred of 'plotline' that even manages to trip over itself, leaving only the atmosphere to carry the intrigue. - The music, although good in isolation, is thematically very inconsistent. For a short game, it quickly rattles through Limbo-like bleak noise, Pink-Floyd esque prog rock, and then a weird Hollywood Blockbuster type theme towards the end. It sticks out like a sore thumb. The Ugly: - Number one, this game sneakily sends anonymised data by default. This can be turned off, but is a very bad mark, Introversion! - This game could have been great, and it's a shame to see such a great idea end up disappointing.

Like a dark version of The Unfinished Swan. A novel concept that eventually begins to feel gimmicky, especially in the final stretch when the narrative starts to become more apparent. Would have made an amazing chapter in a larger, more fleshed out game that didn't rely on one mechanic. Overall though, a worthwhile experience for the price.

At 1.5 hours in, my left index finger is tired of holding the trigger. The basic mechanic is a very neat little visual toy that is 100% of the experience. The barest minimal platforming is the only other thing I could describe as gameplay here. Imagine having to hold down a button to keep your flashlight on at all times. There is never a reason NOT to be using the scanner. This feel more like a demo or proof of concept piece that desperately needs to have an actual game attached to it. Only worth buying on sale for the curiousity of it, the minimalist story and presentation are good for what they are.

The game is essentially a LIDAR walking simulator. + Unique LIDAR mechanic + Graphically interesting. = Atmosphere. I didn't feel claustrophobic or really under threat in the cave. It may not have worked for me. - Limited horror elements. Aside from falling into chasms, you can only die from going into the water in an area. At most you get "glitches" but even that only at times. Outside of the water area, you are never personally threatened. There is no "pull" into the world. - The game rarely does anything interesting with the mechanic. Once or twice something happens, but otherwise you are just walking through static environments. - Limited story. Your character narrates in text (text!). It is not very engaging. - Limited sound. Only rarely do you hear strange noises. What should have been: - The statue should have chased you throughout the cave. Or at least, there should have been "living" things in the cave. - Evidence of subterranean life. - The game had a great opportunity by messing with the perception of the player by moving things. Overall, it is a short, weak walking simulator. At best, I recommend it to walking simulator enthusiast. Get it for pennies while on sale, otherwise avoid. I would recommend Perception instead.