I had the opportunity to play the limited release Demo of this game a few months back, so needless to say my hopes were high. I loved the Demo, and I was really hoping the full game hit it out of the ballpark.
Well, I didn't get it right off the bat because... it's $20. That's the downside. I like to get games on sale. However, I got some early birthday money so I just spent the full amount.
I am not disappointed at all.
So, the biggest complaint from previous reviews is the lack of mapping... Well, your a creature that just escaped from a containment pod. You have no history. You have no knowledge of what's around you... Why would you have a map? The level of immersion comes from the fact that you have to use the creature's instincts and your own memory. (Much like such a creature would have to do...) You have a sonar like ability to show you where your nesting areas are once you've made them. Beyond that it's just trying not to get lost.
The puzzles were perfect, and even though the length was short (about 4.5 to 5 hours total) I still loved every second of it. Honestly, i feel like if the game was longer it would have worn our it's welcome. There are no "boss fights" because you are the biggest baddest guy in town, just loads of increasingly difficult security equipment and scenarios to work your way through. Puzzles that require you to use your abilities to either charge through or slip past unseen.
This game will have you forcibly leaving part of your creature's body behind in a pool so that you can use an ability that is only available in a smaller form, only to come back later to grow again so you can use other abilities.
The sound effects are great, together combined with the controls and scenery this game gives a very raw, abrasive feel to the overly gory pixelated violence.
I loved it. Get it. Be the escaped creature in the lab for once, instead of someone trying to contain it. Pure genius.
