Altered Matter’s newest puzzle game, ETHERBORN, presents an essence of existentialism unique to its contemporaries—but doesn’t quite hit the mark in actual entertainment value.
From an artistic perspective, ETHERBORN gets a ten out of ten. The polygonal environmental meshes are all the rage right now among the indie genre and this is top notch. Enjoy an array of textures as you travel through this airy world. The variety of surfaces feel everything from creamy, to gelatinous, to smooth—it’s gorgeous! Mainstream titles focus on digitizing the reality of our real world environment, and for which we very much appreciate, but the antithesis of naturalism is why this game stands out as much as it does. Geometric foliage gently rustles with the wind in lovely shades of an autumn palette, walls and pathways shift in muted hues as light passes over. The musical scores accompany the humanistic nature of this game. Peaceful notes blend with hints of sadness as our transparent being traverses these evoking environments. As an interactive art piece, I could enjoy this game all day, close my eyes, and drift into a placid daydream.
But if we are actually looking to play a puzzle game for the puzzle part (crazy, right?), ETHERBORN is not the best choice. So I will admit that part of a puzzle is to…well, puzzle you, but at least you know when you’re done. I found myself wandering through areas, moving orbs around to various orb-welcoming platforms, feeling deja vu was happening all over again. There is something psychologically irksome about this that does not make for a satisfying experience, but rather, an anguishing one. The ambiguity of objective fails intentionality and instead feels like there is supposed to be some sort of tutorial, but it missed the bus on the way to class.
It took me more time than I care to admit to discover the whole gravity component. Puzzles are solved using multiple planes. If you are faster on the uptake than myself, it will become apparent to you that walking across the stretches of rounded pathways will shift your plane. Otherwise, I spent you will spend a shameful amount of time literally falling off the map, scratching your head. So take note. You’re welcome.
As a critical inquiry, the poetic aesthetic of ETHERBORN is absolutely boast-worthy, but as a commercial consumer, I would not play this. If you are a ride or die enthusiast of the genre, try it out—if you know what you’re doing, you should be through the woods in about five hours. For the average gamer who wants to be entertained and maybe even feel stuff, play PODE instead.
Rating: 6/10
Check Out the Etherborn Trailer:
ETHERBORN is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.
PlayStation 4 Review
Kendra grew up in the era where playing Donkey Kong in the dentist's office was a thing. Her creative mind enjoys the imaginative genius that goes into the intricate worlds and enticing narratives that have become the new wave of gaming. Forever a devotee of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro, Kendra has stepped into the next generation of gaming with favorites like God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Spider-Man. She is always looking for the next gaming challenge and utilizes her fancy English degree to articulate her detailed reviews for hungry gamers like you.
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