When I started playing this game, I was on the phone with my father; as a chronic multitasker, I often play while chatting with someone else. Five minutes into it, I told my dad, “I’m going to have to call you back.” The Gardens Between, by The Voxel Agents, is one of those rare gems of true craft and beauty that fully immerse you in a world of experience. The story is simple but intriguing: two friends are taking shelter from the storm in a little wooden tree house when a mysterious bright orb of light appears in the room, and when they grasp it, they are transported to a dreamlike setting of islands and pathways. In order to get back home, they must hop from island to island by solving puzzles. As you progress, you learn more about the characters and receive hints about what the ultimate objective of the game is. Overall, enchanting visuals and stimulating brain teasers make this game one of my new favorites.
First of all, the one thing that makes this game truly unique is its design: everything from the graphics to the music and audio create a beautifully surreal environment that fills you with a sense of wonder and transports you fully into the game. If I could give one recommendation about playing this game, it would be to wear headphones—the music and sound effects are extremely calming and keep you engaged. The various islands you must traverse are similarly strange but entrancing, resembling something out of a daydream or a child’s imagination. Indeed, the longer I played the more I felt like I was in a completely different universe, and the more curious I became. I do not recall being so fascinated by a game’s setting in a long, long time.
Secondly, the puzzles are delightfully clever but not too frustrating or obscure. In order to cross through the island and onto the next one, you must capture bright orbs of light and put them into the correct portal. To do this, you must first locate where the bright orbs are hiding on the island and then capture them in a lantern-like portal carrier so you can carry it to the portal. At first the challenges are easy, and I was worried that I would become very bored very soon. In fact, the only controls you can use are left and right, to go forward and backward—or so I thought, until I realized that the controls actually move you forward and backward in time. As the light orbs start appearing in harder to reach places, time manipulation becomes the essential key to success. Therefore, to succeed in this game you must be able to replay scenes in your mind and think several steps ahead in order to put things in the right place and time the correct sequence of events. Once you realize the full potential of the game, you become enthralled in the endless obstacles and puzzles that make up the game, and it all amazes you.
Put simply, I was completely blown away by the creativity and sheer beauty exhibited by The Gardens Between. To anyone looking for a new game that delights the eye and stimulates creative spirit, this one is for you.
Review: 10/10
Check Out The Gardens Between Launch Trailer:
The Gardens Between is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 (NA, EU), Steam, and Mac App Store.
Steam Review
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Overall Score - 10/1010/10
From the moment I first played Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy on the original Xbox, I have always had an avid curiosity and enthusiasm for video games. I admire their ability to immerse us in completely different worlds, and I am always eager to see how they integrate the newest breakthroughs in digital technology to make virtual reality feel real. I am currently a senior at UC Berkeley, but when I'm not studying I always make time to play Xbox One with my younger brother.
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