Let me start by saying that this game is as fun as it looks. The concept is simplistic, yes, but sometimes a simple core mechanic is all it takes to make a game good. Transpose by developer Secret Location pays homage to the classic puzzle games of the early internet, but this time in VR. Each level involves not only creating and interacting with past selves, but also changing the direction of gravity, making for increasingly difficult puzzles. In the later levels, when gravity changes frequently, it takes a few seconds to understand how the world has translated, but the strangeness of this makes it all the more satisfying piecing it all together in the end. The goal of each level – getting a cube or two into the proper receptacles – seems trivial and intuitive, but along with two strong core mechanics, Transpose provides some of the best VR puzzles I’ve seen.
I have very few complaints about this game on the whole. It does so many things flawlessly: directing the player by spawning “ghost echoes,” narrowing the field of vision during cutscenes to convey that the player’s location is locked, and other things so subtle you wouldn’t even know there was even a choice to be made because they feel so natural. All of the mechanics worked exactly as you would expect, focusing the player’s attention on the actual puzzle-solving aspect of the game rather than trying to get mechanics to work properly. In other words, I was focused on what to do rather than struggling to do it, which is crucial to a puzzle game like this one. I also have to commend the developers for really taking into account how a person would move in VR. Many VR games currently only have a head and hands, and sometimes even a body, but because you need to be able to interpret your past selves from a third person perspective, there was a need for more representation here, and it was done well. The legs, without tracking, are impossible to include, but one really cool feature was that the model of the player had arms attached to it which were (for the most part) where I would expect them to be. Having a scrollbar embedded into my left forearm and a set of bracelets on my right felt somehow more impactful than any other control mechanism I’ve seen in a VR game.
Although the game itself was made extremely well, I did have a few issues. The throwing mechanics, when needed, were extremely generous, but I still wish there was some way to repeat a throw without having to restart from the beginning if the cube falls in the wrong spot. While I applaud most of the controls of the game, the basic movement system took a bit of getting used to. When you pull the trigger, you walk in the direction you’re facing, rather than where the controller is pointed. Because of this, you can’t look around while moving without risking death. I was already stopping plenty often, so this wasn’t usually a problem, but it did sneak up on me occasionally.
On the whole, I think Transpose really nails its aesthetic. The way information is conveyed is extremely clever, and the puzzles themselves are fun and satisfying to solve. Some early puzzles don’t require using all of your available echoes, but as the difficulty ramped up, I found myself repeating my past moves just so I could cut down on iterations. Solving each level gave me a satisfying click (and sometimes even an audible gasp) as everything made sense and became instantly clear. This is exactly what I look for in a puzzle game. No level was too hard that I wanted to quit, but grinding through level after level was certainly a workout for my mind, and I took breaks often. Nonetheless, I would recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of the old in-browser Flash puzzle games or indie puzzle games as a whole. Transpose succeeds at translating this timeless genre into the new medium of virtual reality.
Since this is a puzzle game, I won’t be spoiling any solutions, but here’s a look at some of my definitely-not-how-you’re-supposed-to-do-it attempts:
Final Rating: 8.5/10
+Fun and satisfying puzzles
+Information exposition is clear
+Aesthetic is intriguing
+Novel control design
-Movement is sometimes strange
I played Transpose on PC via Steam using HTC Vive.
HTC Vive Review
I am an aspiring game designer looking to explore the philosophy behind game creation. Some of my favorite games include Overwatch, Super Smash Bros, Portal, and Beat Saber.
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