Etherborn

This game looks amazing, the art direction is eyecatching, settings are rather original and puzzles are really trying to be something exciting. So if you are very visual person than you will very much enjoy it, if you are puzzle person than perhaps you may appritiate these attempts at logic. Alas this game is seemingly based upon console core - tightly controled camera and rather janky way of controlling the charakter. Main draw, i assume, is the philosophy which is baseline existencialism and some decent stabs at perception of reality (ref.: Brain in the jar or even shadows on cave wall). Tho these seem slightly underwhelming and over-written. Do not get me wrong, it can sometimes sound profound but none of the concepts are explored in anny depth (granted the playtime is not that long so that might be why). Now on to the clear negatives: The camera, this camera has graduated from mid to late 90s console school of cameras and did catch suvere case of conselatius a disease wherein the creators of the game can not let player controll camera, can not let camera show off the level dessign but HAS to keep moving. This unfortunate sickness dose make controlling the game rather frustrating as your directions do change with the camera angle. I do see few cures for this : static cameras or player choice of camera, you can draw attention to what has happened by other means than shoving it into player face, please try to at very elast mix it up every ocne in a while. The controlls (note this might be more camera related than i assume) they do change directions based upon camera, meaning that most of my jumps tend to go astray in rather unamusing manner, through fault of the ingame systems. This i find rather unapealling given that the game is ment to be platformer (you know precision jumps) and puzzler. In conclusion : weight the price of the game against this: + art (particulary visuals), philosophy, +/- puzzles music - camera controls

Pros: * Good art style * Nice puzzles (not too difficult, but not gimmies either) * Serene background music * NG+ Cons: *Had to fight with the camera to see puzzle elements, which is doubly annoying since the mechanics means important parts are often 'down the cliff' ahead of you and the perspective jumps are more difficult. Would have really benefitted from a free camera (or free camera option) * Unskipable end credits, and no ability to speed them up. * NG+ does not unlock until after the end credits. So if you try to close and reopen, you have to redo the end sequence and credits *again*. Devs: Don't get in the way of me trying to play the game!! Forced credits makes me not want to continue!!

Good game with a bit of lag in the controls (I used the XBox controller). My main gripe is the view, or lack of it. You can't rotate the view to see where you want to go. Other than these 2 minor points, it is a game well worth your time. It took me around 5 hours to play through (a few sessions when I found the time). Graphics are good, design is very cool to look at and try to figure out. I bought my copy off site but thought it was good enough to post a review on GOG. Unless you are a game design critic, just go with the flow..... :)