After playing and loving Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, I had to check out the game that gave Ustwo Games their flowers, both critically and commercially: Monument Valley.
Originally released on mobile platforms before later being ported over to PC, Monument Valley is a point & click puzzle game directly inspired by the works of MC Escher and minimalist sculptures where you navigate geometrically impossible structures while dodging loud irritating anthropomorphic crows along the way. It uses vantage points and perspective to play tricks with the player's perception of the gamespace, gradually getting you used to the rules of its world, especially with how gravity behaves and where you can and cannot go accordingly.
It's all so incredibly intuitive with countless eureka moments across all of its roughly 22 levels. The minimalism on display in its art style and level design also helps to greatly sell its accessibility and there's scarcely a moment where you feel overwhelmed by what the game is asking you to do - something I truly appreciated.
I mean there's really nothing else to say other than I completely see why many regard Monument Valley among the all-time great puzzle games, as I certainly now do as well. I wouldn't even be opposed if it was ten times its ~2-and-a-half-hour length, though thankfully there's the sequel for that.
10/10
Originally released on mobile platforms before later being ported over to PC, Monument Valley is a point & click puzzle game directly inspired by the works of MC Escher and minimalist sculptures where you navigate geometrically impossible structures while dodging loud irritating anthropomorphic crows along the way. It uses vantage points and perspective to play tricks with the player's perception of the gamespace, gradually getting you used to the rules of its world, especially with how gravity behaves and where you can and cannot go accordingly.
It's all so incredibly intuitive with countless eureka moments across all of its roughly 22 levels. The minimalism on display in its art style and level design also helps to greatly sell its accessibility and there's scarcely a moment where you feel overwhelmed by what the game is asking you to do - something I truly appreciated.
I mean there's really nothing else to say other than I completely see why many regard Monument Valley among the all-time great puzzle games, as I certainly now do as well. I wouldn't even be opposed if it was ten times its ~2-and-a-half-hour length, though thankfully there's the sequel for that.
10/10
Monument Valley, but in cinemascope.
A very beautiful game that tells a cute story but that’s about it. The overall game looks amazing, the art style feels very surreal with the minimalist textures which blend well with the reality-bending puzzles that are present throughout the game. The real disappointment with the game is just how easy the puzzles are. I rarely had to think while playing this game and it felt like most of the puzzles could be solved in a single glance. This makes the overall game feel boring, but it did allow me to focus on the art more. Make sure to buy the game on sale if you decide to play it.