At least since the release of the impeccable Return of the Obra Dinn, logical deduction games are appearing more and more in the puzzle game landscape. Chants of Sennaar continues that trend with aplomb.
Pros:
+ beautiful and distinct visuals in the style of Mobius comics
+ music and sound design always fit the given situation
+ outside and indoor areas follow a clear and distinct architecture
+ translation puzzles are one of a kind in the genre
+ the different languages all work and look distinct from each other
+ main translation interface is quick and easy to navigate
+ translation validation system is directly lifted from Obra Dinn
+ optional puzzles serve as skill checks for later levels
+ technical performance and load times are impeccable on Switch
+ you can pet the cats
Cons:
- the story is too vague for my taste
- manual input of words can get a bit tedious over time
- except for the final stage, words are always taught in similar ways
- stealth section interface is a bit cumbersome
- walking speed could be a bit higher
- even the perfect ending feels far too abrupt
Playtime: 12 hours, perfect ending included.
Magic Moment: Finding the first teleporter and understanding the size of the tower. Differentiating between languages from word order and syntax alone for the first time.
Verdict:
Chants of Sennaar is remarkable in more ways than one. Not only did the creative team at XXX manage to invent a unique kind of translation puzzle gameplay, they also opted to present it in the bright and colorful art style of a Mobius comic, thereby creating an immersive combination of form and function. Even though the general gameplay loop stays the same in each stage, understanding the relations of different terms and their meanings between different inhabitants of the tower stays engaging throughout the short but perfectly tailored runtime. Only the lack of a clearly comprehensible narrative feels like a missed oppurtunity, but I'm sure someone on Youtube will be happy do divulge it further.
If you liked Obra Dinn or feel yourself drawn to the look and feel of Chants of Sennaar, this is a must play.
Pros:
+ beautiful and distinct visuals in the style of Mobius comics
+ music and sound design always fit the given situation
+ outside and indoor areas follow a clear and distinct architecture
+ translation puzzles are one of a kind in the genre
+ the different languages all work and look distinct from each other
+ main translation interface is quick and easy to navigate
+ translation validation system is directly lifted from Obra Dinn
+ optional puzzles serve as skill checks for later levels
+ technical performance and load times are impeccable on Switch
+ you can pet the cats
Cons:
- the story is too vague for my taste
- manual input of words can get a bit tedious over time
- except for the final stage, words are always taught in similar ways
- stealth section interface is a bit cumbersome
- walking speed could be a bit higher
- even the perfect ending feels far too abrupt
Playtime: 12 hours, perfect ending included.
Magic Moment: Finding the first teleporter and understanding the size of the tower. Differentiating between languages from word order and syntax alone for the first time.
Verdict:
Chants of Sennaar is remarkable in more ways than one. Not only did the creative team at XXX manage to invent a unique kind of translation puzzle gameplay, they also opted to present it in the bright and colorful art style of a Mobius comic, thereby creating an immersive combination of form and function. Even though the general gameplay loop stays the same in each stage, understanding the relations of different terms and their meanings between different inhabitants of the tower stays engaging throughout the short but perfectly tailored runtime. Only the lack of a clearly comprehensible narrative feels like a missed oppurtunity, but I'm sure someone on Youtube will be happy do divulge it further.
If you liked Obra Dinn or feel yourself drawn to the look and feel of Chants of Sennaar, this is a must play.