It is a puzzler, but it presents some really new and interesting mechanics that really don't even have a close comparison to draw from. Superliminal is unlike any other game out there at the moment. The story is secondary here though, and while it is a nice touch, the big draw here is the gameplay. It is perfectly fine though and serves as a nice enough way to connect all the various puzzles. It sort of feels like they were deliberately going for that Portal sort of vibe, but it doesn't quite capture that same charm that made the latter so iconic. The dialogue is that nice mix of creepy and funny that is reminiscent of Portal, and while the story is definitely minimal, what is here is enjoyable enough. Things start out nice enough, but after a couple wrong turns in dreamland the helpful therapists become less helpful and more panicky when they aren't entirely sure how to get you out anymore. Instead, there are friendly, melodious voices of the therapists in charge here. This sounds like the set up to three or four different horror games in recent memory, but there isn't anything too spooky lurking behind the curtains here. The nameless, faceless protagonist seems to be having some issues with something, and is undergoing some pretty intense dream therapy. If you like puzzle games, this should be on your list.Superliminal is a game about dreams. The puzzles sit nicely in the middle ground between too easy and being obtuse. It’s not an absolute standout, but is a pleasant experience. Overall, Superliminal is a clever puzzle game that is a tight two-hour experience. Playing in the daytime helped alleviate the problem and it was only for the middle section of the game, but fair warning if you’ve experienced this in similar games before. While The Witness became entirely unplayable for me, this was subtle enough that I didn’t notice it at first. Both share colorful settings with fast-moving disembodied characters. The only other time that’s happened to me was with The Witness, another first-person puzzle game. One downside worth mentioning is that the game made me slightly nauseous. Instead, some cool visuals (with quality techno-music backing) take the forefront, playing more tricks with perception. The puzzle-solving becomes mostly secondary. The final section of Superliminal leads into an impressive climax. What starts as mind-bending stuff turns downright trippy by the end of the game. The premise is that you are stuck in your dreams, which is why all these strange things are happening around you. It adds a bit more to the experience, but isn’t the star of the show. The occasional narration is tongue-in-cheek and is reminiscent of the likes of Portal and Stanley Parable. Outside of the puzzles, Superliminal has a good sense of humor that supplements the gameplay. Visual illusion tricks are the heart of Superliminal. It’s something that looks like and behaves like a cube, but that’s just a visual illusion on a two-dimensional screen. You see a cube, but it’s not really a cube. The game plays with the illusion that game design is all about. That said, get used to seeing narrow hallways. A section will show off a new version of a puzzle, riff on it a few times and move on. There’s just enough variation for the solutions to feel clever throughout. Ultimately, Superliminal does a good job of keeping the puzzles fresh. The length may be viewed as a detriment in terms of value, but the finished product is tight and it rarely feels like there is any padding. Superliminal will probably take a couple hours to finish depending on how stumped (or not) you get by certain puzzles. Pillow Castle’s solution to that is in the game’s length. How many different variations can there be for what, at first, appears to be just one game mechanic? Initially, I questioned the game’s ability to switch it up over the course of a full game. Being able to aim, move and click with a mouse as opposed to two joysticks probably alleviates the precision problem. Now it’s out on consoles (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch). We reviewed it then (Antal Bokor liked it a bit more than I did). Sometimes, though, you see what the puzzle requires you to do and struggle to execute it correctly due to difficulty getting precision from the controls. That seemed to be just the right amount of challenge. Puzzle solutions may seem simple at first, but often require an extra level of thought.
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