In isolated pockets, however, it's simply out of place. Had this been a regular occurrence, it might have worked as a comment on the strange and unpredictable ways that human beings react to trauma and tragedy. There are moments of dark humour, which are perfectly appropriate, but there are also a few examples of optional dialogue where the aim seems to be a more lighthearted laugh. I’ve avoided spoilers, but it's worth noting that Strangeland explores death, grief, and regret, as well as self-harm and suicide, and in quite explicit terms. Should you get stuck there's at least an in-game hint system via a payphone, where in typically odd fashion you receive hints from a hateful, angry version of yourself. Through a combination of skill and luck, it didn’t take me too long to get past, but it's a good example of how the puzzles lack the imagination of the worldbuilding. To recover it, the robot and his companion, Crispin, must leave behind. The most infuriating challenge in the game is one of those tiresome tile puzzles (or, here, a board of lights) where pressing one activates or deactivates those around it, until the board is complete. Set in a post-apocalyptic world strewn with cast-off pieces of machinery, Primordia tells the story of Horatio Nullbuilt, who finds his peaceful existence threatened when a rogue robot steals his power corethe sole source of energy fueling his ship and keeping him alive. A carnival shooting gallery is simply a matter of clicking targets with your mouse, and in a world where I can talk to birds, a furnace, and a disembodied head, it's slightly disappointing to find myself making a grappling hook. (Image credit: Wormwood Studios/Wadjet Eye Games)įor a game that boldly carves out its own path in terms of subject matter and atmosphere, the puzzle design overall is rather disappointing. This is sometimes the greatest challenge that a puzzle presents, as most of them are otherwise pretty simple. The darkness means it can be hard to discern fine detail, though, which means that objects you can pick up or interact with are easy to miss. Anything that isn't run down or twisted is strangely organic the environments are flavoured with a hint of HR Giger. It's the 'game' bit where the experience wobbles. The atmosphere and storytelling are excellent. Never embarrassingly blunt nor pretentiously opaque, Strangeland balances its weirdness impressively well through its 4-5 hour runtime. But in this world that makes perfect sense. Characters that you try to speak with usually send the conversation into a dead end, refusing to give a straight answer. The dark heart of Strangeland, both for better and for worse, is a determination to stay true to its artistic vision. (Image credit: Wormwood Studios/Wadjet Eye Games) People are strange
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