Developer: You Will Get There
Platform: PC
Genre: Adventure
Publisher: You Will Get There
I have been lucky to play a whole host of beautiful indie games this year. Somber is the latest interesting indie game that; is full of intrigue and wonder. Somber isn’t truly an open-world game; it’s an action platformer that is hand-painted, which gives a beautifully unique art style.
The game makes wonderful use of lighting and 2D backgrounds to give a 3D sense to the world. Each level in the map has its own theme and lighting; you go from chamber to chamber, solving puzzles to keys, to unlock other areas in the game. You take the role of this little creature who zips across the landscape; you are a dark cloud with an eye in essence. This puffy cloud is just travelling this dark terrain, trying to help anyone in your path.
The gameplay consists of distinct rooms that are interconnected; in some instances, there are multiple entry/exit points for the rooms. Each room will have its own unique puzzle to solve, power-ups to collect and new mechanics to discover. I loved the puzzles, everything from the simple well thought puzzles to be solved; the game lends itself to this dark, mysterious world where so much is known. As you progress through levels, more of the story and what happens to unfold. The platforming elements scale in difficulty as your progress; and chain what you have learned throughout the game.
The graphics and presentation are wonderful; every sprite and character is stunningly animated. The world meshes the background, enemies and the player in this gloomy dark atmospheric environment that needs to be explored and enjoyed. A wonderful, sombre music score is present throughout, adding to the tension and unease of the world. It’s wonderfully presented, and the sound quality is superb.
The 2D indie platformer puzzle game has really pushed boundaries in terms of game and level design, using layering, lighting, and sound to build a tense but wonderful environment. The game is pure fun, and I was glued to it. Playing on the Steamdeck was a bonus too. Solid gameplay and game design make for a fantastic adventure.
Overall: 8/10
Enjoys more than the odd game, long time gamer, somewhat a technologist and everything else in between.
Also enjoys a good solid game of FIFA online. Currently PS4, XBOX 360 and STEAM.
