Fishing for Metaphors

Mystery-puzzle games are such a treat. I was so hooked and happy that in no time, I completed the game with 100 percent! It’s an easy platinum and the greatest part is that it was a seamless experience. Sometimes I find it distracting when trophies are included in story-driven games. It breaks that cinematic flow experience (I played the digital copy of this game made for the PlayStation 4).

Okay, I lied. It’s not an entirely seamless experience. In terms of obtaining trophies, yes, but progressing the story, no. I got stuck on where to go next. Nothing too difficult though. The flowchart gives you the option to switch between different views (colored marked circles or cinematic thumbnails).

It took me some time to figure out what I was missing, which took me back to my elementary school days when life was just so much simpler and more carefree. The biggest mountain I had to climb back then was solving a math problem. We all know it doesn’t take much to throw off an equation. The little details are the solution—the key to solving problems! This game reminds me of a gigantic math problem to which I hate to admit, I don’t have the correct answer(s)! Speaking of addition, there was a part where I had to find the numerical answer to activate an alien device called the Transporter by decoding “alien numbers”. Each card has a number to it.

I thought the puzzle was not straightforward for the impatient folks. So you might want to look up a walkthrough guide. I can see someone checking off this game for this little minor annoyance. But quite frankly, the story alone is entertaining enough to stand on its own. So, even if you don’t enjoy gameplay, the story is worth diving into. There is enough mystery and suspense for those mystery lovers! On top of that, the characters in the game are likable but not flawless. My favorite character is the kid, Q. Yes, he has a name, but you have to play if you want to kill the curious cat in you. You have to play the game of decision, which doesn’t always yield a pretty outcome.

Overall, I have to give credit to the creators for coming up with such a story that makes perfect sense toward the end. The story’s concept can be quite mind-boggling. Add some scientific theories into this mystery-puzzle game, and you will walk in a circle back to the beginning. I laughed hard a few times, and laughing is always a good sign that a game is good because it’s difficult to balance humor with dark subjects without coming off as offensive. This brings me to the sadistic cutscene scenarios which can sometimes be repetitive as you are switching between three teams: Team C, Team Q, and Team D.

But I didn’t mind it because I am the type who likes to see things from all angles. Well, that is enough math puns for today! Time has run out. This concludes my review for the week!