I really like puzzle games. Solve riddles, understand the code and become a kind of Sherlock Holmes virtualHe is one of the most addictive things that can happen to me in a video game. Even so, fresh proposals within the genre usually take time to arrive, and often we are left with derivative games that do not end up surprising, but rather they only satiate. This is not the case with Viewfinder, the title that has blown my mind with its premise and execution.
The first time I saw this title was during the 2022 Game Awards. Among so many blockbusters, seeing a smaller game already caught my attention, but its unique premise was what ended up making it add to my wish list At the speed of light. Now that I’ve been able to try it, I’m sure it’s going to be an unparalleled experience.
But what is so special about this little experimental game? Its style and its premise are the bases of its charm, and that is that playing with reality, at least for me, has always been one of those things that I have wanted to do in a video game. 3D spaces that let us be creative with them, like the ones in Superliminal, have great possibilities within them, and Viewfinder knows how to harness this potential.
With no release date set yet, it’s not like Sad Owl Studios’ clever indie has already passed me by, but rather that I was able to enjoy a demo that showed the basics of the title. Using photos of spaces and different angles, you can move the rooms to the world in front of you and create new passages or get the necessary items to progress. Playing with perspective is going to be key in this kind of less arcade and more narrative version of the PSP classic Echochrome.
The overlapping of artistic styles is an effect that I love.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, with which I was already more than happy. The level that I have recorded and attached to the article was the one that made it clear to me that this title is on its way to becoming a genius. Chaining the same mechanics several times, I loved seeing how the locations varied and each one had its rules, however brief they were. This variety is the one that has really caught me and has created the thought of “And what else is the title going to surprise me with?”.
As if all that I have said were not enough, the section that I played presents you with the first blows of the game. Later, you will have more elements at your disposal than just the photos you find along the way. A polaroid that serves to create copies of your environment through photographya photocopier that will help you expand your catwalk repertoire and more elements will become master of a world whose rules are made for you you expatiate in intelligent ways.
Maybe it’s just me geeking out about a nice-looking puzzle game that’s easy on the eyes, but I love knowing that among all the Redfalls, Kill the Justice Leagues, and Babylon’s Falls, there’s room for smaller projects whose ambition runs through the personal, different and original, and not by the scale of everything. Personally, Viewfinder is going on my list of must-play games of 2023.
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