Gorogoa

[Shay Chaise]

This got a number of very high reviews towards the end of last year. It's got 83% on Metacritic on the Switch and I think a 9 from Edge. It's also available on iOS and is probably best in that format.

It's a refined, singular mobile puzzle game. The core mechanic of focusing on and reshaping different elements within frames and independent vignettes is something I've never seen before. Within the first ten minutes, it made me laugh with surprise several times like 'that moment' in The Witness.

A typical puzzle might see one panel with a man asleep next to an extinguished lamp, one panel with a moth at a window. One panel a night sky and another an open doorway. You would put the doorway over the window to open it. Then find a bright star in the night sky, zoom in and put it over the lamp which would turn it on and wake up the man who starts thinking. The moth would fly into the lamp and burst into flame, you put the flame over the man's thought bubble and he finds inspiration for some writing and you'd click on his newest thought bubble to go to the next scene.

Or click this for a sample gif: https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--VBg5bU3Q--/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/ikkewhcjlxgnrovkjob6.gif

I played through the first three chapters very happily the day I got it but then found it became rather obtuse, with too many variables and it seemed overly complicated so I put it down. I tried again the next morning but couldn't remember any of the elements to the panels, or where they'd originally appeared from so I stared at its icon for a couple more weeks before uninstalling. It's typical of my pile of shame in that respect. I eagerly play most open world games right up to the point that the open world is available and then I tune out. See HZD, XC2 and AC:O for recent examples. Whilst this is nothing like those games, my reaction is comparable. Pacing is so important as I get easily bored by almost all games apart from those which wholly consume me.

As part of my attempt to tackle the backlog and get some value out of all the shite I bought last year, I decided to jump back in then, restart the chapter and rely on a guide for the more obtuse moments. Yes, that's lazy and defeats the purpose but I feel this one is more about the spectacle and aesthetic and seeing the playful logic of the devs than the enormous intellectual satisfaction. I'm respecting both my wallet and the devs' efforts in seeing this one through, but also my time. In the end, once I'd got some momentum, I sailed through the second half in about an hour, only using the guide a couple of times when there were too many rotating elements and ticking off the mental flowchart became a chore.

In conclusion, it's a beautifully presented, intelligent puzzle game with a reflective tone and gorgeous ambient music. Thematically, I wasn't entirely sure what it was about besides ageing and youthful discovery and idealism, but it did capture a particular atmosphere which stayed with me and it's been nagging me for a good while. It's great to have finished it and I can imagine going back at some point for a leisurely playthrough now I know the solutions.

In conclusion: I understand the praise and largely agree with it, even if it's not my usual genre. I'd recommend it if you can pick it up for less than a fiver. You'll probably finish it in 3-4 hours.