Developer: Ed Key and David Kanaga
Publisher: Twisted Tree
Platform: PC, PS3, PS Vita
Price: $9.99 (Steam)
Discovery, exploration, and reflection is the best way I can describe this amazing experience called Proteus. I personally love games where your own emotion carries the gameplay and story. Though this is not really a game but more of an interactive art piece that helps you feel emotions.
Story
You get to create your own story in Proteus. There are no instructions, words, or goals in this experience. The only story in this game is the story you make for yourself when you think of what the meaning behind this artistic world.
Imagine that you were thrown into a video game dream world and given to your own devices to figure out what and why you are here. You can’t explain why certain things are the way they are but you do know you saw it. A story driven by the mystery of your own mind.
Everyone that loves this kind of art will have a different interpretation of what Proteus is and that is what makes it so unique. I can not say too much how Proteus made me personally feel because the feeling you discover should be on your own. What I can say is that anyone that can appreciate art will get something special for at least a brief moment.
Gameplay
The gameplay is very simple with you only given the ability to walk around. All you will do is explore and immerse yourself in this world. I found myself getting lost from the beauty of this world that I had no idea where I was nor did I want to know.
I can’t talk too much about what experiencing this world is like since discovering for yourself is what makes it so magical. Though the world does interact with at you in a way so as you learn more about this world you will get to appreciate its beauty.
This free form of interaction creates a discovering experience that is truly unique. The gameplay experience gives you no explanation on what to do and freedom to explore. When you actually do encounter moments of wonder it is a true experience of revelation.
Graphics
The art style used makes use of colorful pixels in a 3D environment. It matches the simplistic world that they are trying to portray. They use just enough pixels and details where you understand what the different objects throughout this world are.
This is an interactive pixelated piece of artwork. Like a piece of painting that uses pixels that you can literally walk through and immerse yourself in. The developers chose an amazing art style that takes advantage what a changing environment can do to give a truly breath taking experience.
Audio
Just like how the game is about discovery the audio in the game is also about discovery. Interacting with different objects will have them produce different sounds. The background soundtrack will change depending on your location to create your own experience.
By exploring this world you will create your own music. The music matches amazingly well with the different environments that you will explore. How the music adapts to how you choose to explore this world is definitely one of the best features of this game
Downsides
This is a really short game and exploring the world until its “end” won’t take you very long. Depending on how you explore it could end pretty quickly but every time you reenter the world will generate a random new world to explore.
Though these worlds are still similar in many ways but do offer some differences. For many this won’t be enough to have them choose to explore the world for too long. This creates a problem replayability.
If you don’t even like this kind of art than you will find no enjoyment out of this game. That is ok since any piece of art will have difference of opinions. When you are paying to interact with it though you do have look to yourself to see if you will like it.
Proteus will not be for many people since it a very unique experience. Since this experience is not really a game most gamers will understandably be turned off by the lack of structure in this game. The game relies on artistic appreciation of simplistic pixels. Even if you love art that might not be appealing to you but that is fine since all different types of art is not for everyone.
Pros
– Beautiful Artstyle
– Amazing interactive audio effects
– Unique experience
Cons
– Relatively short experience
– Lacks much replayability
– Relies on certain artistic appreciation.
Overall
For a game that gives you a unique and interactive art world to immerse yourself in Proteus performs this amazingly well. For those that are looking for a typical game do not look to this since this is not really a game. It is just a world designed so well for you to explore, discover, and lose yourself in.
9 out of 10