PC download (traumagame.com), Krystian Majewski, out now
More an experimental piece of interactive storytelling than a game, Trauma involves a young woman who wakes up in hospital having survived a car crash that killed both her parents. The player assumes the role of a psychologist, exploring four separate dreams constructed from real-world photographs mixed with strange, mildly hallucinatory images.
Clicking on certain areas of each photo shifts the perspective, while drawing symbols learned from collectable Polaroids allows the player to examine or manipulate objects. The imagery is often striking: a building bends and collapses as if made of thin rubber; a wall is sucked into an imaginary plughole; a blurry figure suddenly shatters into tiny fragments.
The few puzzles are straightforward; indeed, the biggest riddle is to figure out what it all means. The central theme of grief is pervasive, but it's hard to connect emotionally when it's presented so obliquely, particularly given the flat performances from the two leads and the brevity of the experience. Still, Trauma is a thought-provoking work that marks Polish developer Krystian Majewski as one to watch.
--
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/aug/21/trauma-game-review-krystian-majewski
~
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment