I'm here with the Superliminal review. Although the puzzle game genre has lost its momentum in recent years, we have seen that this genre can appeal to large audiences when done well, especially after Valve's innovative game Portal swept the market. With its innovative style, Portal set an example for many productions and paved the way for new puzzle games. Superliminal is also a production that follows in the footsteps of Portal's phenomenon, and of The Stanley Parable, which was published in 2013 by the developer Galactic Cafe, which became a phenomenon in a short time, especially in terms of storytelling. The gameplay mechanics of Superliminal, on the other hand, feel original and creative, not imitation.
The puzzle structure of Superliminal, which has long been on the radar of players following the creative projects of independent developers, is based on perspective and perspective. In the production, which was developed with a very low budget, you start the game without any cutscenes or storytelling. Like its derivatives, we open our eyes in a room in Superliminal and look for ways to get out of this room. All we can do is grab things and turn them left and right and jump. But in order to do more, we need to change our perspective on things. In other words, we need to change our point of view and be able to look at objects, doors, even the exit signs above the doors from different angles and see these objects in a tangible state. Or we need to distance ourselves from the objects we hold and enlarge them, or bring them closer and make them smaller. In other words, when we change our distance from the object, the actual size of the object also changes.
Pluses
+ Creative puzzles
+ Amazing mechanics
+ Good use of optical illusion
Cons
- Uninteresting story
- Some boring section designs
For example, when we take a nearby cheese slice and bring it to a distant point, we can enlarge this cheese slice. We can use this huge cheese slice as a platform to reach a door at a height that we cannot reach. This is the general gameplay mechanic of Superliminal. However, although it may seem simple, when perspective is involved, this simple mechanic is combined with puzzles that push the limits of creativity, and sometimes you cannot reach the solution for minutes. When you find the right perspective in the game, some objects become available. In fact, you can even use the Moon, where you watch its magical scenery, as a giant magnet.
You are quite surprised when you realize that a brick wall is actually an inverted door and the only way out is to grab this door and turn it over. So what you're looking at can be used in a very different way than it actually looks. This creative style of Superliminal has also increased the variety of puzzles. Although the game offers a certain immersion with its increasingly difficult and diversified level design, the fact that the storytelling is far from interesting made Superliminal one-sided and a bit boring. Yes, puzzles are creative, especially the use of perspective, point of view, and the fact that objects can be used in very different ways than they actually are, from time to time surprises and gives a certain pleasure.
However, without storytelling, your desire to continue the game is greatly reduced. Superliminal doesn't have such eye-catching graphics. However, in the production that focuses on optical illusions, some section designs offer a visual feast. However, this situation does not spread throughout the game. While some section designs are very pleasing to the eye, in some sections you can only watch empty walls. However, I can say that the game uses this optical illusion mechanic quite well.
Puzzles, which are based on the fact that objects and places can look very different from what we think, make you feel like you are in a dream. While this dream is sometimes quite entertaining, sometimes it can turn into a very boring nightmare. Superliminal is a production that those who like puzzle games can try. If the original and creative gameplay mechanics were combined with a more mysterious and telling story, we could have a much better game. However, the story that does not make you want to follow it, the dull space designs make the game far from being fun after a while. Still, puzzle enthusiasts looking for a different experience can give Superliminal a shot.