Vessel Review

Score: 4/5
Developed by: Strange Loop Games
Available on: PC

Strange Loop Games' Vessel is a puzzle-platformer which is rife with head-scratching moments. It is the start of a new charming series which escapes the drudgerous churn of brown and grey war-shooters like Modern Warfare 3. Colours are abound and on display in this steampunk imagining of an alternate universe. The enchanting Vessel aims to delight and please.

Vessel achieves that goal tremendously. Here is a darling puzzle piece which will keep you entertained for hours and hours (depending on how quickly you understand some of the incredibly devious puzzles). You take the role of M. Arkwright, an inventor who has created liquid automatons. These automatons, called Fluros, are at the heart of the puzzles. They jump on buttons, flick switches, and even evolve for different uses. The physics involved in the use of these liquid Fluros are impressive and a lot of fun. The fluros appear cute and intriguing; they make for very amusing companions (and enemies).

The diversity of liquids leads to some ingenious puzzles which delight rather than frustrate. Though some of the later puzzles are a tad formidable, you always get the sense that you can figure them out with a little more time. Despite some difficulty in the later levels, the game starts off rather lightly. In much the same vein as Portal, you are eased into the various mechanics and ideas, as the early parts of the game serve to teach you the rule-set for the rest of the adventure. The puzzles in play are excellently designed; They may keep you tied up for a good while, but when you finally solve them the sense of satisfaction is palatable.

The puzzles aren't the first thing you'll notice though. The art design is intricate and stunning. M. Arkwright traipse through the vivid, steampunk scenery with joy. The art is a distinct combination of 2D hand-drawn textures intertwined with 3D structure and lighting. This creates a fascinating, breathing world. With several distinguishable areas, the colours and themes change just before you become bored of them. The fresh change in scenery keeps the pace going throughout; you really feel like a miniature man in a giant world. Little details in the background operate according to your interactions which is a great touch. The music plays a similar role by reacting to your movements, which adds notably to the immersion. The little things in this game are what help it to become a noteworthy experience.

Unfortunately not all is peachy in the world of Vessel. A few niggling issues restrain it from being as elegant as it should be. The animations are a little wonky, particularly during platform sections and when using buttons or switches. It isn't game-breaking but it makes moving around seem a bit odd and cumbersome at times. The only other problem was some inconvenient movement of the camera as it jerked between two sides of the screen interrupting the flow of gameplay. Granted this only happened once or twice but it was fairly jarring.

Vessel is great to pick up and play. It is not a particularly short game, lasting somewhere between 9-10 hours, so if you've been feeling an aperture in your heart since Portal 2, you can't go wrong here. With only cosmetic issues, Vessel is a tonne of ornate fun which will likely remind you of the inherent entertainment in videogames.