Review - The Swapperby Matt Taylor
Format reviewed on; PS4 |
Developers; Facepalm Games
Publisher; Curve Studios Formats; PC, PS3, PS4, Vita |
I’ve got a pile of half-finished titles I never wanted to return to when the tedium of controlling them got the better of me. Awkwardly fighting with a controller in hope of blundering through a video game will destroy any good story or beautiful backdrop. I've been a console player for years and my DualShock is more like an extension of my own two hands than a piece of plastic controlling a bunch of pixels. When a game can tap into this, playing becomes as automatic as walking. Independent developer Facepalm Games and Publisher have done just that with The Swapper.
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The Swapper was the indie golden child of 2013. Development began in the lecture halls of the University of Helsinki by students Otto Hantula and Olli Harjola, who used a combination of handmade art and clay sculptures to achieve the beautiful (and creepy) look and feel of the space station Theseus. Picked up by Indie Fund, the investment group behind games such as Dear Esther and Antichamber, the title game was released on Windows PC in May of 2013. The combination of the haunting derelict space station, challenging but rewarding puzzle platforming and mysterious storyline earned it a bunch of awards, nominations and high review scores from the big gaming sites. After spending a year as a Windows title, developer Facepalm Games, with help from publisher Curve Studios, decided to bring the title for Playstation 3, Playstation 4 and Playstation Vita. What they’ve managed is a complete understanding of the control scheme and platform that many other cross platform titles forget, while keeping the original feel of the game.
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As the game opens, you’ve escaped a doomed space ship and crash-landed on a space-station devoid of life. You begin to explore the dark corridors and forgotten rooms you discover a device called “The Swapper”, which allows you to make replications of yourself and switch between them. These replicants follow your every move and becomes the basis of the puzzles throughout the game. As you progress, the harder these are to complete, requiring you to concentrate on your movements and replicant placement.
The reward for the player when completing some of the game's harder puzzles allow you to continue through the station by unlocking barriers and additional rooms. While some of these puzzles are extremely challenging I never felt cheated: they rely on logic and strategy rather than chance and luck. Death may come to my character, but quick load times and well placed quicksaves meant that it was only seconds before I could try the puzzle again. Each trick and tactic helped, teaching you while you discover the true story behind this seemingly empty ship. For those who haven’t played The Swapper, I’ll refrain from talking about the storyline. It’s interesting, well written and left me wondering how the developers had time to think of such an indepth story while crafting the world I was exploring.
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I’ve played The Swapper on three platforms, my MacBook, my Playstation 4 and I’ve played it on a Playstation Vita. The game's original control layout with a keyboard and mouse is serviceable, but doesn't strike me as special. With the Playstation release I feel that The Swapper has finally found a place where it belongs. The original clone to jump into. With the main “swapping” controls mapped to the shoulder buttons and the dual thumbsticks controlling your movement and aiming, I never had to worry that I would accidentally press the wrong button at a critical point in a puzzle. My movements were precise and controlled: this freed my mind and allowed me to concentrate on the onscreen obstacles.
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The Swapper supports cross-buy and cloud saving on PSN. Players can jump between platforms to continue their journey on their nearest Playstation gadget, allowing you to pick up where you last left the game on a Playstation 4, 3 or Vita. Somehow Facepalm and Curve Studios have managed to improve on the original game with the Playstation versions. Curve’s experience has served them well and they seem to respect the player enough to make sure that they got the controls right. I think anyone with a Playstation should own this game.
Game Rating |
5/5 |
For more on The Swapper, I met Olli Harjola in March and spoke about aspects of the game here
Game from Curve Studios
Images - from Publisher
Images - from Publisher
