Sym

EN impressions: v. 1-sym is a small minimalist platform game all in black white. It is endowed with a unique and typical artistic direction. It offers more than 40 levels, an SDK and a workshop support. Inside you play as a character who can travel in the light or go from "the other side of the mirror" to travel in the shadows, just beneath the surface of the terrain. The shadow therefore reverses your point of view but it does not affect the course or the gravity. This allows by successively passing from the shadow to the light to carve its way through a level to reach the output alive. As you might have guessed, there is no PV, no checkpoint, you are either dead or alive, your level is either successful or failed. SYM offers 2 main features. The construction of the levels, it is always very close to a large square, you do not mount again and again to achieve security. Nor is it a side-scrolling adventure made from a long flight to the right. In the field, most of the time, you will not see where the outcome is, you have to explore. In the same way and in spite of clues, it is rare that a clear and explicit path is offered to you. You're going to have to tatate, go see and adapt. Quite often you will make a leap convinced that the output is there, to some pixels of you but will finally fall into the void. Often you will see the exit, next to the starting point, "go left, right" you have to embark in one direction hoping that it leads to a detour leading to the exit. It's fun, less frustrating than it looks. Sometimes there are even several paths to finish a level. But their construction is not procedural, so by force of test/error the experiment weakens. SYM always aggregates its traps, mobile danger and switch cards to trigger a temporary change of level (apparitionof a new lane for a short duration, bridges that crumble behind you, etc.) The general difficulty is average and if the last levels are tough on the end and the learning curve sometimes very steep one is not in a "hardcore" experience. The second specificity is the original universe where the adventure takes place, it is very dark, very racy. It is disturbing but disturbing above all. As your progress progresses, short sentences are chained and run on the walls. Phrases that mock you, guide you or come to disturb you as they are enigmatic. The effect works well but it could go further artistically. I would have liked stronger, more trenching sensations. Likewise, between timing management and your progression, it is not necessarily obvious to dwell on each sentence. SYM is a good plateform but I find it too shy, too untold but even like that, it's a title that marks. [In the same niche, you could, in my opinion, first experiment with closure (black and white and complex Enigma) or Visilibty (illuminated a complex path with a small number of lightings to place oneself.] Feel free to react, whether for a question or to report an error--Smithfield add me, if...! Critics: the rules