Etherborn is an intriguing puzzle game. It kinda messes up with the way you are used to play a 3D puzzle game as its main mechanic is playing playing with gravity.
Now unlike other games where you can control gravity directly by pressing a button or something like that, the gravity defying mechanic in Etherborn is baked onto the levels geometry. If you see a curved edge and walk on it, you will get to "stick" to that surface and walk around in that plane. It's weird and kinda hard to explain it in words so check this video down below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7Uc8d0Qxrs
All of the puzzles in the game are built around this playing with gravity. Spread out in the level or map or call it whatever you want, there are these glowing orbs you need to collect and use to progress through the level. And reaching these orbs is easier said than done.
This is mainly because of how immaculately conceived these levels are. You can easily see where the orbs are, but reaching them is a whole another story. You have to think outside the box as you'll have to walk on a plane to jump on a platform to then walk on a curved edge, switch planes drop down on another platform to then walk on another edge to well, switch the plane and reach the orb. Sounds confusing? Well, it kinda is and that's what makes Etherborn unique and why you'll love this game.
World Tree
The presentation is also intriguing. You control this semi-transparent humanoid being running around in this ancient/abandoned ruined giant minimalist world populated by seemingly giant sculptures of humanoid figures. There's also this giant massive tree that you walk around and on that also kinda serves as the hub world. Didn't I say intriguing? Yeah...
The story or narrative in the other hand, I didn't really care all that much and that's mainly because it felt like it went beyond artsy-fartsy. Don't get me wrong, I appreciated the initial "going through a vagina looking door and be born into this decrepit world" but I lost interest shortly after that.
Vagina Door
All in all, I liked Etherborn and it's really easy for me to recommend. The core gameplay mechanic is intriguing, but more importantly the execution is phenomenal. It's one of the most interesting and intriguing puzzle games I've played in the recent years, so yeah you should definitely consider playing it.
Thanks to the awesome PR guys for sending a code and thanks to you for reading this review.
Etherborn is available now on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
