Jump to content

Creature in the Well Review


Recommended Posts

636601445_CreatureintheWelllogo.thumb.png.ddec0cc2d213f1a371925ccada46f4ea.pngBetween last year's Yoku's Island Express and this year's Creature in the Well, I don't know what it is that's making game developers think up new twists on the pinball formula, but I can say that I am all for it. Creature in the Well, from developer Flight School, combines pinball mechanics with hack 'n' slash dungeon exploration, resulting in easily one of the most unique games of the year. Most surprising of all is how well these gameplay elements merge into one cohesive whole.
 
As the game begins, you find yourself in a desolate desert environment, a lone robot from some seemingly forgotten civilization. Upon stumbling your way into a derelict factory, you meet the titular creature, who then attempts to stop you from repairing and restarting the machinery within. Creature in the Well does a fantastic job of building ambiance with only a minimal amount of backstory and dialogue. There are only a couple of other characters you meet during the game, but they're enough to give you an idea of the world that this game takes place in, and the creature's role therein. It might have been nice to have even more fleshed out storytelling to make the game's world as robust as possible, but as is there's enough to keep you engaged and intrigued about the factory, the creature, and your job as a solitary robot.
 
Creature_in_the_Well_room.thumb.png.5e20b99ac257cebbe9d4dee98c3f540b.png
 
Creature in the Well's gameplay could best be described as a dungeon exploration game where you use pinball mechanics to progress. In order to move deeper through the dungeon, you need to charge the machinery with energy orbs, then use that energy to unlock doors. Energy orbs can be found in each room (or, occasionally, they're shot at you from turret guns) and you need to swipe them with a weapon to charge them up and send them hurtling toward machines around the room that look suspiciously like pinball bumpers. Although you're armed with a sword—or a rusty pipe, at the beginning of the game—swinging your weapon is useless unless you're bouncing an energy orb around. Sometimes the challenge is in aiming your shot perfectly, sometimes there are hazards that can damage you scattered around the room, but ultimately the goal is always to amass as much energy as possible by activating all of the machines in the room.
 
It's a little hard to explain in text but when you have the controller in hand the gameplay of Creature in the Well is actually beautifully simple and intuitive. Bouncing energy orbs around the room has a tennis-like quality to it, and charging an orb freezes the orb in front of you, giving you ample time to carefully line up your shot. Dungeon rooms are quite distinctly separated, so each room acts as its own little puzzle, which helps the game from getting too overwhelming—by the end of the game the numerous hazards, switches, and bouncing energy orbs can feel overwhelming, so it's a good thing that the game keeps these challenges fairly manageable. And it's incredibly satisfying to deftly knock back each energy orb while dodging hazards, all while the creature's frustration with you grows and grows.
 
Creature_in_the_Well_creature.gif.7987fa9de466516092b4dd0417a1e358.gif
 
Although the game doesn't last too long, there's a decent number of challenges thrown at you to keep things interesting. The gameplay formula has a bit of a risk of feeling one note after a while, but when the hazards are piling on top of you the action never seems to waver, plus the satisfaction of clearing one room after another keeps the gameplay engaging. There are also hidden paths that can yield valuable rewards, namely different weapons that can augment your abilities slightly, allowing you to approach rooms with a fresh strategy. It's still a bit of a shame that the game is over so quickly—only about five hours will see you comfortably through the entire adventure—but it's only a problem because the game is so casually addictive that it's easy to rush through the whole thing in just a couple of play sessions.
 
Visually, Creature in the Well features a truly striking use of color and geometric shapes. It makes sense that a vast facility might be lacking in elaborate layouts, so the game makes up for repetitive room designs with vibrant color palettes for each region that gives the facility a sleek, simple, gorgeous sense of style. The atmosphere that this creates is enthralling—especially due to the somewhat hypnotic ambient soundtrack that isn't too flashy but gives you just the right mood for puzzle-solving and exploration. Just like with regard to the storytelling, there's just enough detail to keep you interested in this unique environment, but enough gaps to let your imagination run wild with the other possibilities at hand.
 
998662864_CreatureintheWellDanielle.thumb.png.06f8a6361946228c0def2f469562f2fc.png
 
Creature in the Well takes disparate gameplay elements and makes them work together beautifully. The pinball-inspired dungeon exploration ends up feeling totally natural, and buoyed by the sense of accomplishment you enjoy upon clearing one room after another as you delve further and further into the game's dungeons. Combined with the stylish graphics and intriguing setting, it's easy to dive deep into Creature in the Well's unique, addictive adventure.
 
Rating: 8 out of 10 Creatures
 
Review copy provided by publisher
 
Creature in the Well will be available on the Switch eShop on September 6th for $14.99. It is available to pre-order for a 10% discount.
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...