Viewing entries tagged
ambient
Occasionally a game comes along that manages to subvert our expectations of what we think a game can be. I, of course, love this kind of creative diversion from the norm, even though it doesn't always pay off. Then again, it's only when a developer makes a strong artistic choice, that they enter the realm of opportunity that may provide room for creativity to truly grow until it becomes something special.
When Steam introduced the 'no questions asked' refund system, I saw a lot of people predicting the apocalypse of the indie game. There were heated debates over whether or not gamers would simply play a small game, then refund it because they could. It seemed like anyone making short little games was about to be ripped off royally, making any such endeavour pointless.
One of the coolest things about any form of art, is that it often defies any rational justification for why we like it. Sure we can point to likely culprits, such as quality and detail, but sometimes something hits you harder than expected. I often think that these odd connections with creativity are all the more powerful, as they defy logic and rationale.
An exercise in simplicity and elegance, Zen Bound 2 is a beautifully realised puzzle game. It's attention to detail and minimalist mechanics serve to keep this sequel evergreen as technology grows. It goes to show that if you do something right, you rarely need to change it later.
