A zap back in time to the 1960s style of sci-fi horror is what this game is in essence. First person games have become monotonous to say the least. But not for Fabrizio Zagaglia, who is the sole creator of this review’s little adventure.
Let’s take a step-back from the realism of new-gen graphics, and every developer’s strain to make their game feel as much like real-life as possible. In the 60s, they worked with the minimal, and managed to produce something chilling and often spine-tingling. This is the aim of Merge Games and Zagaglia. Another COD game, another free-to-play first person shooter. Yawn. Time for a shake-up. And that shake up is Albedo: Eyes from Outer Space.
You are John T. Longy, dropped unceremoniously into the depths of a research facility, JUPITER, on your nightwatch shift. Adventure/FPS, with a sprinkling of logic puzzles, are dashed into a 1960s sci-fi setting to form a wonderfully geeky, thrilling and unique experience. It’s all very retro, from the art style to the weird and wonderful alien creatures you find yourself face to face with. It has the feel of a classic, and deservedly so.
Interaction with the environment is the crux of the game. Serious interaction. Anything and everything could be the key to progressing to the next room, and tiny details like notes of paperclips could be the one thing you need. They’re not obvious in the scene before your eyes, and you certainly have to hunt for them. In first person, you find yourself utterly immersed in your situation. Solving the puzzles to move onwards are frequently a case of trial-and-error, which is a recipe for guaranteed frustration, but it is all rewarded with that total bliss and satisfaction of finally realising how to open a locked door, or what the password to the lock is.
This frustration is slightly metered by Temporal Dilation Tool (TDT), which offers a glimpse into the solution, in an eery and otherworldly kind of way. It basically warps time to allow you to see a completed puzzle, from which you can deduce how to solve it. Don’t scoff until you play – some of these puzzles seem entirely impossible. This nifty tool takes the edge off the yawning hopelessness of total failure to realise what insignificant detail makes all the difference. You can also light up any interactable objects in a room, which is useful when you’re convinced you’ve fiddled with, thrown and pocketed every item in sight, when actually there’s that little thing that you haven’t spotted in the corner. And is the fundamental tool for your escape. Obviously. Good old John does his best to help you out too, and pipes up with a comment now and then to encourage you to investigate something in particular. Puzzles don’t have any specific order either. An object you found a few rooms before may be needed to solve a later puzzle, in which you may find something which fits into something you were doing a while ago. You can’t afford to miss a thing.
Despite the space genre, Merge doesn’t go down the mechanical/metallic route for the setting which we often see in games and movies set with aliens in mind. The scenery is very organic, as if you’ve fallen into the belly of a large and fairly revolting alien. Light is a heavy element throughout, but is used in soft organic tones which is far more unsettling than anything brighter or harsher. The feeling of softness from the gentle lights along with the total unfamiliarity of your surroundings amount to a whole lot of creep. The artwork is striking and retro, the lab and tools and items seem like they’re torn straight from an old-school graphic novel. It’s almost humorous, amidst a horrifying alien-ridden thrill ride. Merge is all about the mixture of atmospheres and emotions to create something you just don’t know what to make of.
This art-style is unique as far as the games I have played, and the theme has been stuck to rigidly. It is clear that this style is highly important to an understanding of the game itself, and it makes a statement – keep your realism, the 60’s is where it’s at. The soundtrack obviously is in-keeping with this vibe, and it all just really works. It’s totally addictive. The adventures of John Longy as he descends further and further into total weirdness is like an out-of-this-world drug.
Thus far, there are 12 levels to explore, and each is rich and engrossing in detail and things with which to interact. Puzzles and enemies are scattered in generous measure throughout, and in exactly the right proportions not to feel tedious, but to keep you fully engaged. There is no brainless gameplay here. Sorry, COD players. Interaction with objects is seemingless endless, too. Your defences against the aliens can be either a pen, or a gun, whatever you can lay your hands on. This is all in early-access, and is expected to be increased every more in it’s eventual 2015 release. The single developer is also very open to feedback and suggestions, so the game will be directly influenced with its players.
Getting through the levels is tough enough, but there are also hidden rooms and achievements to find on your adventures. These will often be the product of an accident as you fumble with a paperclip in a door, only to find a whole new clue within.
‘EYES’ from Outer Space isn’t an exaggeration, either. There is something up with the enormous eyeballs on these aliens. Often all you see is a mass of eye and goo. Beautiful.
Conclusion
All in all, Albedo: Eyes from Outer Space is like no first-person-shooter/adventure/puzzler game you’ve ever played before. A mash up of 90s shooters and 60s movies, the retro feel is unique, hilarious and immersive. The aliens are terrifying, the puzzles are solid, and the interactions are numerous and realistic. It requires some serious brain-power to connect all the dots that need to be connected, but the game lends certain tools to help in sticky spots. Available now on Steam in early access, this game is 100% worth a shot. I can’t recommend it more! Take a trip down memory lane, no matter your age, for a space-y adventure like no other.
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