Vessel is an interesting puzzle game by developers Strange Loop games. The game centres around a character M. Arkwright, the creator of liquid creatures called Fluros which are supposed to help run factories instead of people. These fluros however have run wild causing havoc and it’s up to you to restore order. As you travel through the world of vessel, your aim is to solve puzzles to open up dorways and use the fluros to your advantage to progress.
The player has the ability to create fluros which they must use to unlock doors and flick switches to open up walkways and passages from one level to the next. As you travel through you must fix machinery and do various things to get everything running smoothly again. This covers quite an array of tasks which ust be performed in increasingly inventive ways.
The game has an impressive physics system which you must use to your advantage. Getting through the obstacles relies on balance, swinging, manipulating liquid and the fluros. The game developers have done their best to ensure the water acts as it’s supposed to and that swinnging and jumping have realistic effects. It all results in an impressive game. The physics engine is one of the games best features.
The game controls are simple and there are only a few. You basically just have to make your character run, jump, swing and grab hold of things. For a game like this, you only need a few controls as most of work will be solving the puzzles and not getting used to controls. They’re easy to get the hang of and this allows you to focus on the puzzles. There’s no need for extras and anything more than a few controls.
The puzzles are very well done but can be tricky. They generally involve manipulating machinery or fluros to open up doorways and corridors. What needs to be done isn’t always obvious at first glance and even for a minute or so in some cases. They’re challenging but rewarding once you do get them figured out. There were a few which really stumped me and I had to spend a while figuring them out. They are well designed and challenging and offer the player a challenge. They get more complex as you go on and this could be a turn off but then again, what’s the point in a puzzle game being easy? I like that it was challenging.
The game has a very nice art style with a lot of thought being given to liquid. The graphics aren’t the most advanced. The game has a side view where you’re always looking at the machinery from the same angle to allow to solve the puzzles. A lot of work has been put into fluid simulation which shows in the way it flows and reacts. It’s quite interesting looking at the things they really developed and focused on.
The music is quite good and suits the game. It adds to it and is something I noticed. The music builds up as you figure out a puzzle and adds quite nicely to the atmosphere of the game.
There’s very little to complain about with this game. I did find myself spending a lot of time on some puzzles which can almost put you off but when you do get that eureka moment you forget all about it and enjoy the game again. You do have to think about some of the puzzles quite a lot and although it can affect your enjoyment, the people who designed the puzzles did a very good job! The solutions are unique and it is generally quite fun to play through.
I enjoyed playing this game, I got the hang of it quickly and enjoyed solving the puzzles. It is a great puzzle game and a unique one. It has an impressive physics engine and the game was clearly developed with care. There are few flaws and it is interesting and fun. I found the game fascinating as it’s quite unique.
Overall, this was lovingly crafted and a fun game to play. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who likes puzzle games and problem solving. A great experience in a very unique game world.
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
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