Monument Valley‘s Charm Makes Up For Its Lack Of Challenge [Review]

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Monument Valley
Who wouldn't want the team behind Monument Valley rethinking the way we drive. Photo: Ustwo

Monument Valley is what would happen if Fez and The Room (the game, not the movie) took place inside of M.C. Escher’s sketchbook.

Monument Valley by ustwo
Category: iOS Games
Works With: iPhone, iPad
Price: $3.99

It has a vibrant, interesting world full of impossible geometry, mysterious accusers, and bothersome crows. It’s a puzzle game and a jumpless platformer, and it’s endlessly amazing and mind-boggling to behold.

It is also one of the easiest games I’ve ever played, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t check it out.

Monument Valley is about silent Princess Ida (princess of what? *shrug*) on her quest through the barren and abandoned ruins of a lost civilization. These structures could not exist in our world; they play with depth and perspective. You can move between previously non-adjacent platforms just by turning the world to the proper angle. You can move along an upwardly sloping path and end up at a point below where you started. It’s crazy.

That’s the charm, though, and it suggests some odd things about your role in the game. Brace yourself. We’re going deeper.

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

It’s alright to just think, “Ida is moving through this world while I rearrange things to make it possible.” But because the illusions rely so heavily on being in just the right place, and Ida is inside of them, you, the player, are the only one who can see what needs to happen. The world is tuned to your viewpoint, and so is Ida’s capacity to take advantage of it. So it’s like, she can’t see that that impossible bridge exists, but she can walk on the impossible bridge because you can see it, which means that in some ways she can also see it, and what the hell is going on here?

But maybe don’t think about that too hard. Just focus on the parts about the game being beautiful and interesting. And again, the developers kept the difficulty super low for accessibility, but don’t let that stop you.

Monument ValleyGame Name: : Monument Valley
The Good: Beautiful graphics and music, and the game is just endlessly interesting to look at.
The Bad: It’s really easy, and sometimes the control sensitivity feels off.
The Verdict: It’s puzzles won’t have you scratching your head, but it’s a unique, poignant, and amazing-looking experience that you must try.
Buy from: App Store – Monument Valley – ustwo

[rating=game5]

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