Review: The Swapper On PS3, PS4 And Vita

 

Holder of numerous awards and accolades, the Swapper is an atmospheric puzzle platformer set in the furthest reaches of space. Players wield an experimental device able to clone the user and swap control between them.

Pros:

• Triple buy! That means what ever console you get it on, PS4,PS3 or Vita, You get the other 2 versions FREE!
• Graphics are really good with a huge emphasis on lighting mixed in with a lonely space setting. Its 2D but has 3D back/fore grounds. Every section looks better than the previous.
• Options screen allows you to adjust brightness,Right stick sensitivity,Subtitles and of course volume.
• Cloud save so you can have your save on all three consoles!
• Puzzle game in which you play an experimental pace dude who can create a number of clones of himself. With this ability you have to collect orbs dotted around the world to open new areas.
• Lights are a huge thing here, Not only your standard torch light oh no, Coloured lights are everywhere and can cause you serious issues. Red, Blue is just a taste and how they disrubt your game is when your in the light or by it, It can stop you from making a clone, shooting through it. Might not sound a big deal but it is and it will drive you insane. Its a clever mechanic that put alongside enviromental objects like blocks, transporters. Its a really good way to mess your head up.
• The atmosphere is just fantastic, You get such a feeling of loneliness and really do get sucked into the world. Exploring is fun but with the ever present danger of the unknown and no one to talk too, It all gets a bit Dead Space up in here.
• Tutorial at the start and a helpful menu in the options.
• Regular checkpoints through out the game and creates a autosave.
• Unlock fast travel around the map.
• Uncover the map as you explore and you can bring the map up at any point by pressing circle.
• The puzzles themselves are really clever. Most of the time you are either over thinking it or not thinking hard enough. The variety in the puzzles is good and helps break it all up.
• You will get loads of eureka! moments and get a grin on your face as you suss out a puzzle. Course that grin soon goes when you see the next puzzle but hey.
• Rocks are all over the game and will give you cryptic messages, Are they hints? or are they trying to tell a story? Who knows but its your job to find out.
• Making clones of yourselves is exactly that, They will look like you and move and jump as you move and jump. You can take over the control of a clone if you meet the criteria (ie lights dont prevent you) and learning to do this fast is a good way to travel to high up places. When you bring up your gun to make a clone time will slow right down.
• Find logs around that go a long way to explaining what happened and where you should look.
• The map is a really nice neon number with smooth interface to it. You can see the map at certain points in the background up on the monitors.
• Hours of gameplay and just when you think you are getting somewhere, BOOM another room.

Cons:

• You can easily get lost. Its a big area that only grows and navigating despite the map is a hard task.
• No matter how high the sensitivity the right stick will never be as good as a mouse pointer.
• Moves like fast clone switching to do high jumps and that are never really explained and you kind of stumble across it.
• Map takes a bit of getting used too. The left stick moves the map whilst the right stick moves between points of interest at lightening speed. Its not hard but its a bit crazy at the start.

In Summary, Curve Digital continue their fine work at bringing classic Indie titles to the PlayStation brand. Here we have yet another brilliant puzzle game. For me it was the feeling of sheer lonliness that got me hooked, Solving puzzles brings its own rewards but the atmosphere…oh man just brilliant work. I like games where I can attack puzzles in any order and just take my time with it all, Running around exploring is its own little game, Find little rooms and logs. I missed the game on Steam first time round and man do I feel bad now. Great great little game that leaves me feeling stupid but yet im still smiling. The story is really good and engrossing but I wont spoil that. Might be worth a look if you have already played it just for the trophies and the new shiny graphics but its your call.