FRACTER

Sometimes looks can be deceiving. Not this time, though. What you see here is pretty much what you get: a simple little game with ok puzzles and a great aesthetic. The puzzles are mostly of the move-platforms-to-create-paths and reflect-light-beams-with-mirrors varieties. Once in a while you push a block around or evade a monster. So not exactly revolutionary, to say the least. As for the looks, it's hard to miss with black and white, huh? A zillion film students can't be wrong. To the extent that artsy monochrome has become a cliche, it's because it works. It lets you play around with light and shadow in an elemental way that creates a dramatic impact all on its own. Familiar things suddenly stand out in sharper relief, and the commonplace takes on an otherworldly aspect that catches your eye in fresh ways. This style leads you to believe they're saying something deep here, and you do get the sense that they want us to look beneath the surface. In fact, they pretty much say so in the store description; but if there's something there besides the obvious, I'm not seeing it. Ok, darkness = bad; light = good. I'm with you so far. Anyway, I've got to go with the side that doesn't kill me and make me reload every time I run into it. You could extrapolate that Manichaean principle as far as you want, I guess, to yourself, the universe and everything in between; but all it really amounts to is another Rorschach test, like Burning Daylight except with puzzles that break up the pace and the occasional death. They provide a few symbolic raw materials, but for their part don't use them to say anything meaningful. Well, the white triangle perpetually leading you out of darkness is pretty suggestive. Otherwise, it's a very static experience. Sure, the puzzles get more complex as you go along, but there's no real progression to the levels, character or atmosphere--like you see in Limbo or RiME or NaissanceE, for example--to make it scary, or sad, or even especially awe-inspiring on a gut level. It looks neat, and that's about it. They say it's a personal journey, but all I learned about myself is that I'm not very stealthy, which I already knew. You can find more indie game reviews at [url=https://oddlittlegames.com] oddlittlegames.com [/url] or visit my [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34514756/] curator page. [/url] Thanks, and enjoy!

Love the aesthetic and puzzles.

4L GAMES LTD recently released a puzzle game called FRACTER, which has already established quite a bit recognition for the game’s mesmerizing sounds and style. In it, the player plays a young protagonist who must solve a series of puzzles through a mysterious labyrinth in order to resolve the darkness within. The game is now available for purchase on iOS, Android, and Steam for PC. FRACTER is a puzzle game set in a monochrome labyrinth with glowing, isometric fixtures in the form of puzzles. It balances complexity and simple design with its varying shades of black and white to respectively emphasize light and dark value to complement its premise. The player must solve a series of puzzles, each a bit more complex than the last, in order to get to the next level -- of which there are seven. Along the way, the player may encounter spider-converting zombie versions of themselves that they must avoid or lure into a light encompassing fixtures to get rid of. Melancholic, orchestral music follows and narrates the player’s journey through the labyrinth. Since the game is relatively short, I managed to finish all seven levels within a few hours. Since one does not need much experience with puzzle games to successfully play through FRACTER, it was not too difficult for a puzzle amateur, like myself. Please note that my review is based on the Steam version. Sound PROS: - The music is incredibly enchanting and deserving of its award-winning recognition. The music may range from thrilling to innocent depending on whether the player is near a certain obstacle, allowing the player to really get into the magical aspect of the game. - The music is very high quality and gentle to the ears. It does not distract too much from the gameplay experience. CONS: - The sound effects can get a tad redundant as the player encounters more and more obstacles, though this may be muted through the settings. - The music may initially be a little jarring in terms of volume in contrast to its calm design, which may or may not be an issue for players wearing headsets. Graphics PROS: - The graphical design is stylishly creative and brings a refreshing, modern twist to puzzle/maze games. - The designs of the larger puzzles are wonderfully complex and are theatrical in their presentations. - Despite the minimal detail, the protagonist and their encounters with zombie-like and glowing figures are well constructed and each seem to embody their symbolic purposes beautifully. CONS: - The fluidity of graphics are important for the experience of the game -- a little lag will make a difference in your frustration when trying to move through levels. - Occasionally, a glitch will happen with the zombie-like versions of the player, depending on the puzzle. The glitch is minor, though. Plot PROS: - A very simple and straightforward plot with an objective that accumulates some meaning the game progresses. - The riddles that start each level are meaningful and almost invoke some self-reflection. CONS: - This meaningfulness is not incredibly memorable, since its riddles -- or life lessons, if you will -- may be deemed a bit too serious considering the complexity of the gameplay. Gameplay PROs: - The game eases the player in with different puzzles that slowly build on each other as the levels progress. - The controls to move around are fairly simple and straightforward, which the game introduces very briefly. - The puzzles are easy enough to solve but are complex enough to effectively challenge the player. - The game is relatively short but its atmospheric experience makes up for it, making it worth its price. CONS: - The player has three movement styles, and at the very beginning, it may be a bit difficult to distinguish which one character is doing, as they look very similar to each other. - The game does not repeat directions to you after they are aiven, nor are they in the settings of the game. - The player is unable to save their progress unless they pass a certain check point -- otherwise, the player is left to start at the previous checkpoint or at the very beginning of the level. Reviewer’s Opinion I very much enjoyed solving the puzzles and experiencing the musical aspects of the game. I struggled a few times at the beginning while trying to understand how the controls operated, but this was resolved fairly quickly. Since I am more of a plot-driven kind of gamer, I don’t see myself having any interest in playing FRACTER again in the future, though I wouldn’t mind playing more games similar in gameplay experience. I would recommend this type of game to gamers who are interested in intermediate level puzzles, and for anyone who would enjoy a game with some musical enchantment. Rating All in all, I would rate this a 7/10. It certainly is a slightly above average game that is particularly noteworthy for its creativity and meaningful effort. And of course, its music.

A very different and enjoyable puzzle game. I liked the ambiance, found it very relaxing.

Creepy but not scary! Fracter is the right level of challenging, without being frustrating. It is the best kind of weird, and reminded me a fair bit of Limbo (which kicks ass as much as this does).

FRACTER === 8/10 !!!!! ;) :) :) :D