Space Hole 2018

This game is like if Yume Nikki was a ball-rolling game, except [i]way[/i] more psychedelic [i]and[/i] confusing. Despite that, it's a lot more free than you'd think while still managing to keep you on edge. You are a shuttle in the middle of space. You can fly freely, and the goal is to dive down rabbit holes upon rabbit holes while collecting gems. However, pretty much the only way to do that is by entering balls you find across the maps, as the majority require you to be in a ball. I honestly like this gimmick, because the free flying allows you to look all around the area to look for hidden gems or hidden gateways, and [i]then[/i] you can go for it. It gives you a lot more freedom to play as methodically as you want. The music is really, REALLY good. Most of the soundtrack seems to be split into two halves. One half of it is some atmospheric ambient, which I'm a sucker for, and the other is some post-rock which I'm [i]also[/i] a sucker for. My personal favorite is "abide, moment!" by Joy Wants Eternity, the song used in Departure. All of you, thank you for the amazing soundtrack. I like how the visuals change in every room, giving an even deeper sense of that Kairo/Yume Nikki type feel. Helps to give each area it's own personality, allowing non-hub areas to be just as memorable if they wanted to. If you ever think you're getting lost, you can return to any area and see what leads to what simply by pressing ESC. That's all you need to do in order to get yourself out of a dead end (If you think you've reached one, that is.) I think this hub is a nice way of allowing you to tie up any loose ends, by returning to an earlier area that you saw a different space hole in, so you can easily explore every branch of every path. I think the variety and surrealism of these types of games are the main thing that makes them so appealing to me. I like being in a world that I don't entirely know, getting completely lost and letting the game drift me on through, especially when the developers design the game as if they know this. I'd say, overall, this was a really good experience. For $4 especially.