Waking

Review

Waking is a fantastic game, based around a subject that not many dare to touch; a subject of great importance, yet not easily explained - 'Mind'.

An atmospheric adventure that took me to a very uncomfortable and surreal place, in which I wouldn’t dare to expect what might come before me. Blurred between fantasy and reality, this was a third person experience into my own thoughts and dreams. I felt like I woke up in a dark blurry world, unknown and quiet; a bit too quiet.

As I started moving forward into the unknown, not knowing what to expect, my only companions were my thoughts and the fantastic atmospheric music that the game has to offer.

After a brief journey, I came across a sacred temple; I moved with steady feet towards the Oracle of Desire, a temple of great importance. The Oracle of Desire showed me my deepest desires and dreams; the desires that have always clouded my decisions and judgements. The Oracle of Desire let me choose two things that I have always desired the most, besides love, - ‘Money and Knowledge’.

In the darkness of a coma, unaware of my surroundings, I see a mysterious figure next to my body.  The mysterious figure releases me from my deepest desires; from now I am free of the struggles of obtaining my desires.

Moving forward in my journey, again I find myself standing in front of a temple. I am given a chance to let go of my struggles, two struggles that have always plagued my living soul, - ‘Anger and Poverty’. Again I see a mysterious figure next to my body, releasing me from of these struggles.

I wish I could tell you how it feels. I wish I could let you feel my experience. I wish, yet I cannot; it is something that you must endure yourself. I wish you luck in your own journey.

Waking, what a fantastic gameplay experience. Smooth gameplay complemented with smooth movement mechanics, stunning visuals, and incredible music. The game promises a lot in the beginning, promises I was really looking forward to. Other than the instant Bloom effect, it was smooth sailing smooth in regards to the gameplay. Puzzles were a minor component and fit right into the game without hindering the gameplay; I won’t say they were perfect, but adequate. After experiencing the smooth gameplay and amazing atmosphere, the game soon became very repetitive with its poor world design and level-building. It felt like a very near miss; it could have been an amazing world, with a combination of smooth gameplay, amazing music, and good level design.

At first the animations seemed just right and fit the game perfectly, but soon I found myself let down on that aspect, with poor animation transitions during jumping and combat.

Speaking of combat, this element was just right, in my opinion. I won’t say perfect, but for the games’ theme and art style, I feel like was just right. Waking hasn’t done a great job in its combat mechanics – a poor amount of damage per attack, Melee attacks being very limited because of animation limitations. The combat system felt repetitive and downright torturous at times.

Although Waking is flawed and nowhere near perfect, I can respect and appreciate what the developers have created. I strongly believe that it’s possible to make an incredible game out of Waking with more work being put into the game. And for what it is and the value it brings to the table, yes I have very much enjoyed my time in Waking. I can recommend this game.

Review written by BiteMexD for Zeepond.com!