Secrets of Raetikon – Review (PC)
The latest game from developer, Broken Rules, falls in to a mash of different genres. The best way that I can quantify it is that it is a side-scrolling open world adventure puzzler. While normally I would describe those aspects as the key tenants of a platformer it is worth noting that the player character can fly throughout the entire map with no need for platforms.
The first thing that you will notice when the game begins is the very distinct art style, the game is richly covered in striking orange and yellow triangles – typified greatly by the player character. When I first saw him appear that I thought that he looked a little like Crash Bandicoot in a Windwaker style setting. But as the game opened up, it became obvious that was not the case. I particularly liked how the wildlife in the game was simulated with the myriad of other critters roaming throughout the game.
A lot of the gameplay revolves around your character’s methods of flight. Mostly these involve the use of thermals and terrain. The side-scrolling nature of the game means that the player is forced to follow very specific paths, while puzzle solving, to move in to the next individual area in the game.
The issue with this approach is that the game’s tutorial feels a little sparse. You are told the basic controls, how to move, how to pick stuff up and then are set loose in to the world. As a result I found myself moving through the first two to three hours of the game without really knowing what to do. While I appreciated the spectacle of the title I found that I couldn’t get invested in it without some grounding within the lore or setting of the game.
Dotted about the scenery the game also has a selection of plinths with an indistinguishable set of writing on them. When you inspect them you see the alphabet pop up on the sides of the screen. Coupled with the fact that letters are a collectable item within the game, you can translate the script. It quickly becomes clear that these are here so that the developers can make some effort at world building within the title. My issue is that world building needs to come at the start of the game, not once someone has invested at least a few hours in to the game.
In summary, Secrets Raetikon offers a lot at first but what it does its true depth is buried beneath a wealth of obstacles that most players won’t want to get through. Mechanically the game works well and manipulating a mixture of thermals and terrain is incredibly fun.
Pros
- The game looks lovingly crafted.
- Using wind thermals never gets old.
Cons
- The game’s true depth feels out of reach.
- Solving the missing word puzzles feels a little inane.