Newsletter
  • Guides
  • Previews
    • Indie Games
    • PS4
    • PC
    • Xbox One
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo 3DS
    • PS Vita
    • PS3
    • Xbox 360
    • Wii U
  • Site Info
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Staff Directory
    • Join Our Team
    • Privacy Policy
      • Cookies Policy
    • RSS Feeds
    • Social Media
      • Youtube
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Twitch
      • Instagram
      • Tumblr
      • Linkedin
      • Pinterest
      • Discord
  • Discord
  • Store
  • Logitech G
  • green man gaming
  • Affiliates
    • GAMIVO.com
    • Logitech
    • Astro Gaming
    • Nord VPN
    • Best Buy
    • Namecheap Hosting
    • Blue Mic
    • Ultimate Ears
    • Jaybird
Monday, January 30, 2023
BG
  • News
    • All
    • Esports
    • Interviews

    Amazon Luna Games Coming in February

    Wanted: Dead Finishers Explained Video

    Current CS:GO Team Rankings! What’s the Best Team at the Moment?

    Wanted: Dead Shows New Combat Gameplay For A Bloody Valentines Day

    Eminence in Shadow Mobile RPG Gets New Trailer, Available Now

    Crunchyroll Announces 8-Bit Adventure Gam Hime’s Quest

    Atelier Ryza

    UDON Entertainment Announces Atelier Ryza Official Visual Collections

    Animator Spotlight: Solal Girardin

    Bloodline: The Last Royal Vampire Mobile Game Announced With AOT Crossover

    Trending Tags

    • Top Stories
    • PlayStation
    • Xbox
    • Nintendo
    • Retro Games
    • Mobile Games
    • Indie Games
    • Square Enix
    • Sony
    • Microsoft
    • PAX
    • EGX
    • Gamescom
    • Rockstar Games
    • Electronic Arts
    • Activision Blizzard
    • E3 Expo
  • Reviews
    • All
    • Flash Game Reviews
    • Google Stadia
    • Indie Game Reviews
    • Mobile Game Reviews
    • Nintendo 3DS Reviews
    • Nintendo Switch Reviews
    • PC Reviews
    • PS Vita Reviews
    • PS3 Reviews
    • PS4 Reviews
    • PS5 Reviews
    • Retro Game Reviews
    • Reviews RoundUP
    • Xbox 360 Reviews
    • Xbox One Reviews
    The Legend of Heroes Trails From Zero

    The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero PC Review

    Amnesia: Memories + Later x Crowd Review

    Dusk Diver 2 PS5 Review

    Yurukill: The Culmination Games

    Yurukill: The Calumniation Games Nintendo Switch Review

    Matchpoint Tennis Championships Live Review

    Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II Nintendo Switch Review

    Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei Nintendo Switch Review

    Evil Dead: The Game

    Evil Dead: The Game Review

    Crystar Nintendo Switch Review

    Trending Tags

    • Resident Evil
    • Call of Duty
    • Final Fantasy
    • Destiny
    • Borderlands
    • Halo
    • The Elder Scrolls
    • Fortnite
    • PUBG
    • Bioshock
    • The Witcher
  • Opinion
    • All
    • Second Opinion
    megaways vs regular slot machines

    Are Megaways Better Than Regular Slots?

    Current CS:GO Team Rankings! What’s the Best Team at the Moment?

    game night with friends tips for success

    Top Tips for Games Night Success

    10 benefits of online gaming

    10 Benefits of Online Gaming

    The 5 Most Popular Video Games that Feature Casinos and Gambling to Play

    Is There a Casino in the Metaverse?

    Technologies That Changed the iGaming Industry

    Even Sims 3 players can play at a casino in game

    Top 6 Video Games with Casino Mini-Games

    Is Betting on E-games Possible?

    Trending Tags

    • Is It A Classic?
    • Remember When
    • Do We Even Care Anymore?
    • Humpday Haikus
    • Top Series
    • Thirsty Thursday
    • Aging Gamer
    • On The Way To E3
  • Podcasts
    • All
    • The BagoCast
    • TSR BagoCast

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – The Future of Game Journalism

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Social Media & Esports

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Politics in Video Games Games

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Content Creators vs Game Journalist 2

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Titan Fall and Apex: Legends Hacked

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Content Creators vs Game Journalist

    BagoCast EP: 12 – Code Vein and the DLC

    Debate/Discussion: Bad Video Games That We Love

    Discussion/Debate: Is Bioware Gone?

    Trending Tags

    • Film Fallout
    • 8Bit Proof
    • Gaming Historia
    • Bago Anime Cast
    • Gamers In Beta
    • Gamers Unscripted
  • Videos

    So, You Wanna Play Junker Queen?

    Matchpoint Tennis Championships Live Review

    Void Slayer – Review

    The IDEAL Spider-Man VR Game

    Crunchyroll Panel Full Video @ Anime Frontier

    BPM: Bullets Per Minute – Shooting to The Beat (Review)

    She Will Punish Them – Warning: Mature Content (Early Access Review)

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – The Future of Game Journalism

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Social Media & Esports

  • Geek Culture
    • All
    • Anime and Manga
    • Anime/Manga Review
    • Collectibles
    • Comic Books
    • Cosplay
    • Movies
    • Tech
    • TV Shows

    Eminence in Shadow Mobile RPG Gets New Trailer, Available Now

    Crunchyroll Announces Anime Frontier Panels and Premieres

    Crunchyroll Announces Hell’s Paradise, The Ancient Magus’ Bride S2, and More Upcoming Anime

    The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie Gets New Key Visual, Tickets Now on Sale

    Crunchyroll Rich Presence Now Available on Discord

    Udon Entertainment Announces Persona 4 Arena & Ultimax Manga Coming 2023

    Steve Aoki Releases All-New Remix for the “One Piece Film Red” Original Soundtrack

    Milan Records Releases CHAINSAW MAN Soundtrack Vol 1

    Quintessential Quintuplet

    Crunchyroll Releases New Trailer and Details For Quintessential Quintuplets Movie

    Trending Tags

    • Movie Reviews
    • Movie News
    • TV News
    • TV Episode Review
    • Episode Guide
    • Competitive Gaming
    • Tech News
    • Tech Review
    • Anime and Manga News
    • Anime and Manga Review
    • Comic Book News
    • Comic Book Review
  • Forum
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • All
    • Esports
    • Interviews

    Amazon Luna Games Coming in February

    Wanted: Dead Finishers Explained Video

    Current CS:GO Team Rankings! What’s the Best Team at the Moment?

    Wanted: Dead Shows New Combat Gameplay For A Bloody Valentines Day

    Eminence in Shadow Mobile RPG Gets New Trailer, Available Now

    Crunchyroll Announces 8-Bit Adventure Gam Hime’s Quest

    Atelier Ryza

    UDON Entertainment Announces Atelier Ryza Official Visual Collections

    Animator Spotlight: Solal Girardin

    Bloodline: The Last Royal Vampire Mobile Game Announced With AOT Crossover

    Trending Tags

    • Top Stories
    • PlayStation
    • Xbox
    • Nintendo
    • Retro Games
    • Mobile Games
    • Indie Games
    • Square Enix
    • Sony
    • Microsoft
    • PAX
    • EGX
    • Gamescom
    • Rockstar Games
    • Electronic Arts
    • Activision Blizzard
    • E3 Expo
  • Reviews
    • All
    • Flash Game Reviews
    • Google Stadia
    • Indie Game Reviews
    • Mobile Game Reviews
    • Nintendo 3DS Reviews
    • Nintendo Switch Reviews
    • PC Reviews
    • PS Vita Reviews
    • PS3 Reviews
    • PS4 Reviews
    • PS5 Reviews
    • Retro Game Reviews
    • Reviews RoundUP
    • Xbox 360 Reviews
    • Xbox One Reviews
    The Legend of Heroes Trails From Zero

    The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero PC Review

    Amnesia: Memories + Later x Crowd Review

    Dusk Diver 2 PS5 Review

    Yurukill: The Culmination Games

    Yurukill: The Calumniation Games Nintendo Switch Review

    Matchpoint Tennis Championships Live Review

    Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II Nintendo Switch Review

    Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei Nintendo Switch Review

    Evil Dead: The Game

    Evil Dead: The Game Review

    Crystar Nintendo Switch Review

    Trending Tags

    • Resident Evil
    • Call of Duty
    • Final Fantasy
    • Destiny
    • Borderlands
    • Halo
    • The Elder Scrolls
    • Fortnite
    • PUBG
    • Bioshock
    • The Witcher
  • Opinion
    • All
    • Second Opinion
    megaways vs regular slot machines

    Are Megaways Better Than Regular Slots?

    Current CS:GO Team Rankings! What’s the Best Team at the Moment?

    game night with friends tips for success

    Top Tips for Games Night Success

    10 benefits of online gaming

    10 Benefits of Online Gaming

    The 5 Most Popular Video Games that Feature Casinos and Gambling to Play

    Is There a Casino in the Metaverse?

    Technologies That Changed the iGaming Industry

    Even Sims 3 players can play at a casino in game

    Top 6 Video Games with Casino Mini-Games

    Is Betting on E-games Possible?

    Trending Tags

    • Is It A Classic?
    • Remember When
    • Do We Even Care Anymore?
    • Humpday Haikus
    • Top Series
    • Thirsty Thursday
    • Aging Gamer
    • On The Way To E3
  • Podcasts
    • All
    • The BagoCast
    • TSR BagoCast

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – The Future of Game Journalism

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Social Media & Esports

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Politics in Video Games Games

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Content Creators vs Game Journalist 2

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Titan Fall and Apex: Legends Hacked

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Content Creators vs Game Journalist

    BagoCast EP: 12 – Code Vein and the DLC

    Debate/Discussion: Bad Video Games That We Love

    Discussion/Debate: Is Bioware Gone?

    Trending Tags

    • Film Fallout
    • 8Bit Proof
    • Gaming Historia
    • Bago Anime Cast
    • Gamers In Beta
    • Gamers Unscripted
  • Videos

    So, You Wanna Play Junker Queen?

    Matchpoint Tennis Championships Live Review

    Void Slayer – Review

    The IDEAL Spider-Man VR Game

    Crunchyroll Panel Full Video @ Anime Frontier

    BPM: Bullets Per Minute – Shooting to The Beat (Review)

    She Will Punish Them – Warning: Mature Content (Early Access Review)

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – The Future of Game Journalism

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Social Media & Esports

  • Geek Culture
    • All
    • Anime and Manga
    • Anime/Manga Review
    • Collectibles
    • Comic Books
    • Cosplay
    • Movies
    • Tech
    • TV Shows

    Eminence in Shadow Mobile RPG Gets New Trailer, Available Now

    Crunchyroll Announces Anime Frontier Panels and Premieres

    Crunchyroll Announces Hell’s Paradise, The Ancient Magus’ Bride S2, and More Upcoming Anime

    The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie Gets New Key Visual, Tickets Now on Sale

    Crunchyroll Rich Presence Now Available on Discord

    Udon Entertainment Announces Persona 4 Arena & Ultimax Manga Coming 2023

    Steve Aoki Releases All-New Remix for the “One Piece Film Red” Original Soundtrack

    Milan Records Releases CHAINSAW MAN Soundtrack Vol 1

    Quintessential Quintuplet

    Crunchyroll Releases New Trailer and Details For Quintessential Quintuplets Movie

    Trending Tags

    • Movie Reviews
    • Movie News
    • TV News
    • TV Episode Review
    • Episode Guide
    • Competitive Gaming
    • Tech News
    • Tech Review
    • Anime and Manga News
    • Anime and Manga Review
    • Comic Book News
    • Comic Book Review
  • Forum
No Result
View All Result
BagoGames
No Result
View All Result

Superliminal Review – Shift Your Perspective

Size is in the eye of the beholder

Endyo by Endyo
November 5, 2020
in Game Reviews, Indie Game Reviews, PC Reviews
0

BagoGames > Articles > Game Reviews > Indie Game Reviews > Superliminal Review – Shift Your Perspective

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Superliminal DEALS

  • Epic Games Stopre
    $19.99 VIEW

Superliminal is a game that I’ve seen pop up in its development process for a long time. Early versions from several years ago looked as trippy as the release, but of course, they functioned more as a tech demo than an actual game. Building a game around a cool mechanic can be a daunting task and I’ve seen it fall apart more than once.

Luckily, it seems like the developer, Pillow Castle, managed to turn this game into a wild and somewhat existential journey through your dreams. One that may put it on par with other great first-person puzzle games.

Rook takes hallway
Rook takes hallway

The Stanley Portal

The setting for Superliminal and the nature of crazy events that occur are evocative of The Stanley Parable. While it doesn’t have the now iconic narration element, it does have quite a bit of comedic voice-over that happens throughout.

Moving through office complexes and quickly transitioning to strange hotel lobbies or back rooms/alleys also gives it that “Stanley Parable” feel. However, I think if you’re looking past just the raw aesthetic, the games are dramatically different.

This is where the Portal comparison comes in. The original Portal had plenty of strange “testing facility” areas and quite a few off-the-grid zones as well. Yet what reminded me most of that classic puzzle game, aside from the puzzles, is the omnipresent monotone AI-like voice.

This voice, as you proceed, isn’t guiding you or anything. It mostly gives you vague direction and reassurance that, even though things are not going well, you can probably make it through it. It had the same dismissive quality of GlaDOS, though with a bit less personality to flesh out. 

There's something familiar about this place...
There’s something familiar about this place…

Puzzles by Perspective

The whole allure of Superliminal is that you’re going to be manipulating objects by changing your perspective of them. That means that objects you interact with will change size relative to how they look from your first-person view. If you handle a large object far away, you see it as small and thus it is tangibly small.

If you’re close to a small object that you’re handling, it will appear much larger. It sort of sounds like a one-trick pony, but the execution in-game along with a variety of other perspective-based puzzles keeps things fresh throughout. 

In some parts, you may have to manipulate the size of the doorways to fit through them, but in other scenarios, you’ll need to change your shape within the entire environment to fit through a static doorway. Some objects may only be accessible if you view them from a certain perspective – sort of like the Riddler clues in the Arkham games. Nearly every puzzle you solve in the game to move forward is based on your viewing and sometimes moving objects from a specific viewpoint.

I found this immensely enjoyable from the start. The first time I picked up a normal-sized exit sign and moved it around in the air to let go and have it become 30 feet long, the intuitive nature of the action was endlessly amusing. The intuitiveness of Superliminal doesn’t make it easy though, there were some puzzles that had me scratching my head at times. Toward the end of the game, even a few areas seemed to lose grip on the premise.

Chess is a recurring theme
Chess is a recurring theme

The Scavenger Hunt

One of the least appealing things to me in any video game is when I’m scouring an area looking for some kind of item or solution. It’s why I’ve never been a fan of point and click games. Superliminal had a few of these moments where the solution to a puzzle was no longer about getting the right perspective.

Instead, your task was finding the one tiny object you were able to manipulate. These quickly became frustrating, as I’d just be pacing around a room hoping to see the cursor change. 

There were even parts of the game where you either weren’t manipulating any object or doing so in a way that had never been introduced before. You would just have to find some path that wasn’t readily apparent.

Sometimes, these were still intuitive enough for me to figure out, but others I’d just be spinning around without a clue. For instance, one especially dark area required you to stumble onto a secret path to move forward in the darkness. It seemed especially out of place, as that gameplay design didn’t happen before or after that section.

Weird stuff in a hallway
Weird stuff in a hallway

Maintaining a Positive Point of View

Superliminal, even with its handful of clunky moments, was still a ton of fun. It reminded me of the first Portal in how it had some rough edges, especially when compared to Portal 2, but the mechanics were sound. The narrative crafted to justify this strange scenario also ends up being far more fulfilling than I thought it would be initially.

Without trying to spoil anything, it edges on the existential and self-affirming, which surprised me for such an otherwise strange little game. 

The length of the game may be an issue for some – since I finished Superliminal under three hours and I could easily see it done in two. That’s roughly the length of the original Portal, so I don’t think it’s outlandish for a developer’s first release. It is a little strange that there aren’t any collectibles (that I noticed) or any reason to explore or revisit some areas.

However, it’s hard not to appreciate Superliminal for what it is, a unique first-person puzzle game that managed to take a relatively small new mechanic and build a whole game from it. It’s well worth checking out, but with its short duration, you may want to find a small discount. 

What did you think about our Superliminal review? Are you going to play the game? What are your thoughts on games like this? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Are you in the mood for something different? Perhaps you could be interested in reading our Frozen II review.

The Review

Superliminal

8 Score

Superliminal is a first person puzzle game where your only tool is your perspective. While it seems limited, the game stays fresh across its short duration, even as it sometimes strays from the premise. For the developer's first title, it is reminiscent of Portal in in both its innovation and need for more of this great content.

PROS

  • Unique puzzle solving mechanics
  • Entertaining voiced narrative and story
  • Fun puzzle designs within the environment

CONS

  • Overall pretty short
  • Some strange puzzle parts that don't fit the rest

Review Breakdown

  • Score 0

Superliminal DEALS

We collect information from many stores for best price available

Best Price

$19.99
  • Epic Games Stopre
    $19.99 Buy Now
Tags: first person puzzleIndie Gamespillow castleSuperliminal


Previous Post

Daymare: 1998 for PS4 launches February 20, 2020 in Japan

Next Post

Top Mistakes to Avoid in Online Poker

Next Post
mistakes while playing card games

Top Mistakes to Avoid in Online Poker

Subscribe
Connect with
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
guest
The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us to keep track of the comments placed on the website. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser cookies for the next time I comment.

I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
guest
The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us to keep track of the comments placed on the website. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser cookies for the next time I comment.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

BAGOGAMES WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Get this week's top news, reviews, guides, videos and opinion for your favorite games, movies, TV and tech in your email every Friday.

Don't worry, we don't spam.

NEW ON BAGOGAMES

Game News

Amazon Luna Games Coming in February

by Michael Mosley
4 days ago
Game News

Wanted: Dead Finishers Explained Video

by Michael Mosley
1 week ago
megaways vs regular slot machines
Opinion

Are Megaways Better Than Regular Slots?

by Trevor Kincaid
2 weeks ago

LATEST PODCASTS & VIDEOS

Currently Playing

Void Slayer – Review

Void Slayer – Review

Game Reviews

The IDEAL Spider-Man VR Game

Opinion

BPM: Bullets Per Minute – Shooting to The Beat (Review)

Game Reviews

She Will Punish Them – Warning: Mature Content (Early Access Review)

Game Reviews

Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – The Future of Game Journalism

Opinion

FOLLOW US

  • 5.3k Followers
  • 679 Followers
BagoGames

BagoGames.com © 2020 BagoGames LLC. All rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Staff Directory
  • Join Our Team
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter
  • RSS Feeds
  • Discord Server
  • BG Store
  • OpenCritic
  • green man gaming
  • Logitech G
  • GAMIVO.com
  • ASTRO Gaming
  • Logitech
  • Namecheap Hosting
  • Nord VPN
  • Best Buy
  • Blue Mic
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Guides

Follow Us

  • Login
  • Sign Up
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Opinion
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Geek Culture
  • Previews
  • Guides
  • Short Videos
  • Forum
  • Site Info
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Join Our Team
    • Staff Directory
    • Privacy Policy
    • Newsletter
    • RSS Feeds

BagoGames.com © 2020 BagoGames LLC. All rights reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
wpDiscuz