The Swapper - Review

When it comes to puzzle games, we've pretty much seen it all. Most games feature similar elements or various concepts that have been used and re-used many times. Despite this, some games just take already founded concepts, puts them together in a slightly different way, a bit of polish and you've got yourself a pretty decent game.

In a side-scrolling world, you find yourself on a desolate rock somewhere in the far reaches of space,  a short teleport away from the huge space station hovering in orbit above the planet. The story unfolds in fragments as you progress, coming together as you proceed further. Mysterious rocks known only as 'The Chain', act as a hive-mind-like consciousness that communicates telepathically when you get close. You find the last remaining survivor on the station, who, through her own mixed up way, guides you through the station. You can also find various terminals that reveal additional information about what happened to everyone on the station.

The Swapper combines some usual elements and some very different visuals to make such a unique and entertaining game. The base of this game is centered on a device know as 'The Swapper', a complex, yet not completely understood device that has the simple definition of being able to 'swap souls'. It also has the handy feature of creating 'soul-less' clones that mimic your every action and you can swap yourself into them to reach various places. You can have yourself and up to four living clones at a time, I say living because they can still die; as long as you're not in that body when it gets crushed or splatted all over the floor. You use these clones as tools to operate buttons or bypass hazards. As you progress, the puzzle element really comes into play as you explore to collect Security Orbs to operate terminals. Each orb is found in a puzzle room which must be solved using The Swapper. The game introduces elements such as gravity plates which let you walk on the ceiling, and coloured lights which restrict The Swapper from working. You can't create clones within blue light and red light blocks swapping between clones. The puzzle elements never get boring or tedious, the answer is always there, but finding it can be a real frustration. The simplicity of the game reminds you that it is possible, the only reason you can't do it is because you haven't figured it out. Many times I've rage-quit a puzzle, come back to it later and solved it almost immediately.

The design of the game is also a great feature, with many of the background elements created with clay-mation. The lighting and mood-setting in the game is also fantastic, it feels both meaningful, yet empty and alone. Despite the two-dimensional gameplay, the world feels very encompassing and complete. The world buzzes and groans with life, echoing down the corridors drawing you forward.

Many games either lack the challenge or throw tricks at you to trip you up on puzzles. There are a few sections in The Swapper that require quick fingers rather than brains, but it keeps the gameplay simple and always pushing the envelope each time. It's moody atmosphere intrigues, sometimes with only the echo of your footsteps to accompany you, and the crunch of your clones' bones as they die around you. There is around three or four hours of play here, but very enjoyable hours and well worth the $15.