The much anticipated game from Cyan Worlds is here, serving as a spiritual successor to their previous successful adventure titles of Myst (1993) and Riven (1997). The gameplay formula employed by Obduction is naturally similar to these originals with players exploring a strange alien world blended with human aspects while solving puzzles. However, the massive leap in technology since the original games has allowed Obduction to explore elements and present the game in ways not even imagined possible in the mid 1990s of gaming.
The world of Obduction offers a strange mix of human and alien by introducing bubbles of human environments (such as houses and rail-yards) into an otherwise alien landscape. For those who played the previous Cyan Worlds titles its a strangely familiar setting albeit it brought to life with impressive 3D graphics like never before.
Players are teleported to these blended landscapes while at a park where a strange light in the sky appears above them. Soon after its appearance players are hit by this light leading them to black out. Waking to an alien world the park you were in has now become the latest bubble of humanity with every blade of grass being teleported along with your character. These bubbles are impassable by the player with 3 distinct locations being explored
Now that you’ve been abducted into the strange world from Earth, possibly by aliens players start on their journey to find a path home while trying to comprehend their surroundings. Starting in bubble area known as Hunrath players will discover that the bubbles provide an impassable barrier as they complete puzzles to unlock more of the bubble world.
With little to go on Obduction just like its predecessors is all about exploration of the environment, locating puzzles and even making key decisions which have an impact on how the Obduction ultimately ends. In total there are 3 potential endings which makes for 3 potential playthroughs for purists that want to explore each ending.
Control wise players explore in first person which works in tandem with a point and click system built around nodes. This helps connect the player to their nostalgic memories of the original point and click adventure titles by Cyan Worlds but provides a modern twist and ensures maximum benefit is derived from the 3D game world. Uniquely Obduction allows nearly every single objective in the world to be examined in a more detailed 3D enhanced view which comes in useful in discovering and unlocking the finer details of items for puzzle solving.
Puzzles primarily tie in closely with exploration and the environment from locating a key piece of information, interpreting strange abstract puzzles for a keypad code to activating the correct switches to alter your level of access to the game world. In total across the four game locations players will solve around two dozen puzzles with limited repeating puzzle mechanics.
Just like the games long past of Myst and Riven the sense of wonder is recreated in Obduction with its trademark blend of human and alien, great puzzle design and intrigue in exploration. Myst fan or not you’ll enjoy the experience on offer with Obduction, particularly in the first half of the game where it shines the brightest and quickly pulls you into its bubble.
Summary:
- From the creators of Myst and Riven comes a modern vision of the genre.
- Explore a world blended with human and alien that features strange bubbles of humanity in an otherwise alien landscape.
- Complete an array of two dozen puzzles and impact the ending through your decisions to experience 3 possible endings.
- Inspect objects in enhanced 3D view to find secret information for puzzle solving.
- Experience Obduction on Windows, Mac and PlayStation 4.
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Review Platform: PC
