to drop.
Playing as the unnamed child,
players will find their way threw richly
abstract environments which are
quite easy to traverse, however due
to the controls moving through
environments might seem
challenging. Controlling the child can
seem clumsy, adding to the weight of
the ordeal.
Don’t get me wrong, there are
times when you will appreciated what
is happening, yet these moments
seemed somehow overshadowed by
Vane’s audacity to challenge the
status quo of game design, if there is
such a thing. While the effort must be
applauded, some might be
overwhelmed by frustration.
The visual design of Vane will be
appreciated, even when the
VANE
PS4
Platform: PS4 Genre: Adventure ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Friend & Foe Developer: Friend & Foe
M
Playing out like a passion project to break a few game design rules, Vane sends interesting
messages to players willing to look past the surface.
any indie video
games today are
nothing short of
ground breaking
artistic expressions founded upon
human emotion. Often, when all of
the necessary working parts of these
experiences are met with an
understanding of cohesion and
purpose players can find themselves
fully satisfied. Even if slices of the
overarching message is somewhat
lost in translation, ultimately, the
essence of fun trumps all.
However, for VANE, while this
attractive interactive canvas of
surrealism immediately captures the
imagination, this latest work from
developer Friend & Foe seems quite
diligent in the design department to
betray an otherwise inspiring
experience.
From the beginning Vane’s beautiful
puzzle and art level design fully
engulf the player, begging you to
explore and decipher as much as
possible, in order to progress the
story, as well as discover what could
be in the daring distance.
Positioned as an open-world
physics puzzler, players are
introduced as a bird needing to
navigate to certain points of the
world in order to command other
birds for a common purpose.
Eventually, the bird is transformed
into a nameless child which also goes
about his busy with the same purpose
of journeying to an unknown
destination. From the outset, playing
as the bird presents unsavory control
confusion.
Yet, despite this and other issues
Vane still managed to hold my
attention. Vane does not apologize
for not holding your hand as players
will be forced to use their intuition to
discover the games abstract direction.
Unfortunately, this approach can
seem disjointed within the realm of
Vane, as some widely open areas give
no clue of guidance, causing players
to potentially wander for a
considerable amount of time,
scratching their head until stumbling
upon the most simple find of
progression.
Presented with both wide-open
areas, in addition to somewhat linear
sections, the journey of Vane with its
tamed obstacles and lightly dangled
carrots of enlightenment along the
way, does only enough to get you
past certain gameplay frustrations as
you move ahead. Yet, you are
constantly awaiting for the hammer
occasional texture pop-ins start to
rear their inconsistent heads. When
this happens due to the games cool
decorative art layout, it seems to
oddly fit the world. The visual design
is supported by a hemorrhaging art
effect, profoundly adding to the
games theme and tone. Artistically,
Vane provokes confusion and
instability within this eventual self-
destructing universe, seeking to find
balance for itself.
Vane can be confusing and
frustrating the deeper you dive,
peeling away its layers of discovery.
You will ask yourself ‘what in this
world is happening’, and why can I
not easily land this stupid bird on a
perch. Yet, you may not stop playing
it until the decisive end.
Vane does echo games such as
Journey and The Witness, yet due to
its rogue behavior and maybe
purposeful imbalance, is all its own.
Oddly enough, I enjoyed Vane’s
vague and stubborn journey, through
its cold sometimes oppressive world.
There is much here to appreciate as I
certainly did on multiple
playthrough’s.
Playing out like a passion project
to break a few game design rules,
Vane sends interesting messages to
players willing to look past the
surface.
7.0