There comes a time in a scientist’s life when their work takes control. For M. Arkwright this was the case… literally. In the world of Vessel, Arkwright must take back control of his lab from his invention: Fluro. Fluros are liquid automatons that are featured in every factory of every industry. They remove need for health care and worker’s comp because they are easily replaced by another form. These Fluros are Arkwright’s greatest success. Now the Fluros are changing the way Arkwright’s lab functions and he must restore order to keep working on his next invention.
Vessel is a puzzle-platformer by the Seattle-based team Strange Loop Games. Strange Loop is comprised of only four members and it took almost four years to put it together. Fear not, the team is not new to game development and their first title shows it. Vessel is a quality game.
The setting for Vessel is massive. Since Arkwright has acquired so much money from his invention it’s not hard to believe that his lab would become a never ending factory. His factory starts underground and goes well into the sky. The dark background is contrasted by the yellow piping and various machines. While Arkwright is climbing in the shadows of his inventions, it never feels like the game is too dark. There are breaks from indoors when Arkwright travels outside to re-enter the factory or discover other Fluros working on his equipment.
There used to be an embeded media player here, but it doesn't work anymore. We blame the Tumbeasts.
Fluros are liquid beings that react to light. The lights they react to are paired to the task of pushing down a button. The buttons activate things like steam, water, lava, and doors. When all of those elements are combined, Arkwright is able to solve the puzzle and move forward. In the beginning, Fluros are in places and are available as needed. Eventually, Arkwright becomes equipped with seeds to create Fluros on the move.
Fluros are simple creatures which makes solving puzzles a breeze. Well, at least, figuring out the puzzle. Physically solving the puzzle takes a bit. Don’t be fooled, these aren’t cupcake puzzles by any means. The camera will back up to allow an entire view of the level. Key points of interest are revealed, such a ladders, openings that only Fluros can travel through, or buttons. Once the camera zooms back on Arkwright, all methods become easier said than done.
Some puzzles went a bit longer than usual due to a miscommunication with a certain kind of Fluros, the Chaser. The Chaser, well, chases after Arkwright and they are made of lava so if they catch up to him, they kill him. Since they follow Arkwright, he can lead the Chasers into a secluded area and use them to complete the puzzle. The problem with some Chasers is that they can caught get in an animation or hooked onto some portion of a ledge not allowing them to complete the task. It only happened a few times so it could just be a random bug, but the few times it did happen, it made simple-like puzzles become tedious.
Arkwright is a man of silence; his thoughts are shown through his journal. He is only as loud as his footsteps. However it feels like the score of Vessel is an extension of his thoughts. The score isn’t over-bearing and builds a climax when an epiphany happens, which helps show that any effort on a puzzle is not a lost cause. There are only 10 tracks used within the game, but the repeats are far less than a pop radio station.
Vessel offers a pretty sweet experience for a reasonable price of $14.99. It’s available on Steam or a DRM-free download with a Steam Key directly from Strange Loop Games.
