Game Review: Proteus

I shall be sharing a game review which is also part of the content that I had written up but hasn't seen the light of day. This is a review for the Indie game Proteus and I quite enjoyed it. What sucks though is  that I unfortunately can't play this on my laptop due to some unknown reason of it being unable to play it. I enjoyed it very much and I hope this will give you more info about it!

Proteus is an interesting sort of a game. Developed and created by Ed Key and David Kanaga it’s a game of the utmost casual. You play as a genderless character that doesn’t speak in first person view as explore the sights and take in the music. That’s right, explore.

There are no enemies, no weapons, no objectives and no saving. All you do is walk around the island, which the game takes places on and wanders endlessly after you seemingly wake up in the middle of an ocean. Graphically, it’s kind of like Minecraft except more pixelated almost like an 8-bit game. Nevertheless it is beautiful to look at as you venture around and occasionally seeing pixelated rabbits hopping around. Another key aspect to this game is the music - it sounds beautiful and changes as you wander around seeing parts of the island, altering with seasonal changes as well as the passage of time.

Now during the day nothing of interest really happens as you explore the island, but as the game progresses and nighttime befell the island - that’s when things started to get interesting. By interesting I mean that the island would undergo a number of enchanting weather changes: Rain would start to fall on the grassy areas with the trees and some of them would appear to move, as you “interact” with objects dotted around the island. This is all well and good, but if you got out of the rain by climbing atop a snowy mountain that’s when Proteus really showed its hand.

Somewhere on these mountaintops are a circle of what appear to be statues with distinct head shapes (one sure looks like a dragon) and if you look up, the night sky comes alive. Nearby several shooting stars start to appear and before you know it you’re being treated to a mesmerizing light show with the music matching the visuals.

After this event daytime would come and the cycle will repeat, which is pretty much Proteus in a nutshell. One part of this game that really stands out is when you end it: the screen fades out as if you're closing your eyes and when you load it back up you begin in the same place as you started – making the experience feel almost dream-like.

Chickens are one of the various animals you encounter here

 So now begs the question, who is this game for? As mentioned in the beginning the game is casual could be seen as a great way to relax from day to day activities and just get lost in the music. Some may complain the price is steep for what the game offers, currently going for 9.99 on steam, but that’s how things go. If you look past the minimalistic gameplay and appreciate it for the art and the music, this is a very relaxing and beautiful game.

Should you play this game?
Absolutely just for the experience! Its art style is beautiful and the music is very relaxing. A treat for both your eyes and ears

One of the many areas you'll find on this island

Along with stars growing, shooting stars appear in the night