In Tetragon you are transported to a puzzling world of 2D puzzles as you try to find your way to your son. Using the Tetragem you can move walls, change gravity, and raise and lower towers to climb your way to the portal doors. The story is intriguing, the puzzles are challenging, and the whole experience is an enjoyable journey.
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Title: Tetragon
Release Date: 8/12/2021
Price: $14.99
Number of Players: 1
Time to Play: 5 hours
Availability: Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4
Recommended for fans of: Puzzle games
Geek to Geek Media was provided with a review copy of this title
What's The Story
A father and son, thrust into a different dimension and apparently being used for an eerie and mysterious purpose. That is the basic opening of Tetragon. You play as Lucius, a lumberjack father on a quest to find and save his son while unlocking the puzzles of this world.
To be honest, while the story was intriguing and I would like to understand it better…it was also very confusing. Perhaps I was simply too focused on the puzzles and missed something of the story, but several aspects seemed disjointed and the twist at the end felt strange to me. Even when I tried to look up others' opinions on the story (which I generally try to avoid before I write a review so it does not skew my own thoughts), I seem to be in good company with many not fully getting what is being told.
The puzzles more than make up for this flaw, however, as they are fun and just the right amount of challenge.
What the Gameplay Feels Like
Tetragon is a puzzle game where you manipulate your environment to find your way to the portal exit for each level. You harness the power to raise and lower towers so you can climb or run across them. Utilizing the stone tablets with spiral patterns on them allows you to shift gravity 90 degrees to turn the world. Between these two mechanics, you can work your way around the room, almost like a strange Rubiks cube, until you have found your escape.
There are, naturally, more than just these two simple-sounding features making up the game. As you progress through the 42 levels they get more and more difficult. Adding in spikes, flaming pillars, timing mechanics, and more will keep you on your toes and prevent any boredom from being able to set in.
What I liked
As I said before, the puzzles are challenging and unique. Obviously, as this is a puzzle game, that is the most important feature. I played on the Nintendo Switch and the controls for me were responsive and smooth, although I understand some PC players are having difficulty with that.
Another pleasing aspect of Tetragon, for me, was the artistry and colors. Even while in the most challenging of puzzles, the tones of the colors and the graphics made it a more serene experience. I often played with the sound turned off due to other things in my real life interfering. However, when I did have the sound on, it matched the look and feel in a calming and relaxing way.
What I didn't like
The story was my only real struggle. Perhaps I missed something important, or several somethings, while I was focusing on the puzzles or being distracted by things in my real life. While the idea behind the story is intriguing and made me want to learn more about what was going on, it never clicked for me.
However, I loved the puzzles, and that more than made up for it.