Overview: You're the inventor of fluros, but something's gone wrong and one of the fluros has locked you out of your lab and beginning to wreak havoc. Make your way through the game in order to get to the root of the problem. Along the way, use fluros to open doors, solve puzzles, and unlock new abilities.
20121101 ET:
I played from 11:58 PM CT to 12:38 AM CT. I got to the point in the game where the player obtains seeds.
Steam Game Time: 40 minutes (0.7 hours)
[20181205]
20181205:
I've been looking through games I've played but never had the chance to blog. I decided to play the game from the beginning.
Setup: Keyboard (At one point in the game, it's necessary to use the mouse. As such, a Steam Controller might be an option here. I'll have to test it out.)
Gameplay Log:
The game teaches the various mechanics as the player proceeds. However, it's helpful for me, should I ever pick this game up again, to leave myself notes.
1) Creatures called fluros are made from machines. They require water.
2) There are many levers and items that the player can interact with. These have "X"s near them. Hold onto them with E.
3) Fluros seem to be attracted to light. They are destroyed by contact with other objects, including the player.
4) Eventually, fluros can be made from seeds (deploy with Q, grab/release with E).
[Obtaining seeds marks the start of Chapter 3. Finished here in approximately 22 minutes, almost half the time it took me the first time!]
5) Fluros attract water, almost like a magnet attracts metal.
6) Pressurized Backpack used to "store and dispense any fluid."
7) Thus far, I can collect water and protoplasm. I don't have any idea what protoplasm is used for.
[I stopped upon completing Chapter 5]
Steam Game Time: 60 minutes
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Clever puzzles.
+ The physics-based flow of water is a fun game mechanic.
+ Great sound
+ Enjoyable visuals.
Neutral:
~ The movement of the player character can sometimes look funny when interacting with certain objects (e.g., levers).
Summary:
Not bad but I don't think there's enough incentive to keep me playing. I did enjoy what I played but there's a lack of a draw. There's some mystery with the plot but it did not keep pace with the time I spent with the game.
At which point, I asked myself, how does this compare with a game like Super Mario Bros. which has just as much story as Vessel no story, yet - from what I recall - was enjoyable from start to finish. First, perhaps I was much younger when I played Super Mario Bros. (late teens, early twenties). Second, Vessel is a continuous string of levels and puzzles whereas Super Mario Bros. is played in short chunks. This probably creates a more immediate feedback loop of success.
Overall, the game is charming and the puzzles are decent. If you enjoy puzzle platformers, then Vessel might be a game you would enjoy as well.
Vessel (PC) (2012)
Relevant Links:
Vessel (video game) (Wikipedia.org)
Vessel (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Vessel (Steam Store Page)
20121101 ET:
I played from 11:58 PM CT to 12:38 AM CT. I got to the point in the game where the player obtains seeds.
 |
| Locked out by your own creation. |
Steam Game Time: 40 minutes (0.7 hours)
[20181205]
20181205:
I've been looking through games I've played but never had the chance to blog. I decided to play the game from the beginning.
Setup: Keyboard (At one point in the game, it's necessary to use the mouse. As such, a Steam Controller might be an option here. I'll have to test it out.)
Gameplay Log:
The game teaches the various mechanics as the player proceeds. However, it's helpful for me, should I ever pick this game up again, to leave myself notes.
1) Creatures called fluros are made from machines. They require water.
2) There are many levers and items that the player can interact with. These have "X"s near them. Hold onto them with E.
3) Fluros seem to be attracted to light. They are destroyed by contact with other objects, including the player.
4) Eventually, fluros can be made from seeds (deploy with Q, grab/release with E).
[Obtaining seeds marks the start of Chapter 3. Finished here in approximately 22 minutes, almost half the time it took me the first time!]
5) Fluros attract water, almost like a magnet attracts metal.
6) Pressurized Backpack used to "store and dispense any fluid."
7) Thus far, I can collect water and protoplasm. I don't have any idea what protoplasm is used for.
[I stopped upon completing Chapter 5]
Steam Game Time: 60 minutes
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Clever puzzles.
+ The physics-based flow of water is a fun game mechanic.
+ Great sound
+ Enjoyable visuals.
Neutral:
~ The movement of the player character can sometimes look funny when interacting with certain objects (e.g., levers).
 |
| I needed the water to reach the Fluro seed at the left, but it took me a while to figure out how. |
Summary:
Not bad but I don't think there's enough incentive to keep me playing. I did enjoy what I played but there's a lack of a draw. There's some mystery with the plot but it did not keep pace with the time I spent with the game.
At which point, I asked myself, how does this compare with a game like Super Mario Bros. which has just as much story as Vessel no story, yet - from what I recall - was enjoyable from start to finish. First, perhaps I was much younger when I played Super Mario Bros. (late teens, early twenties). Second, Vessel is a continuous string of levels and puzzles whereas Super Mario Bros. is played in short chunks. This probably creates a more immediate feedback loop of success.
Overall, the game is charming and the puzzles are decent. If you enjoy puzzle platformers, then Vessel might be a game you would enjoy as well.
Vessel (PC) (2012)
Relevant Links:
Vessel (video game) (Wikipedia.org)
Vessel (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Vessel (Steam Store Page)
Date/Time
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
@
22:45
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