Maneuver three explorers through a number of 3D ancient puzzles in Path of Giants!
Format: PC via Steam
First playthrough time: 3 hours
Released Feb 14th, 2020 by Journey Bound Games
Quick Overview
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There are quick rotation puzzles at the end of each level
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In-Depth Review
Path of Giants is a puzzle game where players navigate their three color-coded explorers around 3D levels. The explorers must activate buttons and switches to move pieces of the level around. They also need to boost each other up to higher platforms, which is one of the primary ways of changing elevation. Some amount of planning is required to navigate the explorers around each level and not leave anything behind.
Color-coded elements can only be used by the matching explorer
To move their explorers around, players will select an explorer and then the location they want them to move to. If a route is possible, the explorer will move there, utilizing tunnels, ladders, or climbing on each other if necessary. Some terrain and buttons are color-coded and can only be used by a particular explorer, otherwise, the explorers do not differ from each other in any way. This color-coding is only important because explorers will often start and end the level in slightly different locations.
Explorers must split up to travel to each puzzle within a level
The main story follows the explorers as they investigate ruins to retrieve a relic. The story is pretty minimal in terms of dialog and the explorers themselves don’t develop much in the way of personalities. But the scenery is grand and provides an in-depth backdrop behind the levels. After the story, there’s a short series of bonus holiday levels. Unfortunately, I didn’t find these to be as polished as the original set. The additional visual elements stood out poorly and the levels were easier to get yourself soft locked on.
Some low poly trees, there were also obnoxiously bright candy canes
My biggest issue was that the mechanics become somewhat repetitive in the later game. While a few new mechanics were introduced, they didn’t seem to have a meaningful effect on how the puzzles were figured out. Often they felt like new flavors of one-way gates which didn’t add much to the puzzle solving. I still enjoyed the puzzles, but they didn’t feel distinct or meaningfully different from prior levels.
Creating a human ladder
Recommendation
Overall, I liked the puzzles in Path of Giants. While they plateaued a bit toward the end, I enjoyed maneuvering my three explorers and I was pleased with the way they each had a role and purpose in the levels without each needing some special ability. It was cool that there were bonus levels after the story, but I didn’t find them as polished as the main levels. I recommend Path of Giants for puzzle players looking to guide some cute explorers around 3D levels.
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Categories: Desktop games, Video game reviews
Cthulhu's Critiques 