REVIEW : Glyph (PC)
Glyph reminds me of those 3D marble games that appear in droves from time to time, albeit with an Egyptian motif this time. It’s not far off the mark, but not going into detail about its brilliance would be a grave mistake. The Glyph is a thoroughly enjoyable platformer that will have your heart pounding and your lips smiling the entire time virtually.
The backstory has taken a lot of time and work to develop. You take in the role of the titular Glyph; a mechanical scarab dispatched to Egypt to resurrect the lost temple of Aaru.
It belonged to an ancient, prosperous society before being destroyed by a tremendous calamity caused by an innovative machine creation. The earth has become polluted and unsafe to touch, and all of the constructions have been buried deep beneath. After reconstructing the lost city and temple of Aaru, you must recover items from ancient ruins to confront the source of corruption.
You must gather all of the keys and reach the exit after each slalom course in each stage, as well as coins, artefacts, and gems to unlock new levels and zones.
Dying puts you back to the beginning, and the lack of checkpoints in these levels can be irritating. Still, anything you collect in a level (excluding keys and avatars, which will be discussed later) will stay with you until you complete it. It’s pretty convenient! Fortunately, you may retake missions to reclaim the loot if you missed it the first time.
The stages themselves are well-thought-out, with plenty of little platforms, angular pillars, and unique, glowing pads that allow you an extra jump.
Some levels curve about or float in the sky to spice things up and put your sense of balance and control to the test, but they’re all dependably terrific to play. The addition of personal items and unlockable nuggets like new avatars and trails and primetime trial stages increases the replayability and duration of these missions.
It didn’t take long to get acclimated to floating physics. I believe it benefits the game, owing to the tight and responsive aerodynamic controls.
Reaching vast heights and distances is a lot easier than it seems. With the option to bounce higher after slamming (a la Mario) and even gliding a bit with your wings, it’s safe to say that the freedom of movement you get to experience in a title like this is simply freeing. You can even move up vertical surfaces by hammering the jump button, which is a life-saving technique.
Exploring each level creates a lovely sense of mystery. But, mind you, it’s not just the delightful images. The soundtrack, which comprises layers of synths that fade in and out alongside gushes of wind, is dreamy and mesmerising, adding ambience to the experience. Plus, the small musical cues that play as you complete a level, for example, never get old.
