REVIEW : Paper Beast – Folded Edition (PC)
Paper Beast was already a critically praised VR title from Pixel Reef studios, so the wonderment of their brand new Folded Edition a non-VR variant of the game is a welcome one. Particularly considering the game’s reputation. It is already one of the most surreal VR sports released this year, by one of the most popular game artists of all time. Paper Beast has a lot to live up to, and the question now is whether or not it can be as engrossing as it actually seems.
Paper Beast, and subsequently his new studio Pixel Reef, is often based on his work through 3D interactivity. This tells a lot of the mechanics and design theory found in Paper Beast; interactivity with the world is minimal and simulated through simple controls that grab what you need. For better or worse, Paper Beast can accomplish this and combining Chahi’s art direction and unique scenarios play to the strengths of Paper Beast.
Paper Beast is certainly the sort of game we can expect from Chahi; creative, unique and beautiful all rolled into one package. Aesthetically it is simple but gorgeous sand-swept deserts and babbling brooks of water dot the scene filled with all sorts of odd paper creations. There are predators, prey, pests and more to communicate with an alien ecosystem that flourishes in this wondrous retreat that is right at home with the imagination of Chahi. It is a harsh world, but a world packed with life and vibrancy that is hard to overlook.
Paper Beast, and subsequently his new studio Pixel Reef, is frequently based on his work through 3D interactivity. This tells a lot of the mechanics and design theory found in Paper Beast; interactivity with the world is insignificant and fabricated through simple commands that grab what you need. For better or worse, Paper Beast can accomplish this and combining Chahi’s art direction and unique scenarios play to the strengths of Paper Beast.
Paper Beast is certainly the sort of play we can expect from Chahi; creative, unique and charming all rolled into one package. Aesthetically it is simple but gorgeous; sand-swept deserts and babbling brooks of water dot the scene filled with all sorts of odd paper creatures. There are predators, prey, pests and more to communicate with an alien ecosystem that thrives in this wondrous oasis that is right at home with the imagination of Chahi. It is a harsh world, but a world packed with life and vibrancy that is hard to ignore.
Like most of Chahi’s catalogue, Paper Beast is a simple adventure through what are sprawling set bits to feast your eyes on. Paper Beast has two gameplay styles your regular storyline and a sandbox mode and both illustrate the overall forces and weaknesses of the complete project.
The story itself is a subdued, slow experience that focuses heavily on atmosphere. The whole premise is the basic but high concept you are someone stuck in a simulation that has seemingly gone awry, where these paper monsters and other oddball creatures inhabit the world while strange occurrences happen throughout your journeys there.
Paper Beast is a world where the artifice of the environment is clear, right down to the figures and letters that spread out of the world and dot along the sky like the Matrix gone crazy. The extent as to how or why this world is the way it is, however, is not even explored, leaving a sense of ambiguity throughout. Chahi is a master of non-verbal storytelling, and Paper Beast is just another instance of how influential that can be, providing meaning without a purposeful subtext to its narrative.
A lot of the puzzles are cut from the same fabric help steer the beasts. from point A to point B while avoiding barriers along the way, from predators to obstacles. Once you get the creatures where they have to go usually a tree or some plant that gradually builds in their presence you are whisked away to the next scene. Each new area builds a new puzzle with unique elements, though the premise for each area is ultimately the same.
Paper Beast, in contrast, lacks the depth and ability to sustain the gameplay part. It is a surreal, non-verbal narrative that still resonates well, but it is not complemented by the puzzles as much as they are by the set pieces and actions of the creatures’ own AI. Your communication with the world is proactive in actions, but passive in personal effect. In essence, the player’s engagement is eventually more minimal and self-serving.
The only other gameplay mode is a more conventional Sandbox mode, where you can unfasten different beasts, plants, objects and other features while playing through the storyline. The inclusion of sandbox mode is a welcome one that fits the theme of the simulation, but outside of building your elaborate scenes, weather hazards, and creature populations, it doesn’t catch much attention beyond the initial few minutes of flexing your imagination.
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