Edmund McMillen (co-creator of Gish and Triachnid) has announced that his newest game, Aether, has been released to the public. McMillen personifies Aether as a “personal project” that explores the concept of escapism and a child’s desire to find someone whom he can relate to. Here’s what McMillen had to say about the title in his press release:
It’s called Aether and it’s a simple experimental art game about childhood and escapism. Its a very honest and personal project I've been a little worried about making public because its exposes a lot of the fears I had when I was a child and puts me in a vulnerable places. But I feel like there are some out there that can appreciate something honest that has a lot of heart.
The game conveys his message via moody music, impressive art, and wistful controls. You can play the flash version of the game here, or you can download the Macintosh and PC versions collectively here. Also, feel free to tell me what you think of it.
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Contest:
5:54 PM on 09.04.2008
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I'm not ready to call it a deep and insightful masterpiece, but I also haven't finished it yet (see previous sentence). I also wish the music were higher quality as the compression really hurts the dream-like environments.
I thought it was rather novel but unfortunately fell short of the emotional depth that it was reaching for.
The art style is pleasant and welcoming, while the NPCs are depressing even after you help them.
Perhaps the overall message is that the help offered is not the help necessary (fixing planets is great, but the NPCs need help moreso).