Expensive art without vision
While having a blind protagonist isn’t exactly a brand new idea, Pulse tackles the subject in a unique way that proves that video games are indeed art by being one of the most colorful experiences I’ve played to date.
Unfortunately art sometimes comes with a high price and ends up not only lacking vision, but being a bit short-sighted.
Pulse (PC)
Developer: Pixel Pi Games
Publisher: Pixel Pi Games
Released: October 20, 2015
MSRP: $14.99
Eva’s story isn’t exactly original as it is essentially a mashup of a Disney cartoon and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village. Pulse centers around Eva, a girl blinded at a young age, who defies her parents and attempts a dangerous pilgrimage using only echolocation and her imagination to visualize the world around her. What motivated Eva to embark on this journey is never explained, though the results of her actions are evident by the time credits roll in around an hour and a half later. That’s right, an hour and a half for a penny shy of 15 dollars, which means you’re paying over 16 cents per minute of gameplay. On top of that, there is a Steam achievement for beating the game under 30 minutes, so it clearly can be done faster.
Whether or not the cost of entry is worth it depends on how much you value the artistic style of Pulse, because the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. That isn’t to say that it’s bad, just that it doesn’t really go anywhere. From the moment the game starts and you take your first few steps, you’ll have grasped everything it has to offer.
Walking causes colorful rippling sound waves to trace the world hidden within the black void that is Eva’s vision. Following the paths as they are revealed in the darkness, you’ll come across Mokos, which are round, Furby-like critters with giant puppy dog eyes. Mokos can be picked up and thrown to cause sound in the distance — giving Eva a brief glimpse at the level ahead — and can be placed in giant hamster wheels to open closed doors.
The only area where Pulse really deviates the gameplay is one requiring Eva to walk slowly across a frozen lake, taking care to pay attention to where the ice is cracking beneath her feet thus allowing a safe passage. Aside from that, you’ll come across a couple of areas of simple platforming, and not much more, which is honestly a shame for how great the game looks.
Unity isn’t exactly known for having the best-looking games, but Pulse proves that the engine isn’t the problem by having one of the most gorgeous presentations this year; from a vibrant forest, to a tundra, to a living cave, Pulse is stunning. Due to the way Eva is imagining how the world around her looks, the world is brightly colored in a minimalist way, meaning each level only has a few colors total. One level is mostly blue, while another is mostly shades of orange, which sounds like it would hard to navigate, but the creators made it work and I never found myself lost a single time.
Pixel Pi Games managed to take the concept of a blind heroine and create something beautiful around it, but considering the game took less time to complete than this review and costs 15 dollars, it is hard to recommend to anyone but those thirsty for an artistic game or a unique character. If Pulse had a longer, more in-depth story with evolving gameplay, it would be easily recommendable. As it stands now, it feels more like a proof-of-concept than a full-fledged game.
[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]
