Snapshot

The premise of snapshot is that the player can move around objects by capturing them with a camera to make them disappear and then pasting them back into the world. It is a neat game, both how the mechanic is implemented and the visual quirks, but – and maybe this is just my personal preference – it is a lot longer than it manages to be interesting.

For starters, while you sometimes have to consider the physical state of objects the majority of the puzzles use the photography mechanic as a simple inventory system. A new mechanic is introduced every three levels, some work really well and return in later levels but a lot of them are a hassle to use or very closely resemble mechanics used in earlier levels. Some puzzle elements are re-used over and over throughout the game. Finally, a lot of the levels are immensely frustrating – all levels give you the mostly tedious task of collecting a bunch of stars, but some contain an abundance of instant-kill traps that force you to restart from the beginning.

The levels are never bad, and if you don’t mind most of the challenge being in navigating the levels rather than figuring out the puzzles there is a lot of gaming to be had in Snapshot. With Quantum Conundrum and other similar games, I am beginning to suspect I am in a minority that prefers them to lean heavier on the puzzles than the platforming. Still, while I did have some good times with Snapshot it also felt like it wasted my time just as often.

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Posted on Sep 22/12 by Saint and filed under Reflections | No Comments »