I’ve been struggling to find out how, precisely, I wish to speak about Centum. Not by way of fundamental stuff, like style or developer or “it performs like X meets Y.” These are pretty simple to tack down. No, it’s the subsequent layer down that has had me pondering so much about Centum since I hit the tip of its preview construct: the how and why.

So let’s begin with the simple elements. Centum is a story journey, largely falling throughout the point-and-click style, from developer Hack The Writer and writer Serenity Forge. Most of its gameplay consists of interacting with objects, deciding on dialogue selections, and unlocking new interactions by way of flowchart-like experimentation. Transfer an object, discover a new factor to place in your stock, try it out on all the opposite interactable spots on-screen. Should you’ve ever journeyed with Guybrush Threepwood or Putt-Putt, these elements will really feel acquainted.

The place it begins to really feel much less acquainted is all of the mini-games. Or the sudden artwork model switches. Or perhaps even with the creepy ghost child who appears useful, for now. That is the place Centum begins to make it clear that it’s not simply one other journey sport.

Even earlier than you’re within the swing of pointing and clicking, Centum begins you out in a pc interface. It’s an old-school, chunky interface that jogged my memory of the colourful iMacs we used to make use of in class. I’ll by no means find a way to withstand a superb faux desktop; poring over information and folders is a responsible pleasure, and very like Telling Lies or Cibele, Centum leans into that. Though reasonably than deriving some gratification from digging by way of private particulars, it builds quite a lot of terror over discovering what precisely a file or folder would possibly include.

Let me put it a distinct manner: Centum imagines that you’re interacting with this laptop. However what does it imply that you, the participant, are interacting with it? What is that this laptop, precisely? The place, when, and why does it exist? And what occurred to the people who used this interface earlier than?

As you learn over notepad clues and hints in the direction of your state of affairs, it turns into slightly creepier. Names begin to drop, and also you solely have imprecise understandings of their significance. Additionally, can a machine be haunted? This one positive feels haunted. If ghosts may plague the residing, what spirits can manifest within the binary ones-and-zeroes of Centum‘s PC?

These are the ideas I had operating by way of my thoughts as I clicked and prodded my manner by way of Centum‘s first two chapters. Each are closed-room puzzles, the place the participant must discern a manner out, whereas additionally operating up in opposition to a number of completely different roadblocks. Within the first chapter, as an illustration, you’re trapped in a cell. A Decide berates you, asking why you’re right here, what you probably did, and who you might be. It reprimands you while you reply incorrectly, and I used to be all the time fallacious.

Once more, these moments really feel a bit acquainted: a locked room, stuffed with philosophical and psychological quandaries surrounding the way you’ll get out. Hack The Writer even has slightly minigame that’s just like the Big’s Recreation from Ender’s Recreation, eye-gouging and all, that appears like slightly nod in the direction of gamers that discover the similarities.

The methods to get out are equally gnarly and surreal. I talked to a wall, grew a tree, and noticed the town. A small field performed music. And at one level, I trapped a demon with mirrors. I don’t wish to get too deep into the “how” of all of it, as that’s an enormous attraction of Centum‘s in-the-moment puzzle-solving, although I additionally assume it’s the place Centum struggled a bit for me. Some options, just like the aforementioned mirrors, felt a bit unclear at instances. And also you’ll want a superb tolerance for choosing up objects and testing them on varied different objects; some have been a bit simple to determine, whereas others have been head-scratchers.

The mini-games are additionally slightly hit-or-miss. I loved them in just a few circumstances, and there’s a component of simplicity and tedium that feels textually essential. It did imply, although, that once I by chance restarted one of many video games, being locked again into beating it was a bit irritating. Not a serious gripe, only a small wrinkle.

What actually, actually works for Centum is its artwork model. Actually, it’s a mess of artwork kinds. At some factors, it seems like a point-and-click traditional. Then, it’ll introduce a creepy apparition. Then, it’d peel off right into a seemingly hand-drawn, winding line artwork of white-on-black. These segues can really feel sudden and jarring in a very great way. And man, the cat-phone. I’m haunted by the cat-phone.

By the tip of the preview, I felt I used to be beginning to grasp what Centum is about, and the story it’s attempting to inform. It’s an extremely fascinating one. I feel should you like the overall gist of exploring synthetic intelligence, man-made horrors, and perhaps a heaping serving to of each guilt and household drama, you’ll dig what Centum is concocting.

Actually, Centum appears like a reminder of what this 12 months is popping out to be. The same old wave of AAA releases has slowed to a trickle, and indie studios are discovering quite a lot of room to attraction to area of interest pursuits, to eschew broad appeals in favor of creating one thing a bit extra distinctive.

That’s Centum, to me. It may not be for everybody. However the truth that it isn’t makes it all of the extra interesting to me. I dig its ideas about ghosts within the machine. I vibe with its artwork model. Perhaps I do like cat-phone, in any case. However I do assume, if any of this made you sit up a bit in your seat and go “hm,” then Centum is price maintaining a tally of.

Centum is at present deliberate for Xbox Collection X|S and PC someday this summer season.