Hue (Review)

ReviewVideo Games

Sep 1

By: Mithrandiel[yasr_multiset setid=2]You awaken to a world of black and gray. Picking up a nearby letter, you discover that an artifact known as the "color ring" has been fractured into numerous pieces, and you're charged with mending it and solving the mystery of its power.My first thought when firing up this game was that it was very visually reminiscent of the dark puzzler Limbo. That comparison died quickly, however, after I picked up my first segment of the color ring.That's right - this adventure is brought to you by Technicolor! Essentially, with the power of the color ring you have the ability to reveal and dismiss objects of different colors. You control the color that's currently active by using the right stick, and you'll notice that time slows a bit while you choose your color. This is important because platforming ultimately plays a key role in overcoming certain challenges, and the delayed time means that you could escape an otherwise perilous situation.So, dismissing and revealing objects based on color? What does that look like? Take the following example:In the gray setting, it appears that there are a number of blue blocks that are blocking my path. Also, the infamous spike trap lay below...which means there must be something we can do about those blocks...Voíla! By shifting the room to the blue hue, the blocks are now gone and you can platform your way across the room (relatively) safely.The gameplay design around this is ingenious. As you progress through the game you acquire additional parts of the color wheel, and the puzzles grow more and more complex. It's not just a matter of knowing which color to activate when - there's also quite a bit of platforming involved.Take, for example, my encounter with a number of falling rocks. This challenge in particular required quick color changes, combined with platforming in the latter part of the puzzle.[iframe id="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kcvBH9TrsmU"]Phew. As the game progresses, Hue continues to pile on the challenges all while a calming female voice tells you the story of her relationship with the mysterious Dr. Gray, and a number of existential lines regarding color, reality and the human condition. You learn more about the various shades of color you now have control over,The story is interesting enough, but serves as a faded backdrop to the striking visuals.The vibrant color combined with the simply designed character models make for a puzzle-adventure that's easy to pick up and dive right into. While the controls are easy to master, the puzzles will certainly put your brain, and your reflexes, to the test.If you like what you see, be sure to pick up the digital code for Hue today! The game only costs $15, and I would say it's well worth it.