The Swapper Review

The Swapper PS4 Screenshot 1

The Swapper is an extraordinary game puzzle game that is fascinating and brilliant. The sheer joy of solving the complex puzzles will surely bring a smile to any gamer’s face. Introducing new mechanics to puzzle games are usually hit and miss, but it works wonderfully in The Swapper. Believe me when I say this; it’s nothing like you’ve experienced before.

 The Swapper borrows a few things from 8 and 16 bit platformers and transforms the style to make the game what it is. With the art style (The main character was hand crafted in clay) being as detailed as it is, the environment is truly beautiful and makes the story stand out that much more. The Swapper’s plot begins as a stereotypical story set in space with a mysterious voice speaking strange phrases as you go into certain areas. At first, you’ll be confused at what’s happening and on the surface, it may seem extremely complex, but it’s surprisingly easy to follow. As the game continues, you will ruin into memory terminals that reveal the history of what has happened and give you some idea of what exactly occurred. The great thing I love about The Swapper is that the story doesn’t feel tacked on, or rather, an afterthought with the great gameplay. It flows perfectly with the setting of the game.

The Swapper PS4 Screenshot 2

I’ll say this once again; The Swapper is one damn beautiful game. With the main character crafted from clay, it blends perfectly with the lighting and makes the atmosphere that much more engrossing. The game suffers no hiccups or framerate drops when swapping to your clones or doing the simple platforming the game requires you to do. The world of The Swapper is so overpowering visually that it’s worth it to stop solving the puzzle and admire the area around you.  The sound, like the graphics, is superb. The voices are a bit uneasy, but it is supposed to be that way. It is supposed to make you feel uncomfortable and lead to something spectacular at the end.

The Swapper’s main mechanic revolves around a gun (named the swapper), and it allows you to make up to four clones and the ability to swap to a specific clone. These clones mirror exactly what you do. For instance, if you move right, all your clones will move right. You jump, they jump, etc.  By using these clones correctly, you can solve the puzzles that you couldn’t do on your own.  These puzzles usually consists stepping on a special plate to activate numerous things such as turning off lights, opening barriers, etc.

The Swapper PS4 Screenshot 3

In addition, there are colored lights within certain puzzles that will not let you simply create clones and swapping to them. That’s where the beauty of the game shines. It never seems too difficult or too easy and it makes great use of the different mechanics that you are taught going through the game.  The feeling one gets after solving a difficult puzzle is so rewarding that you’ll be looking forward to the next puzzle. Another mechanic to note when you use the swapper gun, time slows down around you. You could be falling to your death and with a quick pull of the trigger, you can add a clone and swap safely on a platform to avoid your untimely death. These mechanics may seem simple on the surface, but they are deep when used properly to solve the hardest of puzzles.

After finishing The Swapper, there was a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Not only did I absorb everything the game threw at me puzzle wise, but I felt that all the work with the storytelling, graphics and sound were presently perfectly. Many puzzle games nowadays usually get a few things right and the story isn’t one of them. Thankfully that’s not the case with The Swapper. It is a beautiful game with a fantastic story and even better gameplay. You will not be disappointed with this game.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Sony Playstation 4 code was provided to Brash Games for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to editor@brashgames.co.uk.

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