The Swapper Review

One of the most immediately apparent aspects of The Swapper is how unique it looks. The creepy aesthetics were created in part with clay models, but this isn't the sort of claymation you would find in a Wallace and Gromit film. You might not even recognize the visuals as being made up of commonplace materials. But even if you don't recognize why things look the way they do, you will likely notice how striking they are. Great use of lighting helps set the mood and keeps things looking interesting, allowing for a lot of impressive imagery.

Sometimes you've just got to look at a problem from another perspective--like upside down.

As you traverse these gloomy but beautifully crafted worlds, you notice the overall map filling up in a very Metroid-style manner, but those who yearn for that specific type of game shouldn't get their hopes up too high. While there is some exploration involved in moving forward, there is little in the way of backtracking, and the path remains fairly linear. Each room you find in the world serves as its own stand-alone puzzle, and such rooms are never terribly large, nor are they connected--everything you need to solve a puzzle is always right in front of you. What this progression format does, though, is give you freedom to solve certain puzzles in whatever order you choose. You need to complete every puzzle and collect every orb to see the game's ending, but you need to solve only a certain number to move past specific areas, allowing you to come back later if you need to. You won't be coming back with any new abilities to work with, but you may be able to look at the situation a little differently with knowledge you gain elsewhere.

As you make your way through the game's puzzles, you delve deeper into its philosophical plot. The story never gets in your way too much if you simply want a puzzle game without having to worry about narrative, but there are optional text entries you encounter that expand on events both past and present. While the story is full of interesting ideas and some thoughts that might make you go "Hmm," the plot has some confusing aspects and, as a linear story, can be a little underwhelming in the end. That said, it also asks some deep questions that directly relate to the gameplay, so there's a philosophical aspect to the narrative that's worth engaging with if you want to dive deeper into it.

This isn't your typical red-light district.

The Swapper doesn't outstay its welcome, ending before its gameplay starts to grow tiresome. At the same time, this ending is bittersweet, as it's easy to wish for more clever puzzles using these mechanics. If you can manage to cruise through without getting stuck too long on many of the puzzles, The Swapper can easily be completed in a four-hour sitting. You can play through again and get a different ending, but the puzzles are predictably less appealing a second time through. A collection of well-hidden text message terminals can encourage deep exploration, but for the most part, the game isn't suited for multiple playthroughs.

While it lasts, though, The Swapper is a smart, good-looking game with engaging puzzle mechanics and great atmosphere. It's a well-crafted journey from top to bottom, and the only regret at the end is that there's not more of it.