This might seem like an unconventional way to start a review, but I really do adore the name of Moondrop’s most recent puzzle-platformer – Degrees of Separation; it is literally perfect. Few times has a game’s title so deftly encapsulated the aesthetics, lore, and mechanics of the experience. Okay, now on to the review proper.Degrees of Separation centers around Ember, a girl who has lived surrounded by warmth and sunlight, and Rime, a boy who knows only ice and snow. When the climates of their worlds starts to change, the pair set out and – as fate would have it – inevitably meet causing their worlds to quite literally collide. Wherever Ember stands it remains warm and bright, while Rime’s side is caught in a winter’s storm. These mechanics are the basis for the gameplay.
The pair are tasked with collecting magical scarves, and to this end players must use the hot/cold aura of the pair to conquer puzzles to reach the enchanted accessories. I say players (plural) because that is definitely what the creators had in mind. The puzzles are manageable albeit mightily annoying to solve with the AI partner who is apparently as dumb as a bag of hammers. While you can swap characters with the press a button, it’s still isn’t as seamless as it could be. It quickly becomes clear that Degrees of Separation is best played with another person. It is way more satisfying to bark orders at your best friend or significant other…screaming at them to hang on to that rope to weigh down that platform, and let go when–NO, NOT NOW!–when I’m on the platform!…then let go so it floats up and I can reach that damned scarf.
Degrees of Separation was designed to be a very accessible game. The platforming controls are so intuitive that even that one friend who can’t navigate a 2D platform to save his life could land exactly where he was supposed to. The puzzles can be a bit of a brainteaser courtesy to the warm and cold mechanics. For example, Rime freezes water and walks on the surface, while Ember melts the water and walks on the bottom. These elements are weaved together into increasing complexity…or deceptive simplicity that will have you slapping your head in a “duh, that’s obvious!” And if happen to be intellectually challenged like my friends and I, you can just walk past any particularly confounding scarf puzzles. But something you can’t walk past and ignore is the game’s incredible art style.
Degrees of Separation sure is pretty to look at. It ticks all the necessary boxes for an atmospheric indie puzzle platformer: gorgeous hand-drawn art, a whimsical story concept, and a storybook-style narrator to really tie the entire experience together. I usually tend to dismiss narrators being a bit hammy for the sake of…being hammy, but the narration here isn’t overbearing in the least. In fact, the narration can provide subtle hints or confirmations that you are headed in the right direction with a puzzle. The art direction in indie games can sometimes be hit or miss, but Degrees of Separation is palatable, if a little samey in style and contrast. The characters pop against the background and the way the hot and cold scenery transforms around the characters as they switch positions on the screen looks really good and works extraordinarily well. That being said, I do have a few gripes with Degrees of Separation.
To be blunt, the AI in the single player is just annoying and downright dumb. Telling your partner to stay or come here and then switching to them adds a level of mental management on to every puzzle. It really makes you wish for a ‘swap character position’ button so you don’t have to manually jump over your partner every time. The task of collecting scarves ain’t all that ceremonious either.
This may come from my weird need for affirmation in all things, but collecting the scarves feels a bit too empty. There is no celebration, no real context, or anything for collecting the magical scarves. It feels as uneventful as collecting power-ups or coins in another game. And because all the puzzles exist on a single, persistent world, there are no bookends between puzzles, just long, scenic walks. I’m all for games that take you away from the bits of over-stimulation, but this is a bit too tranquil. Where’s my dopamine hit!?
All in all, Degrees of Separation is a solid title. It not only feels good, but it also looks good. It’s competent, and I daresay even highly competent in some aspects. But the price tag of $19.99 is just a tad high for what the game offers. This is something you’d boot up for a bit of simple gaming with a special someone, with accessibility high on the list. It’s no hardcore game and as such, doesn’t come with any hardcore depth. Take my advice and wait for that asking price to come down a wee bit. Then buy it, and play it with someone who doesn’t really play video games. Just keeping the yelling to a minimum if you ever expect them to play another game with you again.
A review key was provided by Evolve PR for the PlayStation 4.
