Review: Semblance (Nintendo Switch)

Semblance is an innovative platformer with deformable terrain, set in a beautiful minimalist world. It’s a game that asks, what if you could deform and reshape the world itself? Semblance takes the idea of a ‘platform’ in a platformer and turns it on its head.

Pros:

• Lush abstract like graphic style.
• 2.3GB Download size.
• Puzzle platformer gameplay.
• Tutorials scattered about the levels.
• Very impactful yet strangely calming soundtrack.
• Manipulate the world’s terrain! Dash into any solid filled piece of terrain to manipulate it and make a ledge or a maybe move a lasers trajectory.
• Solid level design.
• Actions- Jump, Dash, and pulse.
• Pulse- Resets the terrain you are next to.
• Your goal is to basically go into a corrupted tree, Collect spheres and cleanse the tree. You have the main hub world that opens up as you progress.
• Vibrant background and foreground art.
• So much fun to play.
• Satisfying gameplay.
• Instant respawns.
• Generous with how much progress is saved when you die.
• A story is told through a kind of cave drawing style. A lot of pictures.
• So many different ways to complete the puzzles.
• Difficult.
• A world you want to explore.
• Many inhabitants to see.
• Fits the handheld well.
• Vey simple three-button control layout.

Cons:

• Initially hard to know what to do and where to go.
• No touchscreen support.
• Difficult.
• No help in the game.
• Never sure when the game has saved.
• Little replayability.
• Short game.