When Portal first came out, I played it for hours straight, instantly addicted to its creative puzzles. A first person puzzle game I find is much more immersive and fun than most other games sharing its genre. In many ways, Vitrum is similar to Portal with a futuristic like setting, mysterious back story, and diversive challenges. The main game is composed of 50 main stages that gradually increase in difficulty and has a relatively low learning curve. Upon completion, your statistics of the level are presented with how many deaths you had, how many crystals you found, and your overall time. I admit that finding these secondary objective crystals proved more challenging than the levels themselves on occasion. Sometimes, the game is a bit choppy, which presents a challenge as you dash through the dangers. Nonetheless, I was drawn to Vitrum for extended amounts of time to explore the confined illuminated halls I was placed in. Throughout the game, clues hidden in the crevices of various levels hint at the back story of Vitrum. In my opinion, the levels themselves are not that difficult, but the game offers a level editor open to the public allowing any gamer to create and download user made levels.
The soundtrack repeats every couple of levels, but is fitting of the challenges at hand with its mellow, futuristic rhythms. Crystal formations grant your character a one-time power up (you can return to the crystal as many times as you want) for each hand. Anything from inverting gravity to lethal radiation crystals pepper each level; many of these can be combined with one other power in your other hand for creative solutions. Every special crystal comes in various colors specific to their properties, which proved to be my hardest obstacle to face as a red – green colorblind male. No matter though, as I conquered every level with a triumphant attitude. I firmly believe Vitrum will be a popular game of choice for any Portal fan and puzzle enthusiast, and even if you aren’t a fan of Portal, you should still check it out for a dollar, I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
Vitrum is available now and for the next four days at Indie Game Stand. Pay what you want for this fun FPP (First Person Puzzle!).
You can also visit their official website, here.
And finally, please consider voting for them on Greenlight.
Game Info
GAME NAME: Vitrum
DEVELOPER(S): 9heads
PUBLISHER(S): N/A
PLATFORM(S): PC
GENRE(S): FPP (First Person Puzzle)
RELEASE DATE(S): September 23, 2012
