Hue - gamescom Preview

The indie gaming scene is thriving. During the past few years it has been made easier for aspiring developers to create and release smaller, but nonetheless fantastic titles. The PS4 and Xbox One are home to a large number of indie titles, and even Nintendo, whose policy towards smaller games was awkward and intimidating, has made great strides to improve upon its relationship between them.

Whilst AAA titles might be at the forefront of most gamers’ minds at shows such as gamescom, indie titles have a very big presence. One in particular title that stood out was Hue, made by British studio Fiddlesticks. In the game you play as the eponymous Hue, a young boy who lives in a world devoid of colour and must venture out in search of your mother, a scientific researcher who has discovered colours and has gone missing.

Hue plays out as a 2D puzzle platformer and has you manipulating the colour of the background, using a time-slowing wheel, to advance through stages. The art style is striking, using simple, bold lines to create a world that is silhouetted in deep blacks but also vibrant with colour. I got to play a mixture of puzzles that introduced the core mechanics of gameplay, which is easy to grasp but can get immensely difficult. A thoughtful approach to puzzle-solving was needed as you can easily hinder your progress by not planning ahead.

The first few stages had me changing the colour of obstructions so they blended into the background, allowing me to pass. As I progressed further, I had to deal with multiple objects, moveable blocks, platforming sections and more. It was tough but thankfully, when I failed, the level would quickly reset, allowing me to try again without having to wait very long. One of the hardest levels required me to jump on bouncy blocks suspended in mid-air, while also manipulating the colour of the background. This was made difficult as the blocks would change colour every time they were touched. To make it even harder you had to carefully plan which colours you used, so you could progress past a final obstacle at the end of the stage and not trap yourself.

Hue will easily contribute to an already large number of fantastic indie titles that are available now. Not only this, Hue looks to offer a fun, charming and equally frustrating game that could rival the likes of Fez, Limbo and Braid. Colour me interested.

Hue is set for release Q1 next year for PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3, PS Vita and Wii U.