Metrico+ Review

I have a odd relationship with puzzle games, sometimes it can be the worst genre I’ve ever played, whilst another day it will be one of my favourites. This is usually down to how different a lot of puzzle games are, there isn’t the same level of homogeneity as you’d find in the FPS genre. Luckily Metrico+ falls on the good side of puzzle games, blending a mix of creative puzzle solving, with forward thinking controls.

Metrico+ is developed by Digital Dreams, having had a reasonable amount of success with the PS Vita and PC, the game has now been ported to the PS4 and Xbox One. We’ll be reviewing PS4 copy of the game, looking at how the game has improved whilst still reviewing it on it’s own merits (I haven’t played the other versions so this is a fresh experience for me)

Right from the start, the game’s visuals are pretty striking. Devoid of minor details, everything is presented in a simple shape like manner; there’s a specific reason for this. The game’s unique selling point is it’s art design, everything has been created to look like an infographic. What is an infographic you ask? They are information presented in a visual format, usually graphs or pie charts. The government likes to use them when trying to make studies more digestible. So the game essentially has you travelling through levels shaped like infographs, whilst trying to figure out the puzzles.

The puzzles in Metrico+ are excellently thought through, they are purposely designed in a way that makes them seem really illogical at first glance. After a few minutes of thinking about it the answer is suddenly quite obvious, but it often requires you to think outside the box. It reminded me of The Witness and how it made you really question how you’ve been programmed play games, forcing you out of your comfort zone to solve puzzles. Levels are designed in a way that can be played by both budding puzzle enthusiasts and those who enjoy platforming games. It’s honestly quite impressive how they’ve managed to weave the two together, this obviously limits the complexity, but manages to make the gameplay more enjoyable.

Each level earns you a new upgrade, a new tool that can be used to solve puzzles. This leaves each level feeling like a new playground to explore, giving your mind an extra layer of processing to deal with. It feels like each upgrade has been meticulously thought out, every single one of them can stand on their own as a gameplay element, but they also manage to work excellent together. It’s these touches that show just how well Metrico+ has been developed.

Those expecting a narrative will likely be disappointed, there is one in the game but it’s quite abstract and vague. You kind of make of it what you will, I interpreted it as the protagonist going on a journey, and as he progresses the new upgrades slowly turn him into a machine. For me it’s a metaphor for how much we are all willing to sacrifice in order to progress, but as I previously stated, it’s pretty vague so it could literally mean anything.

Sound design is always important to me, and Metrico+ does not disappoint. While everything does sound like it’s been created in an 808 synth, it compliments the game's visuals perfectly. All the noises have been designed to be pleasantly satisfying, adding to the game’s overall relaxing aesthetic.

Sound design, visual design and gameplay have all been meticulously crafted to provide one of the most unique experiences available on console and PC alike. The PS4 version improves on what was already a well received title, adding more content, updated visuals and minor tweaks all over the place. Metrico+ will push your brain out of it’s comfort zone ,but you’ll feel totally awesome when you figure it out.