

And oftentimes, you’ll need to quickly shuffle between planes of reality to solve the game’s clever puzzles. What appears to be a harmless butterfly in your world might just turn out to be a Lovecraftian monster once you peer behind the veil of reality. And sometimes, it’s what’s on the other side that you need to be worried about. You just never know what you’re going to get until you peek behind that curtain. Other times, portals will reveal otherwise invisible platforms to help you cross wide gaps.

For example, you can use portals to transform demons into blocks which be pushed to reach high ledges. These portals, represented by wide circles, transform reality in an instant. So, this power becomes Soli’s only real way of overcoming the hazards and other enemies he’ll encounter. There’s no traditional combat to speak of in Unbound.

In this strange cave, he’s is granted the ability to open small portals that can shape the world around him in interesting ways. However, when the earth collapses underneath his feet, he finds himself in an unfamiliar cavern beneath his ravaged village. In the game’s opening moments, Soli’s peaceful life in a village of mystics is disrupted when a portal opens, and grotesque creatures, led by the Demon King, emerge from it to ravage the once-peaceful land. Unbound: Worlds Apart puts players in the red robes of a pint-sized mage named Soli. And it’s this innovative mechanic that really sets Unbound: Worlds Apart…well …apart from the pack. In addition to these familiar genre staples, the game also features a unique, world-warping twist. However, that’s not to say it doesn’t do anything new-quite the contrary. There’s challenging platforming, clever puzzles, and a massive map that you gradually uncover as you unlock different abilities to reach previously inaccessible areas. Developed by Alien Pixel Studios, a tiny team from Bucharest, Romania, it features many of the themes Metroidvanias are known for. And even today, the genre remains more popular than ever, especially among the indie gaming community. Konami’s 1997 classic single-handedly established the Metroidvania genre as we know it. It may be hard to believe, but it’s been nearly 25 years since Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was released for the PlayStation. Unbound: Worlds Apart Review: Out Of This World
