Projection: First Light
- September 29, 2020
- Sweaty Chair
- 10h median play time
There might be some issues here and there, but this is a perfectly enjoyable puzzle-platformer with great pacing and enjoyable shadow platforming.
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games StoreProjection: First Light follows Greta on a puzzle-platforming adventure through a mythological shadow puppet world, as she embarks on a journey across cultures meeting legendary heroes.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Mobile Platform
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Stunning visuals and a strong visual identity that create an immersive experience.
- Brilliant dialogue-free storytelling that captivates players.
- Well-designed levels and puzzles that offer a unique gameplay experience.
- The central shadow-casting mechanic feels broken and frustrating to use.
- Finicky controls and sometimes obtuse story detract from the overall experience.
- The game plateaus quickly, leading to a sense of wasted potential.
- gameplay5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The gameplay is marred by a frustrating and poorly executed shadow-casting mechanic that detracts from the overall experience, despite the game's stunning visuals, engaging story, and unique concept. While the game offers around 10 hours of playtime, the irritating mechanics lead to a sense of wasted potential.
“[stunning visuals, fun story, unique concept/gameplay, multicultural exploration]”
“+ 10 hours of gameplay.”
“It's just such a damn shame that the central shadow-casting mechanic is so fussy, so irritating, and so downright broken that we can't recommend it without the strongest of caveats.”
“The central shadow-casting mechanic feels broken; moving objects with your shadow never feels good, resulting in a frustrating sense of wasted potential.”
“- Frustrating game mechanics.”
- story4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its brilliant dialogue-free storytelling and a touching narrative, complemented by stunning visuals and a unique concept that encourages multicultural exploration. However, some players find the story occasionally obtuse and note issues with finicky controls and bugs that detract from the experience. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a strong point, despite some execution flaws.
“Brilliant dialogue-free storytelling, a strong visual identity, well-designed levels, and puzzles.”
“A lovely, touching story.”
“Stunning visuals, fun story, unique concept/gameplay, multicultural exploration.”
“The story is often obtuse and difficult to follow, leaving players confused about the plot.”
“The narrative feels disjointed and lacks coherence, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“There are numerous bugs that disrupt the storytelling experience, detracting from the overall immersion.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are widely praised for their stunning visuals, which complement the game's unique concept and multicultural exploration, enhancing the overall experience.
“The graphics and theme are stunning.”
“Stunning visuals, fun story, unique concept/gameplay, multicultural exploration.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a lovely and touching story that resonates emotionally with players, enhancing their overall experience.
“A lovely, touching story.”
“The emotional depth of the characters truly resonated with me.”
“I felt a profound connection to the narrative that left me in tears.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for finicky controls and a sometimes confusing story, with many users reporting bugs that affect overall gameplay experience.
“The controls are finicky, the story can be obtuse, and the game is buggy for now.”
“I encountered numerous bugs that severely impacted my gameplay experience.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy any aspect of it.”
Critic Reviews
Projection: First Light (Nintendo Switch)
Projection: First Light is a game that requires patience, but if you enjoy sprawling, beautifully designed platformers, it is worth playing.
70%Projection: First Light Review
Let's be clear – this is no disaster like Gleamlight. This is a well-crafted, carefully designed and fantastic-looking game. It's just such a damn shame that the central shadow-casting mechanic is so fussy, so irritating and so downright broken that we can't recommend it without the strongest of caveats. It's very clear that the developers put their heart and soul into Projection: First Light, and that effort deserves to be recognised. Unfortunately, we suggest you recognise it from afar. We don't think that a patch alone could solve this game's problems, and if there's ever a Projection: Second Light, we'd be surprised.
40%Projection: First Light
If there was a category for beautiful games then this would score 10 out of 10. A stunning and emotion laced platformer with frustrating drawbacks. + The graphics and theme are stunning. + Captivating audio. + 10 hours of gameplay. + A lovely touching story. - Frustrating game mechanics. - The game plateaus quickly. (Reviewed on Xbox Series X. Also available for PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.)
65%
