Picture through Wonderland Kazakiri and Pocketpair
When Polytron Company launched Fez, we’d by no means actually seen something prefer it. A recreation that makes use of perspective to unravel puzzles and make progress and shifting between 2D and 3D? Later, we’d see Superliminal and Viewfinder play with how we see issues altering how the world works. Cassette Boy is a recreation in that very same vein, solely blinding The Legend of Zelda fashion action-RPG components as we rotate our viewpoint to alter the foundations of the world. It’s additionally simply as intelligent as many of those different video games I’ve talked about, and I hope this indie will get the eye it deserves.
Cassette Boy begins with our avatar being addressed by a glowing entity. It cryptically explains that the moon is gone as a result of our character wasn’t taking a look at it. This being explains that perspective is every little thing, and illustrates examples exhibiting that objects, entities, and buttons can disappear should you can’t see them. As such, it’s now as much as you to get better the Moon Fragments to revive them to the sky.
Whereas Cassette Boy is a The Legend of Zelda-like in some methods, it actually prioritizes puzzles and experimenting with our view of the world in a approach I appreciated. After the opening introduction and buying a sword, we’re given the power to make use of the shoulder buttons to rotate the world. On the town, it means having access to homes the place you couldn’t beforehand see doorways. Extra importantly, it means alternatives to start out “hiding” enemies, switches, and blockades to make progress to completely different areas or turning the world quick sufficient to trigger squares to pop as much as present alternatives to succeed in greater areas or injury foes. In order among the earliest examples, there’ll be a state of affairs the place you rotate 90 levels to utterly cover an enormous slime you couldn’t in any other case defeat at that time to slide previous to the following space in a forest. For one boss, you rotate the world 360 levels as shortly on the switches that can make a chunk of floor pop up when the opponent is about to get close to to break it 5 instances to win. You stand on a swap to open a door, then rotate the world to dam it so you may then transfer and safely undergo the doorway. In a single state of affairs, you progress a field to some extent the place it’s good to rotate 360 levels to elevate your self and the field up so you may soar.
Bear in mind, these are the earliest sorts of development. In a real The Legend of Zelda and even Metroidvania sort of style, Cassette Boy additionally ultimately encourages returning to previous areas or quickly blocks off entry to sure spots by hiding them behind a kind of “trick” you haven’t realized but. So that you would possibly see a shrine within the first forest you may’t attain but or an space of city blocked off, however want to attend till you may see issues the correct technique to get to that new place. These come within the types of cassettes for the headphones you purchase early on that aid you “focus” to alter the way in which you see the world.
Sure, I discussed a shrine. Like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, there are portals to transient shrines in Cassette Boy. When you achieve entry to one in all these optionally available spots, you’ll be posed with further logic puzzles. I’ve by no means seen any combat-related ones in my time with the sport. Every one I encountered appeared to construct upon my information of my skills in ways in which generally challenged me a bit greater than the standard puzzles encountered when looking for bosses holding Moon Fragments. Which is sweet as a result of, whereas the fight isn’t horrible, it does really feel like nearer to the sooner The Legend of Zelda NES and Sport Boy video games. The melee assaults with the sword didn’t have the kind of responsiveness and combos as some contemporaries, and aiming with the bow and arrow generally is a ache even after you get used to figuring out how lengthy to carry it to shoot it correct distances.
One other factor I admire about Cassette Boy is that it’s a actually minimalistic recreation. It depends about the identical Sport Boy fashion greenscale palette. Whereas there are a number of indoor space tile conditions the place this generally is a lot when a number of designs are mixed, it usually is admittedly efficient and crowd pleasing, whereas nonetheless making visible distinctions fairly clear. Which is essential because you do must be very exact about positioning to unravel puzzles. That’s a little irritating generally, particularly when it entails guaranteeing a harmful enemy is blocked or {that a} blockade is 100% hidden. However the design philosophy actually provides to the expertise.
Likewise, that comes a bit with the script. It is a slightly easy recreation and doesn’t function a brilliant intense narrative. There are some often intelligent strains, although! And once more, there’s a minimalistic method to it. For instance, whereas there’s not loads of dialogue for NPCs, we’ll see reactions to sure occasions. This occurs with our avatar’s neighbor, Nell. Our protagonist themselves may also often take into consideration issues occurring, and people asides may be entertaining.
Cassette Boy is at its greatest when difficult you to rethink your perspective to unravel puzzles on this The Legend of Zelda and Fez fashion journey. There are occasions when it might actually check you and make you suppose! The minimalistic design route can be a spotlight. Nevertheless, some fight components can often really feel finicky, particularly when the bow is concerned. It undoubtedly may be fairly intelligent, and it’s effectively value on the very least making an attempt the demo should you additionally loved video games like Fez.
Cassette Boy will come to PCs through Steam on January 15, 2026, and a demo is accessible. It’ll additionally ultimately seem on the Change, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Collection X.
Cassette Boy
Cassette Boy is at its greatest when difficult you to rethink your perspective to unravel puzzles on this The Legend of Zelda and Fez fashion journey. PC model reviewed. Evaluate copy offered by firm for testing functions.
