Blue Prince is the newest title from developer Dogubomb, this is their first title that they have crafted themselves for release. Before which they used to develop films and games for other corporations like Netflix, Magic: The Gathering, ABC and more. The game is set to release on the 10th of April and will be available on PC, Xbox and Playstation.
What The Game Is About
From the surface it looks like a first person puzzle solver, where we as the protagonist have to traverse a manor called Mt. Holly. It is a house with constantly shifting rooms and each room contains a puzzle for the player to solve before they can leave.
The reason why we enter the Manor in the first place is because we have become the heir to it, thus it’s up to us to explore as much of the manor as possible and the goal being we have to find the elusive 46th room but there are deeper secrets that we will soon discover.
Our playthrough will take us through a plot filled with blackmail political intrigue and missing persons of interest. The deeper we go the more and more we are set to uncover the depths of the Manor and its past.
The Gameplay
In terms of gameplay, it is in first person and as we start exploring each room we’ll come across a puzzle we have to complete. After we complete each puzzle we’ll be presented with 3 choices which state which is the next room they want to “draft”.This mechanic allows the player to design the manor as they play which provides another level of. As we complete the rooms we add it to the blueprint we carry which ultimate becomes our map of the rooms we traversed through.
The fact that we choose which room to venture into next along with managing resources like keys which periodically obtained when solving the puzzles we come across. These keys can then be used to unlock special rooms which contain significant clues concerning the plot of the game.
The Art Style And Design
The art style consists of thick pen lines and a shades of pastel colors which invoke a feeling of watching a painting playout. Everything looks realistic from a distance but on closer inspection reveals the distinct colors that they are going for.
This is perfect for setting the mysterious tone of the Manor and adds to its unsettling aesthetic, this also invokes a sense of curiosity for the player making them start to pay attention to everything, in case they can find any potential clues.Each room is vastly different from the other and this drastic difference also plays a part in invoking a sense of curiosity into the player on finding more clues whether they are big or small in order to ultimately uncover the secrets of the past.
Conclusion
The game is already receiving substantial praise from multiple journalists from various outlets, everyone is praising the story and gameplay. Gamespot rated it a 9/10 stating that “it was one the video game experiences”, Eurogamer stated that “..its atmospheric, clever and a very hard game to walk away from”.
It is very surprising to a studio to get such high praises from so many reputable sources before the game’s release. Everyone worth their weight in salt is praising this title, it surely deserves a spot in everyone’s library and is definitely raising the bar on the puzzle adventure genre.
All in all the game is proving to be a worthwhile purchase and a memorable experience to be sure. Players are sure to find themselves captivated by the changing rooms and intriguing puzzles that get presented to them all to uncover deep secrets hidden within. Dogubomb has clearly swung for the fences for their very first release and clearly has not missed their shot.
