Causal Loop PC Review
Summary: Help yourself solve problems to escape the loop.
4.1
Loop Learning
Science Fiction is somewhat ingrained in my make-up, from early stories by Asimov and Philip K. Dick, to classic movies like Star Wars, Alien and The Fifth Element… so when a game comes along that provides a new Science Fiction world, I’m keen to have a look.
The basic concept behind Causal Loop is that you, as Bale, form part of a small team sent to investigate the lost Tor civilisation on Tor Ulsat. When you unwittingly activate the Chronolith, you are split from your teammate Jen and are left with your AI companion/observer Walter (who is essentially exposition, but for some reason is also in control of your suit’s light… something about some issue… which seemed a bit odd as a game mechanic, to be honest). As you attempt to find Jen, you start to learn more of the Tor and discover you have been granted the ability to send an “echo” of yourself to perform tasks. You later gain the ability to send multiple echoes… but each can only exist for a certain amount of time.
Visually, the game is quite striking. The alien planet shows potential aesthetic influences from Giger, Hoth and others. Navigating the world does feel a bit unpleasant at times though. Jumping feels quite leaden… I suppose it’s possible that the gravity of Tor Ulsat is such that your jumping does feel limited, but compared to most games it feels quite laboured whenever you try to jump. It’s also interesting that with a suit as advanced as yours is supposed to be, especially given your integrated AI companion, you don’t have a mapping option. This isn’t such a big issue early on, but later you can find yourself retracing the same path over and over again simply because the level looks very samey and you don’t remember the turn you need to make (that and I’m getting old… so my memory isn’t that great these days). It’s not a huge issue, but it does get annoying.
I also have to say that to start with… I hated the lead characters voice! Not because the voice was bad or even the acting was bad… but because the character seems to be played more like a space jock fighter pilot rather than an Exo-archaeologist. The animosity towards Walter feels a bit forced as well (this is somewhat eased as the game progresses and we learn more about Bale’s past… but more so just because the two become more “friendly”).
The puzzle solving progresses at a decent rate… things are quite simple to start with but once you start getting multiple echoes to use, timings and pathways have to be a lot more considered. The element of “platforming” precision jumping whilst trying to work within time limits caused me a great deal of frustration but if that’s your thing… you should love it. The information “pyramids” that are scattered throughout are an odd thing… I assume the floating pyramids are just to draw your attention but the fact that they represent a range of different things from strange flora to structural features or crystals yet you don’t get to see what they reference in the landscape itself, just feels wrong… it’s almost like they were placeholders for the things they mention being added later in development but they never got around to it.
Final Thoughts
The use of iterations of yourself to help solve problems is a nice mechanic… watching yourself go and perform a task in one location so you can complete the task in another is an interesting dynamic… just don’t think too much on the philosophy underlying “temporary” selves and what their creation and removal might mean on a moral/ethical level. There are some quirks with the game that might cause more irritation than others… but overall it’s a fun experience and once you get past some of the early dialogue it’s not too bad to listen to the story too.
About the Author
Chris O'Connor Father of four, husband of one and all round oddity. Gaming at home since about 1982 with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Moving on to the more traditional PC genre in the years that followed with the classic Jump Joe and Alley Cat. CGA, EGA, VGA and beyond PC's have been central to my gaming but I've also enjoyed consoles and hand helds along the way (who remembers the Atari Lynx?). Would have been actor/film maker, jack of many trades master of none.
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