Seen Review (Glory, to the Empress!)
I had spent almost two hours (exactly 107 minutes) on my first playthrough, which was, impactful to say the least. The game combines elements of 2D puzzle platformer and rhythm games, presented in a captivating, dark, and dystopia atmosphere.
PROS:
+ Beautiful score. The musical pieces heard throughout the story and those placed in various puzzles are certainly one of the biggest draws of Seen. The overall soundtracks connect well with the various chapters, which are separated by checkpoints, of the game, giving the player a very solid idea of what's being felt by the Lonely Kid.
+ I liked the inspirational quotes the developers placed as markers, with some even acting as "guides/tutors" for the player at certain puzzles and treasure rooms. Some may consider such a thing cheesy, but for me, after reading those such quotes at the moment of their discovery and relating between it and some of my personal life experiences, I felt reminded as to why life is beautiful despite the adversities we face.
+ The setting, or more specifically, the world of Seen is very intriguing. The society appears to be in decay, where simple compassion seems entirely absent in all its denizens. Apathy is commonplace, as people seem to completely ignore the Lonely Kid, instead solely focused on their ice creams, TV, mobile devices, or sleep. Practically every NPC the Lonely Kid interacts with, besides the Cat, either hurls obscenities and insults, physically hits him, or full on assaults the child. What the hell is wrong with these people?
+ The art and visuals too, much like the music, serve as strong components of drawing the player into the world. Couple this with the soothing and fitting ambience, and you can easily lose yourself for a good amount of minutes.
NEUTRALS:
+/- The puzzles are somewhat straightforward, requiring some degree of thinking to properly solve. In some instances, the player can forego completing some puzzles, instead opting for the faster solution. However, you will miss out on hidden rewards if you do. Essentially, such "treasure rooms" are the reward of perseverance. Every puzzle has a hint provided to aid the player, so don't worry if you're the sort who is easily stumped.
+/- A simple competitive leader board, whereby players compete by reaching the highest score of "Hope" (glowing light blue spheres of light) and "Determination" (darker blue spheres) obtained in a single run. The red spheres are "Disappointment" and negatively affect your score.
Don't quote me on this part of my review however, I may be wholly mistaken with how the score tallying works.
CONS:
- The only complaint I have is about the game's length. It felt too short! I was so genuinely engrossed that I didn't even realise the ending had arrived, until I saw the game's title appear on the screen after the final encounter.
VERDICT:
While at first appearing somewhat empty, as you follow through the game, you very quickly find yourself immersed in the story surrounding the Lonely Kid and the Cat. You want to see what happens to them, and hopefully, you'll not make a choice you'll regret at the end. Seen is definitely a short, but beautiful title which should be experienced at least once.
It is not at all expensive, nor is it demanding on the machine, so why not? A couple hours of thoughtful introspection, an emotional soundtrack, and the powerful reminder of having hope in one's life.