Somerville Review (the shockmaster)
Game elements (objects that can be traversed, moved, or otherwise manipulated) are often difficult to identify within the world. This stems from the (otherwise appealing) visual style, which does not efficiently telegraph which elements can be interacted with and which are simply set dressing. This is exacerbated by the fact that many game elements, such as doors and barriers, function inconsistently through the course of the game. As a result, the player spends an inordinate amount of time probing the game world through trial and error, simply to figure out what elements they are working with, rather than truly solving puzzles. Can I not open this door because it is not meant to be opened, because some other condition needs to be fulfilled before I open it, or because I am not standing quite close enough to open it? Oh, you mean I can actually crawl through this tunnel, contrary to every single previous tunnel I've seen in this game?
Once you strip away the issue of the muddy UI, the actual puzzles are quite simple. The core scifi-themed mechanic does not significantly develop throughout the course of the game, beyond some novelty applications during the endgame. I will not belabor this point, as it has been well trodden by other reviewers.
Speaking of the endgame, it goes for the same "mystery box" approach as Inception, Tenet, or Lost, basically by throwing a bunch of worlds-within-worlds/dreams-within-dreams/"what is reality" tropes at the wall to see what sticks. Just a bunch of weirdness presumably to cover up the lack of a coherent narrative. This is distinct from "Inside," which despite not slapping you over the face with its story at least presented an easily discernible sequence of events.
I experienced two endings, of which there are apparently five or six. In one of them, I apparently "resigned," and in another I "chose the path of violence." In neither case did my actions suggest these choices, as I was simply button mashing in the hopes of moving the game forward. Reading the forums, it seems the other endings require mastery of some type of esoteric patterns seen earlier in the game, which strikes me as a bit of a tall order given the aforementioned "noisiness" of the game's visual presentation.
However, this game is not a disaster, and it is clear that a lot of attention went into its production. It has some bugs and visual glitches, having been released less than a week from when I write these words. Gameplay aside, its visuals and atmosphere are stunning and compelling. It is relatively cheap, at around EUR 20 for around five hours of fairly enjoyable gameplay. I was disappointed that I did not get the "good" ending after all that work, but at least the journey was memorable. So, on balance, I lean towards recommending this one, but with lots of caveats.