izigame.me

TLDR: Ignore the cliché story and work the puzzles and you will LOVE this game on multiple levels.

Tin Hearts is a brilliant puzzle title that calls back to the days of Lemmings but adds so much to the genre (if we can claim that exists). The 3D element alone would have been sufficient to laud this title and I am certain it is amazing in VR.
But there is so much more as well! The interface allows the player to have direct control over elements of the environment, which grows in complexity as the game progresses. This is integral to the puzzles in many, sometimes subtle ways. Though not always ;)
The player can not only act as themselves, they can often take direct control of a unit to perform unique actions critical to the solution of certain puzzles.
The soundtrack, story, lore, and clues are beautifully interwoven into each scene. And let me circle back to that soundtrack because it is absolutely beautiful and fitting.
I cannot say enough good things about this game! If you like environmental puzzle gaming, this is a great find!
Downsides (and it hurts me to share them):
1. The introduction of story elements creates levels so large that in many cases the makers do not take advantage of them. (The old Open World problem. Very minor)
2. Depth perception is a REAL problem and it ruins the platforming elements. Fortunately, these are rare enough to be forgiven.
3. Minor spoilers ahead. Skip if you don't care about story and themes.
*Mounts soapbox*
I love a good story. And I accept and even enjoy that a game like this, that has ZERO need for one, goes so far as to include a rich tale. Sadly, to no direct fault of the makers, the game stumbles with the modern crutch of storytelling. 15 years ago this story would have been groundbreaking! And if you are new to gaming/storytelling, I pray you get from it what I should have! But this game came out in 2023, The days of inserting negative themes just to avoid a "fairy tale ending" are gone. We needed them for a while and will again, surely. But there is a middle-ground and... we've been through some dark years (globally, not to take away from ANY who are still living it).
Death and denial are not the only sources of non-violent conflict.
Loss is not the only motivator.
Bittersweet is not the only flavour.
Before the Cough of Death ever reared its face, this story had all the elements of Love, Ambition, and Need in place to tell an amazing (and better) tale.
*Dismounts soapbox*
Still with me? Good, cause... BUY this game! If you enjoy puzzlers, you will not be disappointed and anything negative I may have said should NOT be measured by paragraph size! This is a brilliant game by game makers who are worthy of our support! Loved it!