izigame.me

I really wanted to like this game, but I didn't. There were some moments that were enjoyable enough for me finish it. There were not enough for me recommend it. Unravel seems to insist upon itself for being "beautiful" but that's largely without merit in my view. The game is linear to a tee, which means it lacks any real sense of exploration and adventure. You're always tethered too, needing more yarn at each checkpoint. You feel... trapped? You certainly don't feel free. In an adventure game, this is such a major issue. So much could have been done with this concept. Instead, the puzzles become repetitive and tiresome. Often, you have to repeat sections by design because the only way to find how to move forward is to die. But my greatest criticism is with the outright stupidity of the game's mechanics. The physics often defy reality. And the logic... as a ball of twine, you can drown while your head is above water. You can tie yourself to an anchor and get blown away because it's not the anchor you're meant to use. You can fall to your death but only if you hit the ground; if you grab your tether a second before impact, you're magically okay. And all as a freaking ball of spun cotton. Cotton is not going to die from falling or drowning or because you missed a game mechanic. Your enemies should be cats, the elements, and things to become tangled in. Thistles. It even looks stupid. At one point, you push a cylindrical float on its long edge up along the top a wabbly string. And it's perfectly stable. Your strength and weight appear to vary greatly depending on the contrived scenario. It's stupid, frustrating, and so linear that it's boring. Play something else.