Where to begin with a game likeLorelei and the Laser Eyes? Or more specifically: where to abruptly end, so as to not reveal too much of the surprise, with a game likeLorelei and the Laser Eyes? Eager as one is to talk about the early impressions of Swedish developer Simogo’s latest. A game I’ve, full transparency, had the privilege of having access to in its entirety for a fair few weeks now. It’s tricky, not least because it’s the long-anticipated follow-up to 2019’s brilliant splicing of genres inSayonara Wild Hearts. A game, much likeLaser Eyes, that had immense personal anticipation and after similarly experiencing a vertical slice prior to release, I was even more compelled to see how its final form looked. How best to express one’s thoughts and subsequently stir interest all while making sure to conceal that which should not be spoken of yet?
Be it voluntarily in the hopes of not spoiling too much of the many surprise reveals and left-field turns. Or perhaps more likely: the simple fact that even after ample hours exploring the interior of the hotel complex,Lorelei and the Laser Eyeshas maintained its enigmatic and similarly-indecipherable delivery. For where Simogo’s bright, colorful, electro-pop infused voyage prior sparked intrigue over its refusal to be tied down to one mere genre,Lorelei and the Laser Eyeslooks to have taken that attitude in design ethos one step further.
Refusing to settle on neither a definitive tone nor a definitive sense of progression that the more time one invests, the clearer the end goal becomes. Even after around eight or so hours with the game (eight seems like a fair cut-off point), I can confidently say I’m as lost as to its intended tone and underlining narrative, as one can be. And it’s brilliant!Lorelei and the Laser Eyesis a special kind of lengthy wait realized in so captivating a vision as this. One that, in a year already full of list-topping contenders, has so easily slid its way into the discussion.
Sayonara Mild Parts
It’s one thing that Simogo have replicated a game likeSayonara Wild Hearts' air of vague mystery, a game refusing to be confined in solid identity.Lorelei and the Laser Eyesis even more rebellious in that regard, shifting from simple puzzle-adventure, to murder-mystery, to psychological-horror, to something of a more meta-narrative focus…and back again to solving a non-linear series of number-based puzzles in no time at all. Tone gleefully – perhaps a tad sinister on top – hopping between comical, unsettling, surreal and downright abstract to then remind you that there’s a point to all this.
At least, you’re still of the assumption there is. Simogo are clearly betting big that the allure of the noir-filtered setting and of its non-linear approach – one that plays out in a more leisurely, unobtrusive flow (contrary to everything going on around you) – will help you buy into the tonal obscurity as much the drip-feed of its seemingly disconnected, scatterbrain pieces at play.
Without it, there will be the risk thatLorelei and the Laser Eyeshas found the Swedish developer stumble (accidentally or otherwise) too far into some pretentious belief that if something looks and sounds “deep,” it must therefore be such. The ills of contemporary art and sadly the occasional video game developer. Thankfully, Simogo look to be all too aware of this perception; going as far as to even poke fun at this absurd brand of persona, via the odd spot of world-building and collectibles to find.
The auteurs and the highly-praised of the visual arts world whose grand ambitions are perhaps matched by their overinflated sense of self, as illustrated by one of the game’s many faceless, seldom-seen but seemingly omnipresent characters. Someone (or perhaps something) that comes across as neither malevolent, nor benevolent. Far from trust-worthy, but lacking sufficient evidence to suggest the contrary. Despite all this, one of many oddities and undeniable anomalies in a setting that feels both grounded and abstractedly unhinged at the same time.
Insane in the Membrane
One you want to trust and commit to understanding, but know full well is ready to pull another rug from out beneath you. And lo and behold, it does so many a time in a way that one’s immediate response is: “…well ok then, guess we’re doing this now.” And so you proceed: another number puzzle, another door to unlock, another predicament to entangle. Which in turn reveals another hint towards a more [in]coherent narrative with equally-[in]coherent elements at play.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyeskeeps you hooked, keeps you fixated on the why, as much the what. Even for a divulging of visuals as its game trailers have already permitted, I’m confident in saying that out of context,Loreleihas managed to avoid giving too much away about its inevitable unraveling. Without spoiling too much:Lorelei and the Laser Eyeswants you in a permanent state of bewilderment and uncertainty. And uncertainty not just with how to crack its multi-layered, cross-referential ciphers and puzzles. But uncertainty too at where this is all leading.
Because that’s one of the most crucial and thus interesting details to something likeLorelei and the Laser Eyes' set-up: little of what you stumble upon or engage with seems bolted to some assured intention. This hotel you’re exploring, the main setting: is it real or is the twist that it’s all in someone’s head? An imagination concocted by the player-character, an amalgamation of some more horrific entity; further to that, who is it you’re even controlling? Can you, the character, even be trusted at their own, albeit limited, word? What, or more specifically, are you relative to the setting, the locale or even the very purpose of what you’re doing? Are you here to simply solve puzzles or is something else afoot? Are matters as simple as they look, or only look simple to steer you away from the truth? That the game tallies up how much you’ve completed by noting it as a percentage of “truth” discovered only adds credence to this theory/conspiracy.
Simogo’s Latest Game, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Drops Next Month
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Simogo’s latest game (and possibly their most mysterious one), finally has a release date, revealed during Indie World.
And this is what one means when talking aboutLorelei’s playful, even coy, meddling with its true nature and how players go about grappling with what’s going on. Sure, to steer this more towards the gameplay and actual mechanics employed, if you’re not one for backtracking, non-linear storytelling (of whichLoreleistretches such a definition),Lorelei and the Laser Eyescan run the risk of getting too lost in its own supposed artistry. Saying little, or nothing at all, does lend the game that air of mystery, of suspense to keep digging, but there comes a point where this needs to be backed up by a compelling hook of gameplay. But so too the game has this by the bucket-load.
Don’t Believe Me? It’s All In The Numbers
As someone that can call upon games likePony Island,SignalisandVoid Strangeras recent yearly highlights,Lorelei and the Laser Eyes' world and setting may well be unsettling in its lack of definitive clarity. Revealing neither too much nor too little, whereby sinking ever deeper into its spiraling, tangled web is the only logical decision. But it’s in the construction of the puzzles that will likely keep players fixated for ample hours. ThatLorelei, even in the context of a small sampling, has long-pastSayonara Wild Hearts’entire duration, yet still only feels like one is scratching the surface, should go a ways to hinting at just how committed Simogo clearly are with this radically different direction in game design.
A web of puzzles that goes as far as to make even the simplest of pitches feel far more involved. Which is where we should briefly touch on the nature of puzzle-solving inLorelei and the Laser Eyes. The key thing to note is how interconnected a lot of the puzzles actually are. A theme that the game itself touches on with its in-game manual:Loreleiis primarily about recognizing and thus familiarizing one’s self with patterns. Repeated numbers, repeated methods of solving a particular puzzle, repeated means by which a seemingly nonsensical puzzle can be deciphered step-by-step and shown to actually make sense. Albeit in its own twisted and distorted in-world way. On paper, this may sound counter-intuitive – a game whose answers and means of finding them are the same repeated over and over.
Riddle Me This…
Again, without getting too much into spoiler territory: the trick is in how the game teaches you to cotton on to the manner in which these numbers are shown. Or not shown. In some cases, partially-shown, exchanged by something else that resembles a numeric amount, yet at a glance is, as previously stated, complete nonsense. Note-taking, as a result, becomes imperative withLorelei and the Laser Eyes, not because there’s so much to keep track of (there is, but that’s besides the point). Or that the game doesn’t have an in-game system that automatically logs everything you come across.
More so that when it comes to how its solutions are teased or subtly revealed, part of the method in problem-solving and deducing what it is you’re even looking for lies in referring back to material you’ve acquired along the way. Numbers that may appear more than once, but whose mere presence is in fact part of a grander mechanism. Some elements are more obvious to note, of course – the presence of underlining red lines on some occasions is more blatant a hint than initially expected to pop up. Yet thankfully on most occasions, Simogo avoid the trap of making the larger chunk of the puzzles too obvious to deduce.
Crucially of all:Loreleirespects the intelligence of its players, but so too their potential to rise to the challenge. Yes, it may require a modest level of patience and occasional experimentation. More so perhaps than one is willing to invest. But spend enough time peering between the lines and understanding what the game is not just verbally telling you, but visually alongside and soon enough, the genius of Simogo’s very craft comes into view. And everything, right down to the blatant limitation in color palettes, feels like a carefully-measured effort, ready to reveal more than you’re likely expecting.
I could go on and on about just how strong and absorbing an experienceLorelei and the Laser Eyes' opening handful of hours have been. In a game that doesn’t so much hold its cards close to its chest at all times, but rather tucks them under its shirt and proceeds to gaslight you into thinking there were never any cards to begin with. Simogo have conjured a wealth and gala of vibes and tonal shifts here, ranging from uncertainty to excitement, comical straight back to unsettling. To think: there was once a time where the prospect of the Swedish developer even matching, let alone exceeding, the highs ofSayonara Wild Heartsfive years previous were brushed off as near-impossible. Early days sure, but the absolute mad lads of Malmö may well have done it.Lorelei and the Laser Eyesmay well be Simogo’s most daring and downright ambitious title yet. Go and grab yourself a pen and a notepad, you’re going to need it.
