Squishies

Nov 29, 2018

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Nov 22, 2018

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Dec 11, 2018

Although flying under the radar somewhat in the wake of the release of Tetris Effect, the much touted “must play!” VR puzzle event of the year, this admirable little effort from Brainseed Factory definitely deserves your attention if you’re even slightly interested in the puzzle genre. 3.7 It Sucks! It Blows! I’ll openly admit that I wasn’t anticipating having too great a time with Squishies, the new PSVR puzzle game from Brainseed Factory, especially coming hot on the heels of such a transformative experience for the medium in the form of the sublime Astro Bot (I really can’t stop namedropping that little guy whenever I get the chance, can I?). It wasn’t that the game looked terrible in any real way but the initial concept seemed rather limited in scope, seeing you move the titular Squishies through diorama-like levels by manipulating these fish creatures that can either suck or blow the Squishies through the environment as necessary… It’s a admirably goofy idea for a game but the advertising materials before release had me picturing the game as being nothing more than a lacklustre amalgamation of Lemmings and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. So, colour me surprised when this unassuming little puzzler revealed itself to be one of the most engaging titles I’ve played in VR this year; controlling your fishes with the move controllers as well as manipulating the play area may seem cumbersome and unintuitive initially but after around fifteen minutes blasting through the tutorial and the first few levels, everything kind of falls into place and you’ll be collecting crystals and discovering hidden eggs like a pro without a second thought to the control scheme. It’s fortunate that the controls cease to be an issue after a while, as the game really doesn’t pull its punches in the later stages; the general premise, as noted above, is to guide your Squishies through each level and collect crystals, but the challenges presented before you and the amount of physics based acrobatics you’ll be required to pull off to get to the end will put even the most hardened puzzle-platforming prodigy through their paces. Of course, playing in virtual reality mitigates some issues that may have hampered the game had it been a traditional flatscreen release; being present within the world and being able to closely inspect each stage and ascertain the best route and methods to take to get to your goal in a fully immersive, three-dimensional environment is an experience unique to playing in VR and one that easily mitigates any camera issues by having the player themselves be the “camera” and zoom and move the level as desired. Despite the construction of the stages becoming more elaborate and difficult to navigate, the game never feels overwhelming due to affording the player with infinite lives; some may complain that this removes from the challenge to a degree but this accessibility really helps offset the intricate latter stages and ensures that players don’t have their frustrations compounded by having to incessantly contend with a game over screen. Perhaps one of the best aspects of the game is the level editor, which allows the community to craft their own devious death traps and then unleash them upon the public.

Nov 22, 2018

Squishies is one of the most innovative and clever VR games that I've ever played. However, here's hoping that its developers iron out a lot of its shortcomings soon because as it is, it can wear out the patience of a saint.

Nov 20, 2018

Squishies may not be some profound realization of what puzzle games can be in VR, but it’s never anything less than entertaining even if that does often dip into frustration. Struggles with the controls aside, it’s a polished and thoughtfully-made experience with plenty of content and a charming world to explore. As far as ticking the boxes goes, it does so quite admirably. Squishies is available now on PSVR.

Nov 27, 2018

Squishies doesn’t hurt for content, sporting about a hundred levels and all the collectibles to grab on the way. I enjoyed the game the most when played for a short period of time and avoid burnout by playing for long stretches of time. Still, if you’re looking for some good, solid puzzle fun on the PlayStation VR, Squishies has a lot to offer. And the map editor is nearly worth the price of admission alone for its content creation and 3D art potential. It’s not going to blow the roof off the genre by any means, though it’s one of the better puzzle experiences on the platform.

Dec 12, 2018

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Nov 26, 2018

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Nov 27, 2018

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