In many ways, Humanity feels very similar to what Sony Japan Studios was making about 15 years ago. Of course I say this as a compliment. This experimental game doesn’t adhere to the usual conventions at all, instead blazing new trails with a strange and idiosyncratic vision. This strange new puzzle game from Enhance Games and tha ltd could be on the podium alongside LocoRoco and Patapon. It’s an unusual yet fascinating twist on a long-established genre.
The easiest way to describe how this game works is to think of it as a high-concept interpretation of Lemmings. Each level guides a group of people marching forward to an exit. Playing as a glowing dog, you can freely run around each stage and set commands to help humans move from A to B. It’s a simple concept that’s easy to understand and backed up by simple controls. However, as you gain commands, the game’s puzzles steadily increase in complexity, introducing new elements and obstacles to overcome.
It starts with turning and jumping humans, but it doesn’t take long to throw in new ideas for this game. Jump long and high to split the flow of people in two and reduce the effects of gravity. The list of commands grows very quickly, and the game does not allow him to stay on one idea for too long. Each level enables only the commands you need, so you won’t be overwhelmed with options. However, in addition to your own abilities, new wrinkles are frequently added to the puzzle. As they progress through the campaign, humans must push blocks, swim underwater, and activate switches. This is his classic puzzle game trick of presenting a simple core concept and building from there.
Humanity also frequently changes its own rules. Instead of a constant stream of people, you may only need a limited number of people to guide you to your goal. Some levels can only be completed by making sure Goldie (usually a large golden figure, an optional collectible) reaches the exit. Other stages start with time stopped and all commands must be entered before things can start. Ultimately, they come into conflict with the Others, a hostile humanoid group that also wants a statue of Goldie, and equips humans with weapons to combat the threat. It’s safe to say that the game has no shortage of ways to mix things up. Once you understand the concept of a new command or puzzle, it moves on to something else and gives story mode a good boost. Add a striking minimalist style and the fantastical music to match and you have a game that is very fresh and original.
The difficulty curve is pretty smooth for the most part, but there are some wobbles. Some levels along the way feel much more difficult than the surrounding ones. Luckily some don’t need to progress, but there are some inconsistencies in the level of challenge. The “Boss” stage is a good example. Earlier bosses feel much more difficult than later bosses, but that mostly depends on the commands you have access to. The latter third of the game is mostly concerned with Follow commands, and you’ll see humans running around with you. These levels, including bosses, are not without challenges, but they feel somewhat easier than the previous puzzles, which were designed to be more restrictive. Again, the difficulty curve is generally good, but watch out for weird spikes.
When it comes to difficulty, one option we’re not sure about is including puzzle solutions for all levels accessible in-game. If you get stuck on a level you can pause the game to view the full solution video. These clips don’t show how to get all of Goldie’s figures or complete specific feats required for certain trophies, but laying it all out this way is more of a puzzle game. feels a little dated. I’ll admit I’ve used this option once or twice to keep pace with the game, but just looking at the solution feels like a cheap win. It’s like going to the back page of a puzzle book or reading the answer to an upside-down crossword. You can win that way, but it feels a little dirty.Yet you are not offal Obviously, figuring things out for yourself is much more fun if you can resist the temptation.
Once you’ve completed the story (yes, there’s some kind of story there, but nothing too crazy), there’s a full level creation mode. It’s as easy as possible. You can place blocks, decorative elements and of course entrances and exits and obstacles. You can also access switches to change what they trigger, or place built-in commands to choose which ones the player can use. As the main campaign proves, this set of tools and features is more than enough to concoct some real head-scratching levels, and the community is building something crazy. I can imagine.
I’ve already sampled some user-created stages, and it’s a great mix of really good puzzles and easy levels. There’s an in-game browser that sorts these original levels into different categories and playlists so you can easily navigate and find the kind of game you want to play. We encourage you to work on these aspects of the game by earning XP and leveling up to play and create stages. Clearly, this is where the game really benefits from its Day One introduction. PS Plus Extra catalog. If a small community could keep up with interesting new phases, it would greatly extend the lifespan of mankind. And, again, there’s a lot of room for experimentation.
Before approving, I should also briefly mention that the game is fully playable. PSVR2 (and PS VR in the PS4 version). Playing Humanity in virtual reality is just like playing it on TV, except the perspective changes slightly. Watching humans walk and hop around in her 3D space is a lot of fun, but aside from that, the VR mode doesn’t add any meaning to the experience. It’s nice that it exists as an option and plays perfectly fine on PSVR2, but you get the same game either way.
Conclusion
Humanity is an amazingly quirky puzzle game full of ideas. It takes a few simple building blocks and combines them to create amazingly complex levels and challenges, constantly throwing in new concepts so it’s always something to keep an eye on. The story mode has some variation in difficulty, but it still keeps you hooked until the end. Once you’re done, you’ll be presented with an intuitive level editor and browser, offering all the puzzles you could theoretically need. If you want something a little different, give this a try. Nothing like this is made anymore.
