Within the first 10 seconds of booting up Metrico, it’s easy to see that you’re about to dive into something unique. Putting it simply, Metrico is a 2D platformer/puzzler, as of late these having been coming and going quicker than Sonic at a 100 metre dash. But what sets this title apart is its minimalism and setting.

 

“Input morphing” is the term coined by the developers at Digital Dreams. This means that the inputs of your character affect the world around you. This is a key feature of the game and the main aspect which brings in the puzzler elements into the experience. If you move forward for example, this may move a platform away from you or perhaps jumping may mean a platform moves lower and impedes your progress. It’s up to you to find the correct input/action to progress. The aforementioned minimalist tone means you’re given very little assistance as to how to progress at these points. Frustration certainly appears at first, but once you pass a puzzle you get a sweet feeling of satisfaction and slowly begin to realise how perfectly structured and linked the world in Metrico is.

The visual style of the game is truly what makes the game shine. Iconography and simplicity are key throughout, with very little in the form of text to guide the user. The world of Metrico is one bathed in subtle colour and tones all of which combine to make create something which looks truly unique. I found myself at points playing to see what other stunning visuals I’d be treated to for progressing.

 

You’re given little info as to what your character is actually supposed to be doing or his/her motivations. Strangely this works and I never really found myself wanting to know what was going on. However I could see some people losing motivation to carry on later on.

Another hook is how the game slowly adds new gameplay mechanics to spice things up and add further complexity to later levels. You’re given new ways to explore and interact with the world and its objects. A few of these entail using the PS Vita accelerometer and you’ll find yourself having to flip and twist the console to progress. I’ve yet to find a game where having this feature doesn’t come off as slightly gimmicky and unintuitive, sadly this is the same for Metrico. Luckily it’s not used that all that often and doesn’t detract too much from what is a great control system.

 

The music is another highlight of the game. It’s atmospheric without distracting from the game-play, the same is said of the haunting sound effects. A moot point in regards to the soundtrack is how songs quickly start to repeat in a level. Some tracks seem to be quite short before they loop, as some levels do take some time (even more so if you get stuck) I found myself muting the game to remove the slight annoyance.

It’s strange to call a game an experiment, but this is what Metrico feels like. An experiment in gameplay and design which has been pulled off expertly. Sure it has a few flaws, but this is a game which you should at least experience, you won’t find anything like this out there at the moment.

 

Who knew pie charts could be so beautiful.

8/10