DE-EXIT - Eternal Matters

Have you ever wondered what living in a pixelated 3D world would be like? Even if you haven't DE-EXIT - Eternal Matters is determined to showcase precisely that premise. More to the point, they're delivering a gaming experience designed to transcend you into a meaningful plane inhabited entirely by blocky figures and environments. But what's the purpose of it all?

DE-EXIT - Eternal Matters looks to be an avant-garde puzzle platformer for more reasons than just the obscure visual approach. There's a bold attempt to cross the absurd with the train of serious existentialist thought throughout the game, leading us to believe that the whole dynamic drives towards being an art game rather than something meant to be mechanically challenging. Well, we better find out.

Memory Plane

DE-EXIT - Eternal Matters is something you'd initially view as a mod created from a wildly popular creation suite. There may be some visual inspiration taken from that particular title. Still, the reality is that the game is a bold attempt to stand on its own. It's admirable where the design drives here, attempting to combine minimalist, polished game assets, non-combative mechanics, and a meaningful cinematic experience.

The question remains, does the game succeed in doing so? As one would expect from an art game, the story is complex. The foundations are found in a corrupted afterlife in a memory plane, where players will weed out the evil and save its inhabitants from certain destruction. Along the way, plenty of twists and turns will interrupt that narrative, but that's for you to find out.

Despite some narrative complications, mechanically, DE-EXIT is quite sound. Gameplay includes using thought, strategy, and stealth to successfully navigate the world's varied puzzles, most beautifully designed. The cameras surrounding your character make the experience even more riveting, adding a cinematic edge to each level.

So yes, overall, DE-EXIT - Eternal Matters succeeds on the gameplay front, neatly tying together different puzzle mechanics to contribute to the odd adventures ahead. The primary trouble with the game is that some players will struggle with the more abstract nature of the visuals and narrative. But mostly, you'll find a great art game here that'll please many.

Nothing Else Matters

Although DE-EXIT - Eternal Matters wants to stand up on its own in terms of style and mechanics, it feels like the game could be the bastard son of Minecraft and Journey. Visually refined, the blocky details of the visuals are reminiscent of the former, where the brilliant puzzle-solving gameplay comes from the legendary approach of Journey.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

• A unique game that stands out amongst its genre
• Varied puzzle mechanics create a good gameplay flow
• Intriguing, colorful visuals

Cons:

• A complex narrative that may get lost on players
• Existentialist themes that some may not enjoy