Opinions on Ed Key and David Kanaga’s newly released game Proteus are likely as mixed as the crowd at a Justin Bieber/Mastodon double-bill. Personally, I think it’s just lovely. It relaxes me, which certainly isn’t true of most games I play these days.
It’s a rare game that just sort of is, and it manages to forge a connection with nature that’s more spiritual than photorealistic. It’s got soul, I guess, is what I’m trying to say. And it’s mysterious.
But, hey, maybe you’re not sold. After all, there have been plenty of folks making the (increasingly pointless-feeling) argument that because there are no clear-cut rules, Proteus isn’t a game. (Personally, I made it a game: It’s a game for me to see if I can hear all of Kanaga’s music, and find all of the music-making little critters. I’m the only one keeping score, though.) Maybe you just want to see it in action to get what people are talking about.
If you’d like to get a sense of what Proteus is all about, check out this commentary-free playthrough by YouTube user OmGarrett. Watching really isn’t the same as actually exploring on your own, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a pleasant, relaxing thing to do.
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