Review: Proteus (PS3/PS Vita)
Proteus has to be one of the most unique "games" I have ever played. I'm not even sure if you can call it a game. Let's just say it's an experience that it unlikely to be replicated ever again.
With video games, there is usually a purpose or goal that you need to achieve. If not, it's a simulator game like Sim City or The Sims. Proteus is a different kind of game because there is no purpose. All you are doing is exploring this island with no direction whatsoever. It's supposed to be an "artistic" experience.
When I first "played" Proteus, I had no idea what I was doing. I thought I missed something because there is no tutorial, nor were there any objectives that I had to do either. You are pretty much just stuck on this island and left to explore it on your own.
The part I don't really like about Proteus is its budget graphics. If I were to explore an island, it would have been better if it was a beautiful paradise island. This games visuals however resemble that of Minecraft as the graphics looks like it should have been released for the PS One. You will see lots of large individual pixels that are supposed to resemble objects. It took me a while to realize that I was looking at a frog and an owl because of the pixelated graphics.
Proteus also has an interesting soundtrack too. It's not relaxing or beautiful, it's just unique. Again, I would have liked the soundtrack to have been full of piano melodies to make it sound more soothing. The music featured in the game isn't particularly memorable in my opinion .
The controls are fairly simplistic since there is not much you can do in this game other than exploring. You will just move the right stick to look around while the left stick allows you to move. Everything is seen from a first-person perspective. On the PS Vita, you can interact with some objects by pressing on the touch screen too. Other than that, there's not much other things you can do other than exploring this mysterious island multiple times.
The more you explore the island and play Proteus, the more things change. The topography alters sometimes and there is a day/night cycle too. You'll eventually come across all types of weather and might discover new "animals" roaming around too. Proteus can be fun if you're curious enough, but it's not a game I would play for hours on end. It is interesting to play the game thought at different times of the day just to see if anything new pops up.
The worst part of the entire game is the inflated price. Proteus costs $24.95 on the PSN. Sure, you get both the PS3 and PS Vita versions of the game, but this is very expensive for a game of this nature. It would have made more sense if the game was released as a free-to-play title.
Overall, I did not find any features of Proteus that I liked much. The game has no point, the graphics are outdated and the music is unmemorable. I's much rather stick to playing other smaller games like Rain or The Unfinished Swan than touch Proteus ever again. If I wanted to go out and explore, I may as well just go outside and look at my own backyard or go for a hike somewhere.
Graphics: 4.0 Gameplay: 5.0 Sound: 6.0 Lasting Appeal: 4.0
Overall: 4.5
