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According to the developer Soma games, G is the first installment in a storyline that will eventually see realization over a number of different games spread over various different platforms. If you are a fan of mystery and intrigue then G may well be worth investing in as it lays down the fundamental ground roots for what could turn out to be one of gaming’s truly epic sagas.
The only details apparent when first booting up G are that a mysterious fog known as ‘the rain’ has come within exploration range and it’s up to you to captain a very steampunk inspired chartered vessel into its depths. Your ship, the Ptolemy, is equipped with ‘sounding rockets’ that can be fired off into certain parts of the rain to gather information required by your employers. Whilst the number of rockets at your disposal is unlimited, each one fired will reduce the game’s final score count so the emphasis is on accurately gauging the play field to utilise as few rockets as possible.
What may initially look like a space shooter turns out to be a through and through puzzler. Each stage is littered with various objects that emit gravitational pull on your rockets (hence the name G) and it requires a fair degree of skill and practice to utilise these to your advantage. Whilst the stage layouts differ as you advance there really isn’t any gameplay progression after the initial learning curve. Firing off rockets into space soon drifts into tedium territory and even the more elaborate stages feel dull and tiresome by the time you reach them.
The gameplay may get stale quickly but the storyline will likely peak your curiosity enough to inspire you onwards. At random intervals during the game audio narrative pipes in giving you an increasing understanding of the mysterious body you are exploring. By limiting the information delivered at the start of the game and drip-feeding it to you through some very professional sounding audio bytes G really bolsters the feeling of intrigue and investigation that comes with exploring the unknown.
G is minimalist gameplay wearing all the hallmarks of a finished product. The quality is of such a high level that the bare bones presentation feels more like a teaser trailer for something greater on the horizon, than a fully-fledged game in its own right. While there are far greater pick up and play puzzlers for the morning commute, anyone in the least bit interested in the yarn Soma’s spinning would be foolish to miss out on this fine prelude to the series.
