Key items aren't highlighted by default (the option to turn them on is labeled as a “hint” system) and only reveal themselves as interactive objects when you get close enough. Obduction doesn’t draw attention to its obstacles-there’s no strict order of progression, and its puzzles are hidden in plain sight as part of the environment.

Obduction emphasises player discovery, and while you're given some broad direction in the beginning, it quickly falls away. And even though you seem to be alone, the bizarre nature of the environment stops you from feeling in control.

Real-world actors portray strange characters in odd hologram messages, and every part of that feels a little out of place. The occasional waft of tense violins in the soundscape lends the familiar architecture an off-kilter slant. Distant horizons are lined with enormous purple crystalline formations and floating islands. While this initial sun-drenched area feels invitingly warm on first glance, there’s also an underlying sense of otherworldly menace. At the start of the game, you’re transported to an area that’s immediately stunning and perplexing-rocky desert mountains smattered with distinct American architecture from throughout history: an Old West frontier town, a 1950s gas station, a graffitied rail yard. By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot'sĬreated by the same developers behind classic adventure games Myst and Riven, Obduction presents a eerie world filled with tough puzzles to solve and intriguing lore to uncover.

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