Gravity, both as a concept and gameplay mechanic, is great to employ in a videogame. Gravity Rush is a great example — main character can float at will and fall through the sky, and I enjoyed playing with those abilities and traversing its world.
Altered Matter’s Etherborn, set to be released sometime in 2019, is another such example of a gravity-based game, and it’s high on my radar.
The first thing I noticed while playing is how uniquely beautiful the character is. They have no bone structure, no skin, no facial or body features, and has only has its nervous system visible to the player. In addition, it has a faint hue of a magenta to help keep it in focus when traversing its levels.
Getting around is done by carefully positioning yourself so you fall towards the direction away from where the gravity is currently keeping you held. If I was walking upside down and missed a jump over a gap, I would be falling upwards due to how gravity works in relation to a specific surface. I wasn’t able to manually control where the gravity took me, but having less control over it made for interesting traversal puzzles to solve.
For example, if you’re walking on the side of a wall and choose to drop, you will land on the spot where the light from your character’s feet is pointing. Not only does it help navigate, but it also makes the character feel almost angelic in appearance. In fact, the aesthetics have a beautiful style reminiscent of Journey in showcasing simple shapes and colors, and also boasts architecture that would make M.C. Escher blush.
I’ll be thrilled to play more of Etherborn when it comes out, as I was immediately infatuated with it. No specific release date has been given as of now, but I can’t wait to spend more time with my visibly-nerved friend.
— Michael Baginski
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