Summertime Madness, the tried and tested dreamlike puzzle game
The damned of Prague
For the purposes of the demo, the timer of the game is represented by a huge clock was decorative and did not lead to Game Over but it would still give an idea of the time at our disposal in its too slow to scroll. All you have to do is solve puzzles of increasing difficulties increasing, without any clue that it is not the environment itself to provide us and it is here the strength of the Summertime Madness: despite being a relatively short (in total expected to be around three hours of play, depending of what are you doing with the puzzles) there will be no letters or words to help us and direct us in this race against destiny, we will have to rely only on intuition, logic and creativity. If it had been an experience like so many, devoid of any pressure and where they can take their time, maybe Summertime Madness would not have whetted you how much manages to do with these premises: put us to the test and does so with a purpose, to save our lives.it is really so, then? We know that in the event of a failure to find the exit from the painting, the painter will be condemned to remain trapped forever, but what can be the true reward, if beyond the canvas waiting for the war with all its horrors? Sometimes it takes little to arouse curiosity and the game DP Games, despite its simplicity, we are succeeding - then the concept of simplicity is relative, and some of the puzzles we found them a challenge and an invitation not to expect to always be spoon fed to find the solution. In the silence, through a narration referred to the images in a long sequence , Summertime Madness communicates to us time and time again, our goal how to reach it, those are our problems. The tools are there, we just need to sharpen the eye and the mind.
Artistically, the game is inspired and pleasant to see, nor could we expect otherwise from an experience that makes the painting its main theme: an imaginary surreal and colorful that even without offering anything outside of his own puzzles (however, there are a dozen pegs scattered) invites you to let yourself explore and look at. It seems to move within a dimension suspended but not for this static, in a continuous change that may reflect the troubled soul of the artist and his deepest desires. Outside of the main scenario, to which sometimes we come back, the settings are distinct and are characterized by puzzles, ad hoc, none identical to the previous one. Need contrast to create a history and the authors have found in putting the player in the balance between two worlds: from one side the stark realism of the war, a Prague victim of the bombing whose tomorrow is uncertain, on the other hand an ideal world, the abstract, where escape may prove to be an eternal prison. It will be interesting to see what happens if we can deceive the devil.
Summertime Madness is scheduled for February/march 2021 initially exclusive Humble Trove, both Windows and the Mac, and then get even on Steam in June. The game supports eight languages (Italian, English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, simplified chinese), the price will oscillate between eight and twelve euros, and the longevity overall, as already anticipated, will be about three hours. The final version includes two modes: Classic, for those who want to really put yourself to the test in a race against the time without saving, and Easy for those who want to take it easy, having a total of four saves presets from which to start.
Fund artistic nice and pleasant, strong style, cel-shading enhanced by the hand drawn textures, along with puzzles, stimulating and inspired, never really trivial, they are the workhorses of Summertime Madness: the game DP Games promises well, to keep an eye on especially for those who in the face of these experiences is not particularly long and surreal doesn't pull back. The idea of combining the horrors of war in an ideal world in which to live, with the threat, however, trapped forever, opens in a final that may not be so obvious as it seems. Curious to see the full game.
