The Swapper Reviews
In most ways this game hardly shows its age (almost 4 years old at the time of this writing), sure the graphics could be slightly cleaner, but the the most important aspects (mechanics, gameplay, and puzzles) hold up quite well. In the same vein as Braid, the core of The Swapper is the geometric and logic challenges, which are not hindered by its age. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys puzzles, logic challenges, or atmospheric space games, The Swapper is a solid experience, even by 2017 standards.
The Swapper is a fantastic puzzle game that combines a fantastically realised, isolated atmosphere with a minimalist and yet intriguing narrative. Its combination of subtle horror elements and puzzles gameplay make it a game that can be played by anyone of any predisposition, whether they like scarier games or not.
The Swapper is a unique and interesting puzzler, with a story that keeps you intrigued all the way to the end. The clone creating and swapping element to the puzzling is something brand new, and the puzzles themselves are the right balance between too easy and too hard. The game's setting is suitably eerie with music and in-game conversations to match. For £11.99 (or regional equivalent), it feels like the game could be a little longer, but the content of the story and puzzles that you do get, it is still worth swapping your hard earned money for.
Few games fully realize their potential. Thankfully The Swapper is able to execute all of its ideas. The challenging and thought-provoking puzzles are only outdone by the rich narrative which will stay in your mind well after the credits roll. The Swapper is a masterpiece that needs to be experienced.
Despite a strong first impression, The Swapper is a much worse game than I previously thought. Despite being impressed by its visuals and attention to detail, I hadn't first realized how short and lacking in substance it was, and I always begrudge video games like that being released in the first place.
Taking many tropes from the Metroidvania sub-genre of games, and adding a mechanic all of its own, The Swapper succeeds in creating an interesting world to explore and challenging puzzles to conquer amidst one of the most atmospheric backdrops ever put to a video game.
I am not a religious man by any means, yet despite that a quirky little puzzle/platformer game gave me feelings outside of the one or two I typically register (usually "hungry" and "tired" are about as diverse as my emotional spectrum gets). Using clones to solve environmental puzzles is definitely something we haven't seen on this scale before, and the game is just the right length to prevent the concept from becoming stale.
But the core gameplay—puzzle-solving with clones—is distinctly enjoyable. In a way, it reminded me of the Clank puzzles in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, but on a 2D plane. If that kind of puzzle-solving is up your ally, I'd give The Swapper a try.
Although The Swapper was originally released on PC nearly a year and half ago, this does little to dampen its appeal on Wii U; this is a title feels fresh and unique when stacked up against some of the other download games the eShop has to offer. With its unsettling environment, intriguing storytelling and some truly mind-bending puzzles, the entire experience oozes quality.
When you first enter the world of The Swapper, you won\'t really understand much aside that you\'re in space. That sense of mystery and wonder at what this game is really about will be with you throughout most of the game as you slowly piece together its intriguing story. Paired with absolutely satisfying puzzle elements you\'ll surely be hooked until the story\'s climax.
I came away from 'The Swapper' with that rare feeling of video game content and satisfaction. From the intriguing puzzles and puzzle mechanics, to the awe inspiring handcrafted visuals, there is very little that I didn't admire and appreciate. Released at a time when most gaming consoles are experiencing their yearly summer dry spell, it was a welcome addition and more than just simple filler. It prompted questions of morality with a deeper-than-expected story, while satisfying on a variety of levels with unique and challenging puzzles.
The Swapper is simply an unforgettable experience regardless of platform, and though it can sometimes feel a bit alien to control using a joystick, The Swapper is still a journey well worth taking.
The clone-based puzzles are superb, while the addition of a thought-provoking narrative is the cherry on top of what is an excellent puzzle/platformer.
So overall, I would say 95% of this game is pure excellence. I had an absolutely fantastic time playing it and it was surprisingly long (I thought I could finish it in one sitting, but it actually took me two full nights of playing). It's just a shame that one teeny tiny detail took my impression of it from great down to good. It's still well worth playing even with the frustration, but without that minor detail it could have been one of the best.
Overall, The Swapper is a fun, well-designed puzzler that I would recommend playing through at least once. If you can catch it for sale at the PlayStation Store, grab it quickly.
The Swapper is a short, but sweetly addictive puzzle platformer that begs the statement, "If Dead Space were only a puzzle game."
The Swapper is a beautiful, haunting thing. It's rare for a game to leave you feeling emotionally numb, but also satisfied by the journey. All of The Swapper's parts operate in concert, creating a masterful puzzle platformer that deserves to be remembered.
One of the best action puzzlers for several years, made all the better by some surprisingly distinctive storytelling and visuals.
The Swapper is one of the most unique and fun puzzle games to release in the last few years and is definitely not one to miss.
The Swapper is a fantastic game although it's not without its limitations. The nagging feeling while working your way through the puzzles is that the idea was never really stretched quite far enough. The self-contained puzzles are good in their own right, but it can at times feel like a procession of challenges. It would have been nice to get to grips with multipart puzzles or something just a little meatier. For fans of the genre though this is invaluable, although it's all-too-short 4-hour length could leave seasoned puzzlers wanting.