Entwined Reviews
Entwined spins a single passable mechanic into an overlong (but still quite short) experience with absolutely none of the emotional heft or art-game cred it feigns having.
But a small handful of highlights is not enough to save Entwined. It's a game that strains for profundity and meaning - that's particularly evident in its Trophy titles - but finds them ever beyond its grasp. Some will be soothed by its contemplative mood, others will relish the challenge of mastering those devious patterns, but to me the two felt like an awkward mismatch. Sony might have given Entwined a gentle shove into the spotlight, but there are surely better, more deserving PS4 indies waiting in the wings for their time to shine.
Entwined is just far more satisfying to look at or listen to than it is to actually play.
At only two hours in length, Entwined could have been a short but sweet action rhythm game, but a number of small issues add up to big problems.
It's a shame that poor execution lets Entwined down so badly. The themes being explored here have the potential to be touching and are, unquestionably, underrepresented in videogames. Hopefully PixelOpus can learn from its mistakes and deliver something next time that better blends its interactive elements with these themes.
So, if you really love this type of game (tunnel/artistic), you may enjoy Entwined. But I ended up hating the mechanics, and that ruined the experience for me. The emotions didn't come through, and the colorful visuals didn't make up for it. I've played much better, simple, artistic games than this. The cinematic trailer and the actual game don't quite match each other. It feels more like a game demo meant to showcase the PS4 and Sony's support of indie developers. There are good aspects to Entwined, but being a frustrating, arcadey, tunnel game completely overshadowed any kind of art and emotion I was meant to feel, and that was the biggest let down of all.
Pixelopus has nailed the audio and visual aspects of poetic game making. Now they just need to work on what players do...and what it all means.
Too simple to be satisfying, and not thematically deep enough to be interesting
Entwined has a running time of an hour, yet barely sustains interest for that long. There's a good idea at the core of this wannabe indie darling and the "apart" stages can be fairly engrossing the first time around, but unfortunately the substance is just as minimalist as the style. Worth checking out in a sale or on PS Plus, but probably one to skip at £6.49.
While its skin-deep qualities suggest something artistic and maybe a little philosophical, this middling arcade game packs not enough wallop to be worth more than a bit of a shrug. While not awful, it's certainly not intriguing enough to maintain interest even in spite of a brief running time.
It's a fun little game with some gorgeous visual and musical style, but it fails to evoke the emotional core that similar games like Journey and Flower were able to. The challenging gameplay and the musical score may be enough for some players, but those in search of more depth will need to look elsewhere.
A disappointingly bare-bones color-matching game that doesn't measure up to its artsy promise.
PS4's Entwined doesn't fully deliver on its promise. It's beautiful, but also frustrating.
Entwined is a wonderful game but sadly there isn't enough content.
Entwined has a nice, simple idea that it executes really well, but there’s not much meat on the bone here that makes this a must have game.
Entwined is one of the better digital games to be released on the PlayStation 4, although a lack of strong competition weighs into that estimation. It's lovely and challenges gamers in an unusual way, but it is also hampered by an awkward (and possibly painful) control scheme and dropped frames. Still, if you're one of those head-patters and belly-rubbers, it's only $10, so why not give it a try?
Entwined is at its best when used as a chance to relax and unwind from a busy day. It's the warm-up band, if you will, before you dive into the headliner you've been waiting to play with your friends all night.
If you are looking for a game to unwind with for a couple of hours, Entwined is worth your time. But if you are looking for challenge or something deeper, you would do best elsewhere.
Entwined is a beautiful game with stunning visuals and some lovely music. It has the guts to embrace big themes and some will find it a surprisingly emotional experience. All the same, it doesn't quite have the perfect flow of the synaesthasia games that came before it, and it can be hugely frustrating in its later levels, particularly if you struggle with synchronising two activities at once. Still, at the price it's well worth trying, whether you end up loving it or not.
Comforting colors, excellent sound design, and simple gameplay make Entwined a lovely and fleeting experience.