ETHER One Reviews
Ether One is another in a string of successful first-person narrative games, and, while it has its dips here and there, is a completely worthwhile journey. The game explores some dark corners of mental health through its H.G. Wells-like setting and succeeds in delivering a graphically rich, story-driven adventure wholly worth your time.
In many ways, seeing a developer give the player such a large degree of responsibility is forward thinking. It's certainly rare, these days. Unearthing the story at your own pace is wonderful. However, Ether One goes too far in that direction and puzzles become tedious exercises in trying combinations of different items you acquired in a completely different area. There is no shortage of interesting ideas present, but it's hard to look at Ether One and not think it could have been more.
It's been just two days since I last player Ether One and I've not stopped thinking about it since. I thought about it before I went to bed last night, and the night before. I thought about it when I woke up this morning. I thought about it when I had lunch. So far I've sunk 12 hours into a game easily completable in four. I've not nearly managed to restore all of the projectors. And I've hardly scratched the surface.
I found the path devoid of puzzles a dubious gaming choice for players. Like any good first-person adventurer, I racked up the hours finding that last clue. If I didn't bother, I'd have blown through the narrative in a few hours.
Ether One takes some of the best parts of Gone Home and To The Moon and melds them into something highly original, making it an appealing title for those wanting a unique gaming experience that's thought-provoking and emotional.