Code provided with many thanks to Antler Studios
Alchemy and Steampunk
Project Grove is a first-person 3D puzzle platformer where you play as an old man Alchemist. The game was successfully funded on Kickstarter in early 2020. The developers, Antler Studios, are a small team from the UK and are looking to provide an exploration experience with non-linear puzzles and a touch of danger. I got some time to sit down and enjoy the demo of this unique indie title. Please enjoy my thoughts.
Project Grove is set in a steampunk fantasy setting. An ageing alchemist Edric Tate has been tasked by the empire to find a cure for a deadly pandemic known as the great rot. Seems weirdly familiar somehow, I can’t think why. So you set out on your airship to explore a place called Dacrima. A wonderful green valley filled with various foliage, deers and flying whales and rays with feathers. You’re not alone in your quest. You also have your handy robot companion L-P1N. The banter between these two characters is quite humorous despite the rather serious circumstances going on back home. The game is fully voice acted and each character is brilliantly brought to life.
Never too Old
It’s quite refreshing to play a game where you play an older protagonist and for it to show in-game. Edric is unable to jump very high so navigating platforms is not as easy as other typical first-person games. Your robot companion though can be summoned at will to turn into a little platform that you can jump on to help traverse the terrain. You can also use the robot to scan animals and objects of interest. This is all performed with the simple tap of a button and works seamlessly into the gameplay.
As well as help from your robot buddy you can also craft potions to give you special abilities. In the demo of the game, you are tasked with hunting down certain ingredients which you discover while exploring the mystical wilderness. Once found it’s back to the airship to perform a little alchemy which actually requires a few steps to complete.
It’s kinda enjoyable to see the ingredients you collect float in a giant glass flask and then be transferred into a mysterious potion. Once complete this potion allows you to form a bubble around your character which lets you withstand deadly falls and float on air vents. I’m not sure how the science of this works but I guess it makes sense in this steampunk realm.
Explore and Discover
With more abilities in tow, it’s time to explore and discover more about the great rot. You encounter a cute little feathery ray who tags along with you for a bit. But soon you discover mum and she is not too happy with you so you need to speedily descend some very small rocky platforms whilst avoiding getting blown away. Then the demo ends leaving you wanting to know more.
The steampunk graphics have been brought to life in the game with Eldrics gloves and wooden airship. It’s quite clear the developers put a lot of time into crafting the universe this game sits in. There is this intriguing mystique to the environment you explore. Rich green foliage and random animals roam around freely with a hint of darkness infecting areas thanks to the great rot. I could have happily spent most of my time exploring and scanning things in the demo. But duty calls and that cure won’t craft itself.
Get Your Grove On
Project Grove appears to be a nice mix of exploration, discovery and challenging 3D platforming. It certainly creates an intriguing first impression with its setting and unique gameplay. I most certainly look forward to heading back to this world someday to explore the wildlife and mix potions until a cure is found.
Project Grove is still in development and is due to release in 2022 for PC. No other platforms have been announced at this stage. If you want to try the game for yourself you can download the Prologue demo for free on Steam available now.
You must log in to post a comment.