The first thing that hits you is the music. Atmospheric and a little haunting. Perfectly blended with the noir visuals. The only color outside of this black & white world, is red. You’re character sports a red scarf as you journey across the dystopian-ss_453049e9aa0f4f67f1db733a06f51ff5a5e63393.600x338esque town he inhabits. He doesn’t talk, and his only companion is his little brother; who often serves as a backpack as he picks him up and traverses him throughout the world.

Monochroma is a new a platformer from Nowhere Studios. The puzzle game is refreshing, in this game-filled world of First Person Shooters and Role Playing Games. Taking a cue from games such as Limbo, less is more in Monochroma.

 

I played the game in darkness with my headphones on and the music turned up. This helped immerse me more in the game when the soundtrack fell off and all you were left with were the sound of your characters movements and the environment around him. You could hear his steps as he ran, even heavier when he ss_426f6a6e5498fe9ea02c577cf3360a0375d22977.600x338carries his brother. The sounds of pulling and pushing objects was so real, it only made me identify more with the protagonist and go deeper into his world.

 

The designers did a great job with the animation of our hero as well as the backgrounds. The light that cuts through the shadows in the black and white world were my favorite. You could see the dust within the sunlight as it hung in the air. I’ll go back to the soundtrack. The folk band, Gevende, did the soundtrack and it’s simply brilliant. I immediately went and looked up more music by them, which you can check them out here.

 

Monochroma is a true puzzler in every sense of the word. I found myself scratching my head as I myself, died, or I killed my ss_91f979ee32c450f2063dbf512367b40499715d34.600x338brother, or there was just a certain part I couldn’t figure out. I love these sort of games and with Monochroma being so
minimalist, I couldn’t rely on an off-colored object to help me for clues. I had to really think through all of the situations and
levels.

 

I give the game 4.5 out 5 stars. Monochroma is up there as one of the best platformers out there. From the visuals, to the fantastic soundtrack and sound design, to it’s challenging puzzles; the game was a blast to play through. Make sure to check out the trailer for the game below, and you can get your hands on it through Steam by clicking HERE. You can learn more about the game by visiting their website and liking their Facebook page.

~Chaz
nowhere studios