The graphics in RHEM are reminiscent of something I would imagine a graduate
student art major would come up with for a last minute computer graphics
class project. That's being a little unfair as there really is a lot to see
in the world of RHEM, but much of it seems to be unoriginal. It doesn't
appear that much creativity went into the designs of the structures. I saw a
lot of pipes, grates, simplistic doors, and still water. Nothing really
struck me as fascinating; I felt like I could see most of this stuff just
walking around a power plant or old factory. I'm all for realism in games to
add to immersion, but the graphics in this game just feel uninspired.
 |
| Pipes, pipes, and more pipes. |
In the race for most uninspired aspects of the game, the sound of RHEM handily beats the graphics. Granted, sound does not really play much of a
role in games of this type, the exception being in sound-based puzzles, but
there really is nothing particularly interesting to listen to in RHEM. With
the exception of the sounds of doors opening, or possibly a crank turning,
your ears really don't get much of a workout here. There is even a lack of
music in the game. Frankly, I find this to be a horrible decision by the
designers. A good theme can really help a game's immersion factor, and give
it a real sense of atmosphere. I found myself listening to my mp3 player
while exploring RHEM, just to have something, anything, to listen to. There
is a small amount of voice acting early in the game. Whoever that was
"acting" should really consider staying away from future voice acting
projects. I'm actually a fan of B movies because I enjoy the dreadful
acting, but this particular performance was just too much for me. Horrible.
Well, it may seem to you, reader, that I hate RHEM. I don't...well not
completely anyway. There is one upside which really is the most important
aspect of these types of games, the puzzles. The puzzles in this game are
very well designed and mostly rely on common sense with doses of creative
thinking to solve. The puzzles, much like the world of RHEM, are completely
unrealistic in that they exist solely for the sake of presenting a challenge
for the gamer, and would really serve no purpose otherwise. They tend to
involve manipulating a system in order to allow access to a new area of the
giant maze. Solving the puzzles usually involves understanding the systems
(gears, pipes, levers, etc...) well enough so that, as an example, you push
a button here and open a valve there and voila, the steam power turns on the
machine which lowers the drawbridge which you can now cross. These types of
puzzles are really not my cup of tea, and frankly bore the hell out of me,
but I have to admit they are well designed.
The interface in RHEM is just like the graphics and sound, boring and
seemingly uninspired. However, this is a good this for an interface as it
takes absolutely no instruction to learn how to use. Kudos to the designers
for keeping it simple.
Puzzles in the absence of a plot can be a relaxing distraction to some, and a painful chore
for others. Consider me one of the others. I found myself extremely bored
playing this game. Call me old-fashioned but I like having a story to
follow. RHEM offers no story whatsoever except the situation that you are
trying to escape from a giant puzzle-filled maze. To me, this is not an
adventure game as some would call it. I would just say its a puzzle game, a
kind of drawn out game of Tetris. For those out there that like this
particular kind of game, I can heartily recommend RHEM. For those that like
a good story with applicable story based puzzles in their adventure games,
avoid this one.
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated:
50%. Die-hard puzzle gamers will love this one. Others may quickly
find themselves experiencing REM.
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