HOSTLIGHT | Windows PC Review
HOSTLIGHT, developed by ESDIP_GAMES and published by Selecta Play, is a single player puzzle game, and it is currently available exclusively on Windows PC.
HOSTLIGHT is a first-person puzzle game that has you set off on a mysterious adventure where you must solve puzzles using light and shadows to find out what lies beyond you in a mysterious tower. You begin the game in a forest, and you are led by a robot who is only known as “The Guide” who will talk you through the basic mechanics, telling you that your job is to solve puzzles to move from one room to the other to solve the mystery at hand.
In each room there are generators that display beams of light; these beams of light are sometimes fixed, but at other times they can be manipulated by you. Alongside these beams of light, there are also mirrors that can be used to direct the path of the light. The aim is to deliver a beam of the right colour to the right point which then releases an artefact. Each room has a varied number of artefacts that you need to release to progress. Once you unlock all the artefacts you need to turn them to make their shadow match the shape on the floor, at which point you’ll be able to move on to the next room.
The mechanics used in HOSTLIGHT are simple but alongside the simplicity, they're highly intuitive. However, despite the apparent simplicity, the game carries its own challenge which continues to grow and increase as the mechanics are used and applied in different ways as you progress through the rooms. HOSTLIGHT is very much a chilled and casual experience… and it will keep your mind occupied for many hours as you figure everything out gradually and boggle the mind. The challenge was never so bad that I didn’t want to keep going, but it was certainly one that kept my brain ticking.
For me personally, the things that make up the best puzzle games are exceptionally simple concepts used in a variety of increasingly complex ways. One of my absolute favourite puzzle games of all time has got to be Superliminal, which uses ONE concept, perspective, to create a multitude of puzzles, and HOSTLIGHT wasn’t too different in the sense that it uses light to create countless colours by manipulating it. Like previously mentioned, the challenge is certainly present despite the apparent simplicity. The initial puzzles were an absolute breeze for me. But 10 minutes later was a very different story. Despite the game appearing to be quite a short run, it certainly took me a remarkably long time to trudge through the tower. Either this speaks to my distinct lack of brain cells, or it's a sign of some great puzzling. I’ll let you be the judge of that.
HOSTLIGHT was an interesting puzzler, that really kept me engaged. It was challenging but never got to the point of being unreasonable or causing frustration for me. The puzzles take place in a really well made and clean visual atmosphere and the sound design was also great; all these things created a relaxing few hours of gameplay and it was a real beauty.
Lj’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
For more information on HOSTLIGHT please use the following links...
ESDIP_GAMES - Developer | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website
Selecta Play - Publisher | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website
Many thanks to Ico Partners for the Review Key.
HOSTLIGHT | Windows PC
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