Ether One is a game about the smell of perfume that brings back a memory, the heartbeat that never quite fades, and the happiness that still has to be locked away. Or, it’s a game about finding ribbons in an empty town. Just from that, you can get a good idea of whether or not you’re likely to click with it, though it certainly won’t hurt if you count “exploration games” like Gone Home and Dear Esther as fond, if melancholy jaunts. While you may glimpse sci-fi elements in Ether One’s trailers, it’s absolutely the new member of that genre’s family – a short but captivating adventure whose puzzles are optional but heart is not.
The premise for this one is that you’re a Restorer, who uses a special chair to enter the mind of a dementia patient called Jean and cut the problem out at its source. Along for the ride is an advisor, Phyllis, who flicks constantly between sympathetic voice, stern professional, and graduate from the GLaDOS Academy Of Narration Science. One minute she’s full of praise, like “You’ve done such wonderful work.” The next, she’s talking sinister experiments and “I will not let you project back to the real world until our goal is reached.” Her presence adds a lot, especially early on, making the world feel slightly less lonely, even if she does go a bit over the top trying to make out that this is a thriller of some kind rather than… well, spoilers.
Continue reading…
Ether One Review
