I’m not sure why I kept going back to Unmechanical: Extended the way I did. There is next to no story or dialogue and the campaign length is only a few hours. The controls are simple, you use either joystick to move a hovering robot and use either of the shoulder/trigger buttons to pick up objects and open pipes. That’s it. You could play the entire game with one hand if you really wanted to.
Maybe this simplicity is what kept me coming back. Most of the games I play require a lot of attention and I have a problem jumping from game to game and not finishing them. I find myself fumbling to remember control schemes at times when I come back to a game after a while but not with Unmechanical thanks to its simplicity. The basic premise involves you exploring an underground maze of industrial styled tunnels, rooms, and underwater caverns and escape to the world above. Sometimes you will run into a room with organic material like a giant beating heart which is intriguing and makes you question where the hell you are. In order to proceed you have to complete environment based puzzles that get harder and you’ll find yourself really studying your surroundings in order to come up with a solution. The puzzles that require trial and error and really challenge you to think are the most satisfying but sadly these are rare in the Extended episode. If you’re worried about getting stuck at a puzzle you can press Y or Triangle to bring up a thought balloon with a singular hint to help you get through.
There are no enemies, fall damage, health, or timers to worry about as you explore the world at your own pace and take in the environment which is surprisingly quite beautiful. I say surprisingly because the overall palette is muted with browns and grays yet the mixture of electrical and earthy themes keep the environments interesting. The soundtrack is there adding to the overall ambience and fitting right in with the game’s aesthetic. If you like puzzle games and are in search of a relaxing game with no limits I highly recommend Unmechanical: Extended. It may be short but the experience is satisfying. Here’s to hoping for a sequel more content and multiplayer puzzles.
