Some say that the arms race for graphical constancy is barely good for chasing photo-realism. Mirror Drop by former ThatGameCompany developer Ian Lilley is a shocking showcase of the sorts of borderline-mystical methods a contemporary GPU can pull, all whereas delivering a mesmerising and fascinating little puzzle sport. You’ve simply received to roll a ball from A to B by shifting gravity, easy sufficient, however the areas are a lovely however baffling perspective-warped labyrinth of areas inside areas. Just watch the trailer inside to see what I’m rambling on about.
While the sport did make its debut on Steam lately, you can even decide it up free and devoid of DRM on its official page here, so now you’ve received no excuse to not strive it.
Mechanically, among the perspective-warping stuff that Mirror Drop does jogs my memory of Stereopolis, one of many Leftfield Collection video games at EGX Rezzed this yr, though that is far more overtly a puzzle sport, wheras Stereopolis was extra of an off-the-cuff exploration expertise with some gentle puzzle bits on the facet.
There’s a good quantity of bizarre colour-shifting, reality-bending meat on Mirror Drop’s bones. The developer estimates it’ll take you a bit over three hours to get by means of its 25 ranges. The sport runs on a bespoke ray-tracing engine, so there’s not a single polygon on present as most GPUs would outline them. It’s all spheres, cubes and cylinders, with nary a triangle in sight. It’s a powerful technical feat, and apparently took a full yr and a half to make, which makes it all of the extra stunning that you could seize the entire thing at no cost, so when you prefer it, contemplating throwing the developer a couple of bucks.
You can seize Mirror Drop over on Steam for £5.79/$8 here, or free and sans-DRM here.
Thanks to Bennett ‘Getting Over it With Bennett Foddy‘ Foddy for pointing this one out on his cool little games blog.
