The inside of a virtual world is often thought of as a sacred and secluded area, but I suppose, I would not permanently want to live in it. Thankfully, Vectromirror, from indie developer, The Vectromirror Initiative, offers us a technological sound-and-light show that is sensationally quick, brainy, stylish, and fun without the long-term housing investment.

Vectromirror presents itself without hesitation to the CGI crowd, embracing the imagery of those arcade video games of the past that, we as parents, feared were rotting the minds of our children. If you've played Portal, Mirror's Edge, and to an extent, Tron, you'll understand what I'm talking about.

In an age of amazing special effects, Vectromirror is a state-of-the-art game. It generates not just one imaginary computer environment, but a multitude of them. Using full vibrant neon graphics, the developers have literally been able to imagine any fictional landscape and put it through its paces in an animated world.

And they integrate the players so cleverly in it that I never got the sensation that I was watching some generic 3D character standing in front of, or in the middle of it all. Your character really feels like they are inhabiting this world.

The environment is wonderfully well-rendered, building on the game's ability to bring visual excitement to the forefront. Your goal is to navigate these platforms through careful planning, running, jumping, climbing, and timing. Some platforms require the use of a double jump to achieve, which means you'll be doing a lot of speedrunning before making the inevitable leap.

Other levels require handles to be turned and knobs to be pushed. But the game is almost always about moving, and gamers who relish in the speed run formula will feel right at home here.

Vectromirror doesn't have a story, at least not in the conventional sense. But that's ok because the simplicity of the game is what makes it appealing. As gamers, we are bright enough to pick up both the story and concept without someone having to explain it to us.

I expect Vectromirror to be well received on the Steam charts for several months or so. It may, unfortunately, not have the legs for the literal long run, because its scope is too narrow and the genre too defined to capture such a broad audience.

Doing a quick Google search, I noticed that there has been very little advertising for Vectromirror. I believe the developers have chosen, instead, to reach out to their target audience on Steam and are relying on that grass-roots campaign to get the word out especially since the prequel, Vectromirror O, found itself a cult following amongst a niche crowd.

I'm hoping this strategy will work because if it doesn't, there will be a whole lot of gamers who will miss out on this well-developed title. While the game might not be for everyone, it will appeal to a certain group especially those looking for something different. For everyone else that may want to test their reflexive gaming skills, Vectromirror will definitely push you to the edge of your comfort zone.

Joel

Healthcare Professional, Gamer, and Writer all rolled up in one. He once opened up an old Atari 2600 to see if it had a heart ... and it did. Hence, the lifelong love affair with gaming.

www.walawala.gg