Do you know those bits in films where it slows down with a full 360º fly-around? It was used back in the late 90s when Neo entered the matrix. I can’t quite remember the title of the film, something like Mindbenders or Binary Soldier. It was a low budget movie featuring some surfer dude with asthma. Johnny Nickelfists?
Out Of Sight is like that.
Well, without the action, existential moments of ‘I know kung fu’ and wearing sunglasses in the house. But, it’s up there as an instant classic, much like the little known film.
The comparison? Because time sort of stops with visible nuances like a breeze or sharks shaking their hips. You can zoom in and out in a non-invasive way where you don’t have to point on places on a doll. It’s sheer bliss. This isn’t a paid review; they never are. Equally, NinjaDuck Games is a brand spanking new developer on my radar, so there’s no need for any cheek kissing, nor do they have a gun to my head right now. Please, send for help.
No, those words are mine, borrowed from the English language: ‘sheer bliss’. Many of the scenes in this hidden object game aren’t scenarios that resonate from a previous life or such, but it’s one of the best ways of getting close to nature (and daily life) right now, in these little pieces of lived-in spaces.
The goal in Out Of Sight is to locate the items listed in the dock at the bottom of the screen. Naturally, there are no time limits, nor are there tricky achievements where you can’t make mistakes. A bit like Tiny Lands, though that game was also dreamy, so the challenge is forgiven. Note that there is an achievement to locate some hidden rubber ducks; no doubt they’re ninjas.
There is no incentive to get Out Of Sight finished quickly unless you’re putting together a review, as a significant amount of time has gone into these beautiful locations. The least you can do is appreciate them, and boy, are they pretty.
But there’s a host of hidden object games out there, what makes Out Of Sight any different? Besides the glorious visuals, colours and lighting, it’s complemented by a fantastic soundtrack, melting together effortlessly. Coincidentally, the music is performed by Purrplecat and well worth a look listen.
One cheeky little innovation here is the ability to interact with some items, such as open up a portaloo (it’s safe), toolboxes and barn doors. It’s a nice feature to have but easy to overlook while spinning round and round, unable to locate the object, typically tucked behind a door or what-not.
Though there are many dioramas on show, it didn’t take that long to get through the game. But, to pull my own pants down with a bit of exposition, I did use hints on some of the levels to finish the review. Surely that ruins the experience? Nope.
Returning to stages, I couldn’t remember where some of the items were, so it was almost as fresh as the last time. Depending on your gaming motivations, Out Of Sight is perfect as a family game, having roped in my kids and my wife, who thinks games are silly. She’s not said that, but I know.
Short isn’t such a bad thing, I would know, but we can’t all sit playing games all day, am I right? If there were something to scrutinise about the game would be the size of the objects on the screen and the sound effects being a little counter to the chill vibe. They aren’t bad, just a little VH1 Pop-Up Video.
Still, NinjaDuck Games has already blasted out an update with a screensaver mode. You don’t play the game as before, but will get aerial views, which is nice, and I genuinely sat through levels one after the other. Nerdy, sure, but Out Of Sight is a captivating visual experience, with some genuinely chilled beats.
Out Of Sight Review Summary
For the next few weeks or so, I’m experimenting with the review format as I don’t think scores are as reliable as expected. As it’s still in my system, Out Of Sight scores very highly, and I encourage you to check this out. It’s nice to have the variety and ignoring the duration; it has plenty of replay value. Erm.. two thumbs up?
