Review: Euclidean

Euclidean

Alpha Wave
Entertainment / AAD Productions
Reviewed on: PC (exclusive)
Street: 09.25

Don’t get me wrong—I love the fact that Euclidean is a VR-enabled exploration of Lovecraftian insanity-horror. It looks beautiful, the narration is batshit crazy, and it excels at impressing a feeling of claustrophobic dread upon the player. As a piece of immersive digital art, Euclidean’s merits are as vast and expansive as the Thousand Young of Shub-Niggurath. As a game, however, there are a few missteps that make it difficult to fully enjoy. Gameplay begins with the stark warning that everything will kill you, and it consists of sinking into a psychedelic ocean. It’s unnerving as hell—there’s nowhere to go but down, and the vague warning intensifies the plummet with a sense of paranoia. Even though players can avoid them by drifting in different directions, it doesn’t take long to get killed by the bizarre, geometrical creatures that lurk in the shadows. These moments are what trips the game up. It’s supposed to be a jarring experience to have an abyss creature kill you, but it comes across as more of an irritation. Masochistic gamers will enjoy the challenge, and it’s a plus if they’re Lovecraft fans. –Alex Springer