The real surprise in Degrees of Separation is just how well the dual-character mechanics are implemented for the single player. What makes these challenges so enjoyable is more than just their finely attuned difficulty, however.
This might involve each character being tethered to a ball and chain, solidifying the dimensional barrier so that it can be used as a platform, and others I won’t spoil.Įxperimentation with swinging from cliffsides and timing dimensional swaps just right can provide some exhilarating moments, often leading to that much sought-after ‘aha.’ Each new stage competes to be the ‘favorite,’ and figuring out how the many clever ways in which these powers can be used to solve the increasingly complex scenarios is one of the great pleasures while negotiating the game’s increasingly complex tests. After an initial level that introduces the elemental mechanics and sets up how the characters interact, each subsequent stage presents an additional ability to be utilized in that specific area. If that sounds kind of basic, worry not - Degrees of Separation is just warming up. The nature of the characters gives them access to different parts parts of each vignette, whether that means propelling Ember up a steep cliffside via a jet of hot air, or letting Rime roll a snowball into a boulder that can be climbed upon, and in this way they can raise doors or lower ropes so that the other can proceed. Utilizing the elemental opposites of their universes, developer Moondrop Studios has designed challenges that both emphasize the protagonists’ detachment from each other and revolve around cooperation in manipulating the surrounding environments.įor instance, Rime’s frigid setting allows him to walk atop frozen lakes, while the heat of Ember’s world means that ice turns to water as she approaches, letting her swim below the surface. These fairy tale wrappings feel very connected to the gameplay, making the story in Degrees of Separation feel more organic than most, while lending context and depth to the actual button pushing that few puzzle games manage. They are acquired by solving the numerous available puzzles - little vignettes wandered into and scattered across the multiple stages - and may have something to do with a mysterious dragon… Elemental Experimentation Not just whimsical items of clothing, scarves serve a purpose much like stars in Mario 64, giving the heroes access to additional castle doors the more they collect. See the beginnings of a tragic, star-crossed setup? After happening upon the ruins of an ancient castle, the prince and princess set out to discover the source of their call to adventure, and along the way, possibly fall in love.Īnd so, they will traverse lush forests, abandoned mines, and mountainous peaks, growing increasingly concerned for each other’s safety, yet steadfast in the pursuit of various scarves tucked away across the landscape. Each occupies the opposing sides of a line that cannot be crossed - a line which separates their elementally different worlds, keeping them just out of arms’ reach. The pair discovers that while they may stand on the same ground and run past the same trees and houses, they are also stuck in non-intersecting dimensions. Through the magic of video game stories, these young royals meet, gaze upon each other, yet cannot touch.
The premise of Degrees of Separation revolves around the nature of the two playable characters: Rime, whose realm is forever covered in wintry snow, and Ember, who resides in a sunny, perpetual summer. “Love why do we one passion call, When ’tis a compound of them all? Where hot and cold, where sharp and sweet, In all their equipages meet Where pleasures mix’d with pains appear, Sorrow with joy, and hope with fear.” – Jonathon Swift A Story of Snow and Summer
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