Creaks - Apple Arcade Review

Genre: Puzzle/Platformer

Developer: Amanita Design

Publisher: Amanita Design

Release Date: July 10th 2020

Available On: Apple Arcade, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC

Reviewed On: Apple Arcade

Amanita Design is responsible for some of the most striking artwork I have ever seen in a video game. The point-and-click adventure Machinarium is a perfect example of the attention to detail the team put into their games. Creaks on Apple Arcade is no exception. The artwork is absolutely stunning, and every single level is peppered top to bottom with minute details. I would have been happy if the game had just been a compilation of concept art images because it is beyond incredible. However, Creaks is a video game, and it did not live up to the hype of its art direction. The game begins solidly with clever puzzles that are not too hard but challenging enough to make you think on your feet and experiment with different ways of getting to the next room. When you reach the halfway point of the game, Creaks becomes one of the most brain-scratching puzzle games I have ever played, but not in a positive way. The puzzles of the game’s second half rely too much on trial and error, precise button presses, and everything has to be exactly right in order to progress. The later puzzles ruin all the potential of Creaks, which is sad considering how gorgeous it looks.

A STRANGE NEW WORLD

You control an unnamed protagonist who finds a hidden compartment behind his bedroom wallpaper. He crawls through the space, finds a ladder, and climbs down it. The shot of the protagonist climbing down the ladder is where Creaks on Apple Arcade shows off its vast, surrealistic world, very similar to Coraline. The camera zooms out from the protagonist, and you bear witness to just how large and detailed this world is. I got major BioShock vibes from this opening, and it gave me the same sense of astonishment I felt when I first came face to face with Rapture.

Creaks on Apple Arcade does not have a strong focus on narrative, but the plot provided enough mystery to keep me invested during my five-hour playthrough. You will also meet several NPCs who are all anthropomorphic birds with human-like statues. Cutscenes with NPCs are where the barebones of the plot occur. Every few levels you get through, you have a cutscene where your character eavesdrops on these unnamed characters. Usually, the cutscenes present the avian characters as hostile antagonists. Still, the further you get into the game, you start to question what you are really doing in the game and whether these characters are the intimidating foes standing in your way. Despite no dialogue, Creaks has a subtle and interesting narrative that focuses more on the world itself rather than the actions of your character.

A BATTLE OF WITS

Creaks on Apple Arcade is a puzzle game, and every level (known as ‘scenes’) features a series of enemies, light switches and other objects. The game has no combat, so you have to rely on your wits to progress. Different enemies block your path, and every enemy has a unique movement pattern. Dogs (the first enemy you meet) will run after you if you get close to them, and Jellyfish follow a back-and-forth route around the space, similar to the guards in Metal Gear Solid. These two enemies are the most common through each level.

Luckily, you are not defenceless against the enemies. The enemies are vicious, but you can immobile them by entering light sources. If you enter a light source, such as a lamp or a chandelier, you become invisible, and the enemies will not enter the light. You often use this to your advantage by timing when enemies get close to a light source. By hitting a switch that turns a light on, the enemy will transform and become immobilised. Dogs transform into a small table, handy to climb on if you need to reach a high platform. Jellyfish transform into a globe, which can act as a weight to activate certain switches to either get to the next platforming challenge or head to the next room. Later in the game, you encounter different enemies, all of which change into various household objects whenever they enter a light source. Be careful, though; if the immobilised enemy exits the light source, they will transform back into their original form, opening up opportunities for you to get killed. I want to give credit to the game over screens in Creaks on Apple Arcade. Each one is horrifying, and they are made even more memorable by the sudden, high-pitched music against the silhouette shots of your character dying.

Creaks on Apple Arcade painting collectibles

Hidden away in most of the scenes are optional paintings, the main collectibles of the game. Every painting is interactive; some of them are as simple as pulling a cord to make the painting move, and others involve a mini-game. Some of my favourite moments of Creaks on Apple Arcade were from these paintings. One mini-game involves you moving a character from one end of the painting to another whilst avoiding being seen, and another sees you fighting with a sword and moving your sword up and down with different levers on the painting. Every painting I found was more charming than the last, and if you play this game, I highly recommend exploring every crevice of a level to see each painting.

TRIAL AND ERROR

Creaks on Apple Arcade has the potential to be a memorable, creative and fun puzzle game, and in many areas, the game succeeds. However, these positives are only apparent for the first half of the game. The last few hours of the game are a true test of your patience and tolerance levels. Not only does the game introduce more enemies, but the difficulty spike is astronomical. Every puzzle past the game’s halfway point becomes so precise and complex that it makes the game feel unfair in its challenge. You will find yourself in just the right position to get an enemy into a light source. Still, if you take one step extra step or miss a specific cue, you have failed. You will either have to wait a couple of minutes for the enemy to make another pass or restart the level and make your way through the intricate movements all over again. It took all the fun out of playing this game. I tried my best to get through Creaks on Apple Arcade without using a guide, but I could no longer deal with the frustration. When I looked up a guide for the puzzle solutions, some of them were so ridiculous that it ruined all my interest in completing the game. I still finished the main story and got through every scene, but the last half was one of the biggest slogs I have ever been through in a puzzle game.

Upping the difficulty of a game is not a bad thing. If a game has a difficulty curve and you can utilise every gameplay mechanic, it can be incredible. Professor Layton is a perfect example because the riddles and puzzles get harder the further you get into the story. Not all of the puzzles in Layton are essential to complete the story, and you have the option to get hints about the puzzle’s solution if you are stuck. Obviously, Creaks on Apple Arcade is a completely different game from Professor Layton, but it is still a puzzle game. There are no hints at all in Creaks, and it feels like the game is nothing more than a test of your patience. Unfortunately, the unfair difficulty ruined a lot of the enjoyment I had in the first half of the game.