The Splitting: Chapter One

[Jubal]

The Splitting: Chapter One

Game Type: Free Online
Genre: Single Player Adventure

Link: http://thesplittinggame.com/

Graphics rating:
Gameplay rating:
Immersion rating:
Overall rating:

So this is the first part of an upcoming game by Fireberry Studios, which has been released for free online. I recently played through it and found the whole thing a very pleasant gaming experience. Engine-wise, it's a fairly classic adventure game style, with pixel-type graphics, an inventory system involving item combinations, and rooms that you can move between. There were no technical bugs or glitches with the game, which played very smoothly; a bit more variation/a few more tracks in the music might've helped, as it took some time to complete the whole section. A few items remained unexplained, though I imagine these will turn up later - overall the puzzles were not excessively strenuous but about right for casual gaming. Perhaps some more difficult and complex ones could be added to later chapters.

What I most liked about this game, though, was the setting, which has led to my high immersion factor of 4 (and I think the "overall" score could easily hit 4 for the complete game). The splitting is a nice, cleanly done, realistic-fantasy take on our own reflections; the main character's reflection has left the mirror, allowing him to pass over into the mirror world. The interactions with the mirror world are done very cleverly and worked into the puzzles well, being used to collect certain items via manipulating the difference between real-world and mirrorworld people. There are a few minor gaffes; the big mirror in the living room can be used to pass between worlds, which whilst convenient does mean that you as the main character frequently end up literally walking out of a mirror right next to your sister, who never feels the need to pass comment upon this occurrence at all. The characters work well though, the setting is interesting - and we're always told just enough information to keep it that way whilst maintaining a sense of mystery. This is a game I'd be really interested in seeing future versions of. All in all, despite the score of three (I'll reserve the higher scores for seeing a completed version) this is extremely worth playing and I'd recommend it.