The Mobius Machine | PS5

The Mobius Machine might just be the most minimalist and magnificent Metroidvania to ever be released. It features a pint sized protagonist, or micronaut if you will, who finds himself in the middle of a perplexing situation where dream meets reality, perpetually. 

In his dreams he sees a machine that implodes on a mysterious alien planet. He pursues an exit afterwards only to be gobbled up by an alien creature of gargantuan proportions. Ultimately awaking to a distress signal from the Isolaris moon. Something that intergalactic law demands he attend to lest he face criminal penalty. It is upon making his way there though that he crash lands, loses his robotic companion Robbie, and finds himself in an eerily familiar place. A place he must scour for resources, and tools in order to escape.

Packing heat in the form of a multi-directional gun with two shot types, an overdrive attack, and a healing ability based upon gathered energy our pint sized protagonist must navigate, carefully, the mazelike compounds and exterior of the alien moon that was once colonized by humans. Now filled with an alien infestation, and aliens lifeforms the threat to life on Isolaris is very real, but should you succumb to death worry not, because you are caught up in a mobius loop that would see you repeating your misadventure from the latest checkpoint as if nothing ever happened. All your materials and weapons/items in tow. 

Navigation, and map exploration is a must in this Metroidvania experience. It's the only way off the moon you are on, and the only way to snap your way back to a sense of normalcy. Of course progress is made a daunting task in that alien threats and hazards litter the Martian landscape. That and locked or blockaded barriers hinder travel until you can activate access via terminals.

As you kill off aliens in and along the way you'll collect both energy and genetic scraps that can be utilized in-game to your benefit. The energy allows for health refills, and also powers your more powerful overdrive mode wherein shots do more damage. The scraps, on the other hand, are a currency used at specific tool terminals wherein you can craft found blueprints for gear that will aid you in your exploration, and combat scenarios. 

Between the alien extermination and unlocking gated access there's not much else to gameplay. Unless you consider the various types of alien growths that act as platforms to which there is a variety that will both complicate and aid progress.

Progress in "The Mobius Machine" differs according to the difficulty mode you selected at the starting menu. There's the Standard Mode where the game saves automatically upon quitting and at the save pods. Then there's Retro Mode wherein only save pods save progress. Making the journey more perilous, and unforgiving compared to the former option. 

Whatever you choose there is a lot of back and forth traversal to do as you try to find your way out of this Groundhog's day cycle. Thankfully you can find maps at terminals, which when once activated, will be accessible via the touchpad. Making it easier to find your bearings and key points of interests that are marked by specific icons. The evolutionary abilities you earn along the way also assist with getting into, and through certain initially inaccessible areas. Things like a dash or jetpack will help you to traverse the varied terrain.

The Presentation ...

The Mobius Machine is nearly stop motion animation by design. It has an almost claymation-like appearance that is smoothed over by next-gen 3D rendering. All set to a layered 2.5D landscape. Making it a modern Metroidvania worthy of the PS5 console. It's a beautiful alien spectacle with a living breathing biome of creatures and environmental infestations that play into the abandoned colony distress signal theme. Even the soundtrack is complimentary to the theme making it a breathtakingly beautiful experience, that while littered with hazards, allows for a casually consumed cornucopia of content. 

The Verdict ...

While it won't be out until early March I am being pushed by PR to deliver this review beforehand. This underlying confidence speaks for itself. They realize they have a hit on their hands and want to get the word out ASAP! I can understand why as I feel the same. This game is stellar, INTERSTELLAR!!! It is mindblowingly beautiful, and beyond inviting in the gameplay sense. 

While it does nothing profoundly different mechanics-wise it still brings to us a world, creatures, and characters that make it all the more worthwhile. Be it the aliens, the malfunctioning robots, or the infected humans. The story, itself, while not initially made clear gives the player just enough info in drip fed doses to keep them motivated towards progressing to the end. It is this allure of mystery and intrigue in a sci-fi setting that really sells the premise of this Metroidvania misadventure!!! Without beating around the bush too much longer though I will say that "The Mobius Machine" is a game not to miss this March! It is worth every penny, and quite possibly a precursor to a real world alien invasion ... just sayin' ...