Opinions on Ed Key and David Kanaga’s newly released game Proteus are likely as mixed as the crowd at a Justin Bieber/Mastodon double-bill. Personally, I think it’s just lovely. It relaxes me, which certainly isn’t true of most games I play these days. It’s a rare game that just sort of is, and it manages to forge a connection with nature that’s more spiritual than photorealistic. It’s got soul, I guess, is what I’m trying to say. And it’s mysterious.
But hey, maybe you’re not sold. After all, there have been plenty of folks making the (increasingly pointless-feeling) argument that because there are no clear-cut rules, Proteus isn’t a game. (Personally, I made it a game: It’s a game for me to see if I can hear all of Kanaga’s music, and find all of the music-making little critters. I’m the only one keeping score, though.) Maybe you just want to see it in action to get what people are talking about.
https://kotaku.com/proteus-creator-defends-his-game-as-a-game-5981097
If you’d like to get a sense of what Proteus is all about, check out this commentary-free playthrough by YouTube user OmGarrett. Watching really isn’t the same as actually exploring on your own, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a pleasant, relaxing thing to do.
