Phoenix Springs

Fresh, unique and exciting, Phoenix Springs pulls you through a compelling mystery with excellent writing, impeccable design, and an inventive take on the point-and-click genre. Every aspect of its presentation is considered, culminating in a cinematic experience that is more than the sum of its parts, and worth every second you spend with it.

I like to think that Phoenix Springs is what happens when talented people who do not work in the video game industry decide to create a video game, without knowing or following patterns and rules that we now consider axioms. Maybe that's not the case, however, it feels like it, and that's still a good thing.

Phoenix Springs is not for everyone, but it is one of the most thought-provoking and beautiful experiences I’ve had in gaming recently. It is adorned with gorgeous art and an intriguing, albeit a bit confusing story, and a great protagonist who will break the fourth wall and immerse you in this dark and gritty neo-noir world.

Playing through it means grasping the basic mechanical logic at its heart, literally solving puzzles that test your understanding of the situation, but any knowledge I’ve built of what the game really represents sits at the periphery of my mind, a repeating dream that I’ll maybe grow to understand better in time. To put it in simpler terms: the vibes are immaculate. Perhaps I’ll play it through a third time.

Phoenix Springs is an intriguing adventure game with a wonderful setting which it's fun to interact with, but don't expect it to be easy.

Phoenix Springs is not a transformative point-and-click adventure game. While it offers a unique “inventory” mechanic, its ebb and flow are still dictated by the whims of the player’s propensity for thinking outside literal and figurative boxes and a developer who crafts the solutions within. Though it may frustrate those who approach it casually, a stellar visual palette may offer enough enticement to look up solutions online as a lubricant towards progressing the narrative. Deep within its recesses, Phoenix Springs is beautiful and perplexing but to many it will always be a mystery.

Phoenix Springs is, in its entirety, an artistic experience. You might not be certain of the artist's intention throughout the game, but you're sure to feel something in this point and click adventure. The Leo Dormer mystery is very difficult to crack open, and you will probably find yourself running in circles during some segments. Still, stunning visuals and an narrative that is kind of abstract definitely make up for it.

Phoenix Springs is not for everyone, and I’d venture to say most people won’t care for it; that’s also the benefit of strong visuals, though. No one’s going to look at screenshots or videos of this game and complain that they got ripped off thinking this was Gears of War. If my rambling and the feeling you get looking at Phoenix Springs doesn’t get you licking your lips, then this might be a pass for you. Others: enjoy food for your artsy fartsy soul.

Phoenix Springs will land well with anyone looking for a complex, experimental mystery with striking art and a surreal atmosphere, so long as they don’t mind wrestling with a strange, disjointed narrative and a few obtuse puzzles in an increasingly bizarre second half.

Quotation forthcoming.

By its conclusion, Phoenix Springs is perhaps best understood less as a traditional narrative and more as a sequence of loosely connected, if often emotionally powerful, scenes.

A beautiful, elusive mood piece, Phoenix Springs' blend of taut dystopian detective noir and meandering surrealism is likely to frustrate as much as it intrigues.