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First impression

I first saw Bound when I surfed in the PS Store and came across it and decided to downloaded the demo of it. I haven’t even heard of this game before. While downloading I watched couple gameplay videos of it and I was stacked!!
The game looked something so artistic and visual that it could compare to the highly rated Journey.
When the downloading was over I tried the game and I loved every minute of it. My first impression of this game was 100% positive. Everything seemed to be in place and perfectly balanced.
The demo left hunger to my stomach but still… I didn’t buy the game. I have no idea why since the game seemed excellent for me and my taste level.
With some astronomically weird reason the game just was left out of my game collection. Simply there might be a reason for it; I had too many un—played games already and my #pileofshame grew like grass at the morning sun.
So time went on, I got married then divorced and move to LA and got three kids and divorced again before I heard that Bound would be next month’s free PS Plus—game!! And I am devoted PS Plus user. I got the game fo “free” and started to play it almost immediately.

First thing that caught my attention was the options you have before playing: VR and non—VR (You can choose between 2D or 3D). I couldn’t believe it. First time ever there would be something for all. This matter has been baffling me for a long time now; why VR games aren’t included non—VR version (if it exist already). Usually you need to buy them separately which is totally greedy!!
But this piece had both, so suck on that.

Without any further adue, I proudly present to you. Bound.

 

 

Controls

You control a character called Princess. She is young girlwoman who knows her dance moves. She moves like contemporary dancer and have variety of moves she can do. As a walk/run she take danceling steps and even her jump is a very spectacular. Then there is other moves she do and a button in your controller that by pressing and holding she starts do dance by herself and does whatever dancers does these days. By doing that she is surrounded a little glow and some kind of shapes starts to float around her and her serpents in her hands starts to grow and hover around her. This is sime kind of defense to her. She can avoid attacks but the shield will wear out and you’ll need to load (dance) it again.

Even though she is graceful but not controlling her is. Moving her is crankish, feels like she has forgot to stretch, and if you need to to something that only involves tiny—itsy—pitsy moving you will fall to your death from that edge you are in!
And if you do one input she has to do the movement all the way until you can do another. This is very frustrating sometimes, but it was maybe visual reason why they decided to make her like this. It looks graceful when she does one your move and then next and not stopping in the middle of movement and do next.

 

 

Graphics

I played with VR so I’m not sure how the graphics are in TV—version. But in VR they are superior. Everything is build from different size of shapes, figures, forms around you and nothing seems to be intact. Seems/feels like everything, all the way to the back of the background, is moving along with you.
Graphics are simplified but they show lots of different kinds of variety in shapes and shades. Even with this simply shape realm everything looks sharp and beautiful.
One minus is the colours that some of the levels holds. They are too bright and I hate pink and neon colours. :(
Even with that I could look past them and the prettiness of this unique piece of art.

 

Story

Plotwise Bound shines. At first you are thinking ‘what and earth this place is’ and you are right. I did, too.
It all starts of an huge shape woman (Queen of this weird shape—world) telling to her daughter (the Princess) that evil is coming and it is growing its seed. You need to stop it with your sickening dance moves at all cost. Then you are leaving, dancing happily, onwards.
The story also tells of a family that includes a dad, mum, daughter and son (kids being very young approx. 4—7 years—old).
There is something happening in the family. Every time you go and see the family scene  (you can fly freely around at the small scene usually happening at the family’s house and as you move you piece together the scenery) it is always very unpleasant atmosphere. The noises and voices are little bit off and scaryesque. The scene is not sharp, it is contract with pieces, like broken glass, that you piece together by moving around. Then after a while you go back to your weird shape world and play as a princess again.
There is also a scenarios of a pregnant woman who is reading a notebook and you can move her around in a beach little while until she sits down and reads the notebook and then you can choose scenario/level to play by turning pages of the notebook.
How this all pieces together will be revealed in the very end!! So don’t change the channel since next we offer free woffles whoever can answer right to this next question!!!

 

Gameplay

Her dancemoves are relaxing to watch but the fun runs short very quickly since she does not own that many moves. So it is repetitive in that section.

Now we come to my favourite part of the whole game: Photo Mode.
I have played lots of games that have photo mode but no—one has perfected it the way Bound has. It is… perfect :’)
I spend hours at Photo Mode and made tons of pics. I forgot that it was a video game that I was supposed to play and not to think what amount of contrast I’m gonna put to this scenery. The game part is about 2 hours long and I think I have spent over 5 hours with it so far.
It is fascinating how much you can manipulate a scene. It seems almost limitless what kind of images you can create with this. It provides countless ways to make stopped gameplay to literally art. One can choose their style and go for it.

Difficulty

A what? Umm, where?
That is what many would say if you ask them have they seen difficulty in Bound. So what I’m tryinna’ say is that the game is simple. Almost like run—through —game. You are simply just and a viewer and watch the mysterious story about this family and drama it holds inside and what this weird shape—world is and who are these characters there (Princess, Queen and the evilness that destroys the world)?
Yes, there you have it. The game is easy.

 

Last impression

I can’t believe this game even exist. I’m not saying it is the most perfect and contentful game out there but it must amongst them. I still would separate it from AAA —titles, though. This game is an Indie title but still in Indie game list this be in Top 3 for sure!

This is beautiful and unique experience and with VR you can dive in and forget this terrible shitty world we live in and experience something special and maybe take something good with you from it.

 

Everything is build from different size of shapes,
figures, forms around you and nothing seems to be intact.
Seems/feels like everything, all the way to the back of the
background, is moving along with you.

 

Release Date: Out Now
Genre: Platform
Publisher: SCEE
Developer: Plastic / Santa Monica Studio

 

 

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