encryption PlayStation 5 review
There is no wrong way to play encryptionthe latest mind blowing game from Daniel Mullins. But maybe there is an ideal way.
A roguelike deckbuilder set in a haunted cabin littered with intricate puzzles, encryption combines horror and gameplay in unique and surprising ways, making it one of the best video games of last year. While the game has had success on Steam, its recent arrival on the PlayStation 4 and 5 is a blessing. With newly integrated DualSense features and a reworked control scheme, encryption is a wonderfully devious delight for the newcomer. But those who have experienced the game before may be missing something in the console version.
It’s time for DualSense
When new players install and boot encryption, they are greeted by a main menu. Players can adjust settings, but strangely enough they can’t start a “new game”. Instead, the game asks them to “continue” – and this is just the first of encryptionare many subversions. Once the player gets used to it, they will quickly learn that as the gameplay of encryption may feel familiar to those with Kill the spire, much more lurks beneath the surface. There is something dark and genuinely disturbing about the world of encryptionand that sense of fear only builds over time.
Players build a deck of forest creatures and earn cards through victories against a mysterious opponent or other odds as they move around a map. Wins can be quick and decisive, or battles can be lengthy affairs that come down to the last card in the deck. Between battles, the player can push back from the table and explore his environment in first-person, interacting with objects in their environment. By solving puzzles outside the playing area, players can find additional cards or other handy tools that can be useful. The mysteries gradually unfold and the card game itself is addictively fun.
If for some reason a player reads these words while not completing encryption, it is advised to stop reading. Straight away. encryption it’s nice to know only the bare minimum. For anyone – perhaps a player who initially loved the game and is excited to experience it again with the gamepad in hand – feel free to read on. The new features implemented on the PlayStation are minimal but make the game feel like new.
Play on one side encryption having a controller feels as natural as can be. The game’s publisher, Devolver Digital, is certainly no stranger to helping developers port their games to as many platforms as possible. Pulling cards from the deck, sliding back and forth between the hand, the field, and every other point of interest on the board feels snappy and clean with a controller. The first-person cabin areas feel a little clunkier; players don’t have full range of motion or vision despite having two thumbsticks at their disposal, which can feel restrictive. For the lucky few, the PlayStation 5 version of Inscryption makes fantastic use of the platform’s signature controller. The haptic feedback feels finely tuned and the light around the touchpad even reflects what’s happening on the screen. For a game like this that certainly didn’t have to include haptics, they add a level of immersion that’s done surprisingly well. The adaptive triggers related to certain single-use items have been used very ingeniously.
That said, something is undeniably lost when playing Inscryption on a console rather than a PC. It is difficult to locate; Normally claustrophobic, dark and creepy as hell, Leshy’s Cabin feels somewhat diminished when blown up on a TV screen and viewed from a couch. The FMV portions that follow the hapless Luke Carter feel less intimate and mysterious in much the same way. The most disturbing part of the original game, where computer files are erased after a rogue AI starts mocking the player, is missing the same teeth on PlayStation.
Chalk it up for the player who feels a little more removed from the action, but the more meta tricks that encryption draws in its late game feels slightly less impactful on PlayStation. On the other hand, that can also be attributed to the fact that a player has experienced the magic once before – things can land differently depending on the individual. But there’s something really cool about fighting an opponent that scans a player’s Steam library for information that doesn’t strike the same way when the game is removed from the PlayStation friends list.
encryption can be a difficult game to discuss without spoilers. All that needs to be said is that the game remains a must-play. While some of the magic of that first playthrough may be lost in translation to a console, the game itself is still incredibly fun and truly terrifying.
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