Standpoint Demo

Simple ideas go a long way sometimes, which is why you do not always need the best technologies to come up with a successful video game idea. In fact, some of the simplest designs out there have enjoyed massive success over the years, such as Minecraft, Portal or the Angry Birds franchise. As long as it’s fun, there’s no need to include state-of-the-art technology into something.

Standpoint may not be very original when it comes to gameplay mechanics, given the fact that it borrows most of the concepts from Valve’s Portal, but it has a few strong points that cannot be found anywhere else. In fact, if you manage to disregard the annoying level design and the overrated plot, you can have quite a bit of fun with the puzzles that comprise the story.

Speaking of which, the story takes place in some kind of futuristic institution, maybe even a laboratory of sorts. Here, the main character must navigate a series of tricky rooms, by manipulating gravity and using cubes to hold down buttons. If that sounds a lot like Portal, then it’s maybe because the exact same mechanics are present in that game as well.

Instead of portal guns, on the other hand, the game allows you to simply rotate the rooms you are in, which makes for some pretty interesting puzzles. Naturally, more and more mechanics are thrown onto the pile as you manage to solve the missions, which means that the difficulty level increases with time as well. The frustrating part is that you are not allowed to jump or sprint, which makes the first-person perspective feel very uncomfortable for some reason.

The fact that the levels look very much alike can be confusing as well, especially when you are constantly flipping the gravity switch. After a while, it gets difficult to follow the right path and you can end up in the wrong direction. The graphics are not bad at all, but they are rather plain and there’s nothing to make you get in the proper mood, except for a voice that supposedly guides you along.

All things considered, no one is saying that copying another game is a bad thing. However, Standpoint doesn’t really add enough original elements to make the experience feel unique, which is why most players might get bored rather quickly.