There are games that are difficult to sum up in a few words. Titles that will be improperly described as “concept games”, such as Gorogoa, which must be taken in hand in order to grasp their meaning and scope. Viewfinder seems to be of the same temper. The developers of Sad Owl Studios define their project with this pitch: “challenge perception, redefine reality and reshape the world around you with an instant camera“. A whole program, which only really makes sense with the gameplay images released by the Scottish studio.
Rather Polaroid or Instax?
Despite a concept that, frankly, puts it on the margins of most video game productions, Viewfinder nevertheless claims a general public approach, in the noble sense of the term. If the visual experiments it offers can sometimes seem quite abstruse, it will still encourage you to test and retest things, without fear of failure. “We wanted to encourage experimentation and remove the fear of failure. Now when you come across something that would otherwise have been a game break, you can just go back in time and try again “, explains Gwen Foster, the director of the game on the PS Blog. The result is the mechanics of rewind presented in the very last trailer published to date, and which we can only encourage you to watch with the greatest attention.
Viewfinder is expected for July 18, 2023 on PC and PlayStation 5. The curious can already try out the game from Sad Owl Studios thanks to the free demo available on the PS Store. A demo will be delivered on PC as part of the Steam Next Fest, from June 19 to June 26, 2023 inclusive.