Cloud Garden (Nintendo Switch) – Trial

Outside of the test dedicated to the singular condemnation of the decline of habitation Our friends are gibbons, we are already distributed in a universe that at this point is already completely extinct, or nearly so. Only a few plant entities remain in this chaotic world. Your mission? To restore some color and life to scenes where civilization survives only through its passing aways.

Created by Noyo and Thomas van den Berg, and published by Noyo and Goetzink, Cloud Garden bets on making the ugly beautiful. Experience light and contrast-free graphics (the game seems to be bathed in an annoying fog), the developers imagined an original concept and had fun (lost?) with no hidden meaning, but it was deserved. A great incentive to spark genuine interest. As animals lay down their weapons, let’s dive into the foreshadowing of plants taking over.

My seed, my precious

It all starts with a certain mystery… At the center of a small abandoned area, the player is invited to retrieve a seed to place it in one of the ruined structures on the screen. Soon, the vegetation starts to flourish (fog) and the ash gives some color around, while we now have to arrange some road signs. The goal is simple and quick: strategic arrangement of objects to allow plants to grow. The latter needs some platforms, bottles and other guideposts to grow again and again. The level is closed when the player completes 100% of the challenge, meaning relatively extensive vegetation on the current board.

The scene changes as the objects evolve bit by bit. Soon, these signs will accommodate some more imposing structures, even going as far as supermarket shopping carts and old cars. Compared to the pyramids of shopping carts sitting on the screen, the cans suddenly look very strange.

Levels covered in this way create some additional objects to work with in creative mode. In fact, the app has a sandbox where you can create your own schedule. The more the player progresses in the adventure, the more he unlocks the materials available for his creations. This game mode adds value to the game, although the more impatient will be happy to know that without holding us back for too long… it’s possible to sneak into the options and unlock the software’s full content. All levels will be unlocked… as well as content for creative mode.

Tourniquet, tourniquet!

The original idea is certainly beautiful, almost philosophical, returning to this life in the scenes where industrialization sees the image of the soul through the plants. However, the graphics that don’t charm us, the music that’s perfect for sleeping, and the very annoying lies make the game effortlessly frustrating and annoying.

The successful placement of seeds and various objects is not only in a good display of the whole, but also in every corner of the table. While it’s certainly possible to zoom in and out at leisure, handling can be difficult, with an unpleasant camera subtly altering the entire image. In the end, the player can place the string of tires that come his way anywhere, sometimes paying off everything! Not always, though… this led to some areas where we stood stunned in the face of a board full of waste, plants that stubbornly refused to grow. With a very brief tutorial, the player needs to be patient to understand the software properly.

However, the game is not very punitive and the player will be asked to restart the level after missing the challenge. Some surprises are to be discovered, especially the arrival of certain ingredients or new seeds. However, if these innovations add a little more excitement to a game that is so flawed, it lacks depth to really inspire interest. Also, the combination of genres makes us question: the semi-postapocalyptic aspect, the sober music, the dated graphics, the desire to convey a message… instead of focusing deeply from these interesting little boxes. , the results are mixed.

Cloud Garden is available on the Nintendo Switch eShop for around 15 euros.

did you know ?

Plants never cease to amaze us. While we grow some that adorn our gardens and homes, others arm themselves with determination to grow in every available crevice. Artist Mathieu Twelve wanted to pay homage to them with a touching photographic journey during which he elegantly manages to highlight all of these plants, which he calls “brave plants”.