Explore a mysterious deserted ruined cave and solve mind bending puzzles in The Long Gate.  You view the game in a first person perspective as you explore a 3-D cave with all sorts of electronic devices.  Early on you’ll get what looks like a Portal gun but it’s actually just a tool that helps you pick up and move things.  You’ll use it to drag around battery looking objects as you link wires and such to solve circuit-based puzzles.  Kind of what an electrical engineer might do.  The game is available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.

The game has three difficulty modes: Engineer, Normal, and an easy one that says they give players a bit of a ‘nudge.’  But either way you go, they don’t explain very much on how to play and what to do.  When you get the “Portal gun” they don’t explain what it does, you just have to figure it out. But that’s the least of your worries.  You’ll have to solve circuit based puzzles to power doors to open the next area, but even with text hints on the floor, I had no idea what to do.  Either the learning curve is set too steep, or I’m dumb and not cut out to be an electrical engineer (or maybe a little of both).  I’m all for less handholding in games, but there’s a difference between good and bad instructions.  I guess I just didn’t ‘get it.’  I’d say only try this one if you find STEM based science circuit puzzles and activities fascinating.

Kid Factor:

Nothing violent or objectionable here.  This game could be considered somewhat educational with the circuit puzzles, but I think most kids would find them confusing.  Reading skill is needed for the text, and younger gamers may find it too difficult.  The Long Gate is rated E for Everyone.

Tags: Game Reviews