What Lies in the Multiverse

Genre: Puzzle-Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

(Note: Review code provided by the kind folks at Untold Tales)

(Note: This game is a part of the Arise + What Lies in the Multiverse Bundle, along with Arise: A Simple Story – Definitive Edition. It is also Included in the Bearnard + What Lies in the Multiverse bundle, along with Bearnard.)

What Lies in the Multiverse is a Puzzle-Platformer releasing on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on March 4, 2022. This game follows a kid who discovers the secret to unlocking multiversal traversal, resulting in him getting wrapped up in a conflict between the charismatic and irresponsible Everett, and the group working to hunt him down, Zenith.

The gameplay here takes pretty standard Puzzle-Platformer gameplay and adds a twist that has the player shifting between different universes to get past obstacles and solve puzzles. The gameplay reminded me a lot of the reality-shifting of Guacamelee, and some of the puzzle elements seemed inspired by Celeste, though I won’t spoil those here. However, make no mistake – What Lies in the Multiverse is not action-focused like Guacamelee, nor does it have the same sort of tight, precision platforming seen in Celeste – the gameplay here is largely fixated on the puzzle elements.

This is a good thing, as this game’s platforming is somewhat mediocre. The unnamed kid protagonist players control is terrible at jumping, struggles to clamber over walls he hangs from, and there’s even a frustrating input delay that can cause problems with precision jumping, so it’s perhaps just as well that the gameplay rarely calls for it. I also note that there were some issues with slowdown in some areas, although Untold Tales tells me a patch is in the works, so if this issue gets fixed I’ll try to make it a point to edit this review accordingly. However, know that these issues did not greatly affect my opinion of the game.

On the bright side, the puzzle design here is excellent, and some of the game’s puzzles really do make you stop and think through how to approach them. None of them had me stuck for too long, though. Overall, I would say that the challenge level here is pretty good, maybe a little more difficult than I think the average person would find comfortable.

When it comes to the presentation, What Lies in the Multiverse has some nice pixel art visuals with some good animation. These do a good job of conveying the personalities of the game’s lovable cast of characters, as well as ensuring that every time you swap worlds you get a feel for the very different realities you’re jumping into and out of. In fact, the differences can be surprisingly stark here – one reality that’s bright, colorful, and full of life, and another that’s dark, decaying, and littered with corpses, evidently the corpses of the same people standing in that spot in the other reality.

And speaking of the characters and story, this is one of the reasons to play this game, as this game’s characters do a great job of drawing you into the story and making you want to learn more about them, in particular the enigmatic mentor character Everett. Everett’s dynamic with the kid seems to have drawn at least a bit of inspiration from Rick and Morty, with Everett being a similar sort of shady and self-serving character that the kid protagonist may be idealizing just a bit too much. Everett has a lack of concern for the kid’s safety (or anyone else’s, for that matter), as well as him clearly having his own goals he repeatedly evades talking, and his absurdly-tall hat seems to evoke similarly shady characters like Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat. All of this should probably be setting off red flags for the kid, who is too caught up in the wonder of the multiverse, the sense of adventure, and the charming personality of his traveling companion.

Between the great characters, interesting story, and solid puzzle design, What Lies in the Multiverse offers a solid experience for those looking to add a good Puzzle-Platformer to their game library. It doesn’t do anything truly groundbreaking within the genre, and its platforming mechanics leave something to be desired. But otherwise everything it does, it does fairly well.

tl;dr – What Lies in the Multiverse is a Puzzle-Platformer where players shift between multiple realities to get past obstacles and solve puzzles. The platforming here isn’t great, but the puzzle design is excellent, and the characters and story are wonderful, giving off a Rick and Morty vibe. If you’re a fan of Puzzle-Platformers, this one is well worth getting.

Grade: B-

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2022 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Best Puzzle Game, Best New Character (Everett)

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