The first title released by Western Australian studio Winterwire Games, named “Power Sink,” is a 3D challenge that combines puzzle-solving with platform gaming, immersing players deep within the ocean.
In the Upper Biomes of the ocean, there resides an anonymous Diver who carries out his life and work. Yet, when the power fails, he unexpectedly becomes a crucial figure at the right moment, tasked with discovering how to restore power.
Accompanied by advice from diverse character types such as The Veteran and The Professor (who claims to be in a fish’s body, although he insists he wasn’t always a fish), you will need to figure out puzzles that include common elements like levers and glowing orbs.
As a gaming enthusiast, who’s always captivated by the challenges of games akin to Portal and Viewfinder, my anticipation soared when I heard about one that delved into the breathtaking mystery of the ocean – a puzzle realm unparalleled in grandeur.
As someone who’s always been captivated by the vast unknown of our oceans, it only made sense to craft an enigma within its depths, filled with truly mind-bending riddles. So here I go, plunging into the mysteries that lurk beneath the surface. Let’s see what secrets the ocean unveils!
Puzzle It Out, Or Just Prod Until You Pass
In this type of game, which emphasizes the challenge of solving puzzles in a platform setting, each new environment introduces a fresh mechanic that becomes increasingly difficult as you progress towards the final stage.
As you advance, you transition to another biome and gameplay mechanic, with earlier mechanics being reintroduced along the way as you progress. By the end, you’re left with a challenging and rewarding puzzle that combines all the mechanics learned so far.
Regrettably, the game can sometimes become frustrating because of several factors, one being the ambiguity in its mechanics. For instance, the Buoy Orb’s ability to connect with Power Orbs and make them float up was initially perplexing for me; I thought it was a glitch the first few times I encountered it.
Speaking as a fellow enthusiast, navigating through levels can sometimes prove challenging due to the need to manage which devices require powering on and leaving active for the final tower to illuminate. It’s easy to overlook an unassuming switch from the start of the level, which might sabotage your efforts if you forget to leave it on. This could lead to a frustrating situation where you have to retrace your steps.
Sometimes, the camera’s perspective might not provide the best view, making it challenging to spot orb holes on certain platform ceilings, especially when you’re in a position that doesn’t offer a clear view. Additionally, if a wall is overly expansive, it may be impossible to see all of it at once from your current angle.
Unfortunately, the game often devolves into frustration.
Having a button that marks the towers requiring illumination instead of tracing wires to find where power is needed, and a ‘scout’ mode for exploring without concern over falling blocks or misjudging jumps sounds fantastic! Who wouldn’t appreciate a helpful little robotic companion along the way?
Occasionally, when orbs become too far away to collect due to their placement, you may need to replay the entire level entirely because arranging them incorrectly can lead to a situation where progress is blocked, often referred to as a “soft lock.
Restarting an entire level from scratch can be quite disheartening, particularly when it’s unclear how you reached that specific stage initially.
Bugs Even Down Here
Ultimately, there’s a possibility that you may have to restart because of several glitches. Occasionally, during a fall, your character, the Diver, might get stuck on the ceiling or some decorative item, making it impossible for them to move.
Currently, since these stages aren’t overly lengthy and become more manageable once you grasp the required actions, it’s not quite to the point of causing frustration that would make one quit in anger. However, they are nonetheless not particularly enjoyable to encounter.
During my work, I occasionally needed to step away because I found myself frustrated enough to curse the screen several times, either due to a soft-lock or a glitch.
The writing is consistently good, and the central mystery is drip-fed at a nice pace.
A recurring issue I encountered was my inability to choose a level within the 4th biome. Despite my attempts, the game wouldn’t let me press any of the levels to load. I had to resort to using manual mouse controls and exiting them myself before the level would load.
Since the game requires using a controller right off the bat, it wasn’t my initial plan to start that way. Instead, I wanted to explore other stages or reload the game initially, but this action only fueled my growing aggravation.
This issue seems like it should have been discovered during game testing since it can easily be reproduced. I hope they fix it soon, but in the meantime, there’s a possible solution as a workaround.
Strong Writing And Humour
This doesn’t mean that enjoyable moments are entirely absent from the game. In fact, the writing is consistently strong, even though there isn’t much text at the start and end of most levels. However, it effectively develops other characters and provides amusing segments that made me smile.
As a gamer, I’m hooked! Each new layer of the game’s enigma unfolds gradually, keeping the right amount of suspense that compels me to advance to the next stage and uncover the secrets it holds.
Unfortunately, it seems there’s a bit of confusion in this narrative, as one tale appears to conclude its story first before reiterating it from the start on another level.
It felt eerily familiar when this occurred, making me wonder if we had stepped into a storyline similar to the psychological thriller “Memento”.
As I progressed deeper into the game, I found myself running into more glitches, giving me the impression that the game was becoming overly ambitious around the midpoint, possibly because of time constraints, budget limitations, or a lack of specialized skills within the development team.
Is That A T-Posing Whale?
Although the graphics are satisfactory, I needed to adjust them to low settings in order to maintain a consistent frame rate using my Nvidia 2060 Super. This was unexpected as I’m accustomed to running Cyberpunk 2077 smoothly, even with ray tracing enabled.
Regarding the visual appearance, there isn’t a significant difference among the three choices. Therefore, maintaining a consistent frame rate was straightforward by choosing the option with minimal impact on graphics.
Another minor annoyance arises when my chosen screen resolution fails to persist – instead, it resets to 720p each time I progress to a new level. This consistently leads to frustration.
Currently, I’m unsure if making changes has any effect – I didn’t spot any visible differences, but it would be convenient to have a ‘Save’ and ‘Apply’ button in the settings, as this would confirm that the modifications are definitely being saved.
The third biome, Starry Expanse, in particular, is lovely, showing a sea full of stars.
Additionally, it would be great if there were a few more adjustment options for the graphics to match my system configuration. Unfortunately, I don’t see settings for brightness, gamma, v-sync, and other similar tweaks. Also, customizing keybindings seems to be missing from the current setup.
Indeed, an increase in brightness would be beneficial, given that as you venture further into the ocean during daylight hours, the diminishing light could pose a challenge when trying to maintain visibility.
As you venture further into the ocean, the transition between biomes provides a strong hint – the light gradually fades, and a sense of solitude becomes more pronounced. Of all the biomes, the third one, Starry Expanse, stands out for its breathtaking beauty, mirroring a sea filled with stars.
As a gamer, when I venture into the next biome, exploring the Abyssal Chasm, my mind feels less confined and my senses at ease, thanks to whatever mechanism alleviates my claustrophobia along the way.
As a sea aficionado, I must admit, it’s intriguing and somewhat amusing to see a whale standing tall in the ocean, resembling a character from a cosmic horror story. The T-Pose pose adds an unusual yet captivating touch to the scenery, but I can’t help but wonder what its purpose is.
Music And Platforming: A Hit And A Miss
The music stands out notably, offering a moody backdrop that effectively enhances the feeling of being submerged 20,000 leagues beneath the ocean.
While it may not be something you’d find yourself singing along to like famous tunes, it would still provide an adequate soundtrack that keeps the music playing while you’re engaged in solving a puzzle.
From my perspective, the game feels like it’s stuck right in the middle, where its unique style and substantial content seem to counterbalance each other, making the overall experience a bit unbalanced for me.
In this game, the platforming element isn’t heavily emphasized; there are just a few stages that might test your skills with shifting or vanishing platforms. Nevertheless, the game pays great attention to the realistic underwater physics, providing a more immersive oceanic experience.
What I’m saying is, the game’s jumping mechanics feel very light and airy, which can make it difficult to time jumps onto moving platforms. This issue becomes more pronounced when using the Buoy Orb because it causes you to jump higher, making precise landings trickier.
It’s clear that setting the game underwater would add an interesting ambiance, but if prioritizing this aspect makes the game less user-friendly, I believe it should have been adjusted during testing to ensure a smoother gaming experience.
To add more depth and creativity, we could draw some ideas from Outer Wilds and incorporate physical aspects into the game. This would involve manipulating water pressure and considering buoyancy to create an environment where objects float realistically, making the game’s atmosphere a dynamic and interactive element.
Currently, the game finds itself in a peculiar situation where its unique elements and content seem to balance each other out, resulting in a neutral overall impression.
In this game, there are no collectible items to find, which means every level presents a single compulsory challenge instead.
It’s equally important to remember that the method of movement, whether it’s sliding out from an air vent or gliding along a travelator beam, can influence the final outcome.
To travel further for an air vent, it’s essential to maintain motion while undergoing propulsion. Certain destinations can only be accessed through this continuous movement.
To maintain the speed on a travelator, you need to initially start moving, but then stand still to continue traveling at that same pace. Understood?
Platforming Staples
For the sequence breakers among us, there are not a huge number of opportunities in the early game.
As a player, once I’ve obtained the travelator beams and the Buoy Orb, a world of possibilities unfolds! Now, with well-timed leaps or by following the orb in unintended paths, I can effortlessly bypass certain parts of the level.
Absolutely, you’ll need to continue pressing the buttons or arranging the objects correctly to advance through the level, but it can be enjoyable to find moments where you seem to outsmart the game.
In this game, there are no optional items or extras to find, making each level focus solely on the main task at hand. Personally, I don’t think every game needs collectibles. More often than not, they just add unnecessary complexity.
Instead, incorporating a platform-focused element in every stage might add an additional layer of difficulty, and this could potentially unlock bonus information about the game’s setting and characters, which we find intriguing.
At the moment, the game doesn’t support Steam Cloud saves or function properly on the Steam Deck, featuring only touchscreen control options. It’s hoped that this issue will be addressed because the game could make for an excellent portable title, allowing players to finish levels during travel here and there.
Closing Thoughts:
In essence, this game delivers ‘aha’ instances approximately half the time when solving puzzles. Occasionally, I finish a level unsure of how I achieved it or needing to pause before starting the next one due to the need for extensive exploration at the beginning to understand the level layout. The game has potential, but it is often overshadowed by a frustrating layer of bugs, average puzzles, and design elements that could have been refined during testing.
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2025-05-31 17:10