Phoenix Springs

Let me start by being blunt, I liked Phoenix Springs. This is an interesting point-and-click adventure game. But, I’m worried that this is something that most people will not enjoy for one clear reason: the story is puzzling. Think of this as if you're watching a Lynch film. I finished the game, but I still can't properly describe what transpired. Some will love that, while many will find that annoying.

Alright. Phoenix Springs is done and dusted. This was a bizarre game, folks. I've seen some comparisons being made to Kentucky Route Zero, which I understand due to the surrealism prominent in both games. But I think this is a bit different inasmuch as this game is a true thought experiment rather than something that almost exclusively embraces David Lynch style surrealism like KRZ does. As a result, there are aspects of this game that are going to be difficult to chat about due to the ease by which it can devolve into spoilers in order to get a point across. But we'll see how it goes, lol.
I think the first thing of note are the graphics. I'm not exactly sure how to describe them. Perhaps noir? There is an aspect of minimalism about them, but then again, they are also quite detailed and evocative. Much of what you see can seem anomalous. But then that is juxtaposed with things that are very familiar. They also have a hand drawn look to them. Since this is essentially a point and click game, you will interact with just about everything, and so you will also really become acquainted with the variety within this striking style of graphics.
The audio features some cool tracks that really lean into that surrealist atmosphere. And the voice acting is all for the protagonist, Iris, which is done in a very robotic, flat and unemotional style which is kind of jarring but also makes complete sense if you reach the same conclusion I reached about what was actually happening in this game. It offers a sense of detachment despite Iris being the focus of the game, and despite her trying to find some resolution by finding her brother, which is clearly important to her.
Which leads to the story. The overarching goal presented in this game is Iris trying to find her brother Leo. It's not clear why she is seeking him out or how they became estranged, but that is what's happening. To that end, Iris, who is a reporter, will follow clues and leads, questioning people she meets, and just trying to put everything together so she can find her brother. However, she is also trying to find Phoenix Springs, a place that seemingly exists outside of time, and which might actually be the source of her estrangement with her brother. A bigger part of this story though is you, the player, actually trying to figure out what the hell is really going on. There is a thread in the forum where people discuss what they think the game and the events that unfold actually mean. If you're curious what I think, I did leave a post there with my hypothesis. But I think the more important thing is to go into this game blind. Then, after playing it, check that forum thread out and see how what you think compares to what other people have theorized.
Gameplay is point and click, but with a twist. Rather than collect random items to combine to solve puzzles, you are really trying to find words to combine with other words or objects or people in the locations you are in. These represent clues for Iris to follow on the path to finding Leo and Phoenix Springs and then unravelling the larger mystery that presents itself there. I thought this was a really cool way to approach the genre. I would say the first half of the game involves a lot of trial and error, but the second half of the game makes the sequences needed a lot more obvious, although you will still be exploring quite a bit trying to find the locations necessary to complete puzzles. And there is a solid chance that you won't even see a tenth of the possible combinations in a single playthrough. Which gives you a real reason to replay this game for sure.
Like I say, this is kind of a difficult game to describe without getting spoiler-ey, and so I think I'm going to stop here. But what I will add is that I thought this was a particularly clever game that is kind of unsettling while also somehow being charming and at times funny. It took me not quite three hours to playthrough this once, but I was also rapid-fire combining words and linking words to objects/people. I think if you approached this at a more leisurely pace, you probably are looking at more like four to five hours to complete your first playthrough.
In my opinion, Phoenix Springs is an excellent game and an overall worthwhile experience. I definitely recommend checking this one out.
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Information / Review English
Phoenix Springs falls into the crime/mystery game genre developed by Calligram Studio.
Story / Gameplay
The story begins with reporter Iris Dormer reconnecting with her estranged brother. The brother lives in Phoenix Springs, which resembles a desert oasis. The population in this strange place is strange and behaves like it. We investigate like a murder, solve many mysteries, question the residents and explore old vaults and ruins to solve the puzzles and myths.
The atmosphere in this game is picturesque, as you don't know what's coming next. The visual design of the project impresses with its level of detail and offers variety. Landscapes are shown in detail in graphics that match the game. The player has to make difficult decisions. The gameplay is reminiscent of old-school point-and-click adventures and is heavily text-based, but with a twist. All exchanges between characters are narrated by a single actress.
Pro
+ Artwork like in a novel
+ complex plot
+ appropriate graphic style
+ great actors
+ Price is fair
+ good controls
+ Achievements
Contra
- short story
Conclusion
Phoenix Springs offers you a plot full of twists and turns, combining challenge with emotion. You could say a story like in a novel.
First of all, thank you to the developer for providing us with this key for the group. Here you will find more good reviews from others and me and if you liked the review then we would be happy about a thumbs up. If you would like to support me, I would be happy to receive an award as a Goddie
Informationen / Rezension Deutsch
Phoenix Springs fällt in das Genre Krimi/Mystery Spiel, welches von Calligram Studio entwickelt wurde.
Story / Gameplay
Die Geschichte beginnt, indem die Reporterin Iris Dormer wieder Kontakt zu ihrem entfremdeten Bruder aufnimmt. Der Bruder lebt in Phoenix Springs, welches einer Wüstenoase ähnelt. Die Bevölkerung in diesem komischen Ort ist seltsam und verhält sich auch so. Wir ermitteln wie in einem Mord, lösen viele Geheimnisse, befragen die Einwohner und kundschaften alte Gewölbe wie Ruinen aus um die Rätsel und Mythen zu lösen.
Die Atmosphäre in diesem Spiel ist malerisch, da man nicht weiß was als nächstes auf einen zu kommt Die visuelle Gestaltung des Projekts beeindruckt durch ihren Detaillierungsgrad und bietet Abwechslung. Landschaften sind detailliert dargestellt in einer passenden Grafik zum Spiel. Der Spieler muss schwierige Entscheidungen treffen. Das Gameplay erinnert an Point-and-Click-Adventures der alten Schule und basiert stark auf Text, hat aber eine Wendung. Alle Wortwechsel zwischen den Charaktere, werden von einer einzigen Schauspielerin erzählt.
Pro
+ Kunstwerk wie in einem Roman
+ komplexe Handlung
+ passender Grafikstil
+ tolle Schauspieler
+ Preis ist fair
+ gute Steuerung
+ Errungenschaften
Kontra
- kurze Geschichte
Fazit
Phoenix Springs bietet dir eine Handlung voller Wendungen und kombiniert Herausforderung mit Emotionen. Man könnte sagen eine Geschichte wie in einem Roman.
Zunächst einmal vielen Dank an den Entwickler, der uns diesen Schlüssel für die Gruppe zur Verfügung gestellt hat. Hier finden Sie weitere gute Bewertungen von anderen und mir und wenn Ihnen die Bewertung gefallen hat, dann würden wir uns über einen Daumen nach oben freuen. Wenn du mich unterstützen möchtest, würde ich mich über eine Auszeichnung als Goddie freuen

A gorgeous game that poetically neglects player’s time. Aka “How to Trick Humans by Brilliant Visuals and Extravagant Prose into Forgetting that They are Doing Nothing of Essence but Savoring Those Elements”. You’re going to like it, too. Cheeky developers.

There’s a simple set-up here – you’re an older sister, Iris, that’s in search of long-lost brother who might be involved in a serious scientific undertaking of a rather questionable character. That’s the only simple thing you’ll get in this game, the rest will be so lyrically/philosophically distorted that clinging to this simplicity of a set-up will be something you’d need to take a stab at what’s actually going on. It’s a dreamlike, surreal journey that leaves you in an almost permanent “what the hell is happening” state. I’m still not sure what happened. And I’m still not sure how I managed to enjoy it.

The puzzle element is part of a trickery. While classic in nature, it is somewhat unusual in implementation. We use Iris’ mind/memory as an inventory bar, and the “items” themselves are pieces of information we can combine with environment and other characters for dialogues. It’s quite clever, as the topics fade out once we find a solution, and new ones pop up when we learn something, circumventing the unavoidable awkwardness of carrying 54 items in our pockets or backpacks, as our trained adventure backs accustomed to do. The novelty of having thoughts about things and places instead of crowbars and keys is refreshing. It all comes together logically as well, and you’ll find plethora of options to combine thoughts with anything you’d like and get a unique response.

But here comes the question – do any of the things you do matter? Is there any purpose to all these ever-stylish combinations? Once a relatively intriguing first segment (that you’ll get to discover in the demo and a following chapter) passes, you’re hitting a full-on, liminal Wild West. Did all this gigantic map exploration in pursuit of solving an odd, but at least coherent task, navigating a band of peculiar inhabitants lead anywhere? Or is it a masterful and ruthless design that leads to you understanding of a total futility of everything you’ve just done? Is it trying to tell you something by analogy? The answer, like the truth, is out there. Subjective is the nature of the game.

What is not subjective, I hope, is the gorgeous picture presented in front of you. Deep hues of yellow and red and green frame the retro-like silhouettes with brilliant artistry. Unusual, captivating angles show you eye-stopping visuals with gusto. Combined with going-out-of-your-way cryptic prose, where nothing is remotely helpful (which Iris is aware of) and everything is so poetic that it comes across as a bit self-indulgent, it hits hard over your senses and makes you momentarily forget that you’re running around in circles, obliging borderline-psychopaths (are they even real?), getting nowhere fast. It also appears as too serious about its own self, and a bit of humor – deadpan, irony, absurdity, you pick – would have helped to make it more palatable. Alas. The tone is somber, melancholic and bleak, and it does give a perception of slight artistic pretentiousness despite trying really hard to “invoke something”. Or maybe because of it. Regardless, have you seen that rave scene? It’s magnificent. Here I go, being tricked again.

Speaking of rave – you’d think the game will pull all the stops into roping music to serve its artistic force, but it opts out for leaving you in silence (besides wholesome sound effects) quite often. Too often, in my opinion. I suppose, it’s meant to leave you contemplate - nothing can distract you from what you see and hear from Iris, it’s way too complex already, but I’d rather would’ve gotten distracted, though. It would take an edge off “all too serious” tone of the game, but I was left to ponder in silence. When it comes to Iris, by the way, it’s perfect. Her always tired, resigned and matter-of-fact voice is marvelous. Despite being the only speaking character in the game, she matches the tone of everything that’s happening to a T. Bravo, well-done.

Phoenix Springs, man. I played it, I marveled at it, I questioned it, I raised my eyebrow at it, I raged at it, and I was still largely satisfied with it. It’s peculiar and captivating, and it’s not for everyone. You know, I’m not a huge fan of abstract expressionism, but I can still divide it into two categories. One is where you stare at a painting of two blue lines on a white canvass, or a black square, a red triangle, paint simply spilling over white… And you think there must be a backstory to it, perhaps, something an artist experienced on some acid trip back in the days alone at home, and you’re left to decipher it not knowing any details. And then there’s a complex picture of shapes and colors and gradients and forms that all flow into each other and make you stop. Sure, you might not understand much of it, because you were on your way to marvel at classics, like Rembrandt, but you stop nonetheless, and you look and look, and you start pondering on something that wasn’t in your mind just a second ago… And now you’re successfully tricked.
Congratulations, Phoenix Springs, that’s exactly how you got me.

This game blew my mind. Frankly, the aftertaste is similar to that of finishing a great novel. This relatively short piece of art channels favorite themes of Kazuo Ishiguro, Don DeLillo, and even, to some extent, Italo Calvino. It explores the frailty of memory, death and what lies beyond, and the dangerous symbiosis of longevity with technology on an entirely different level. I dare say this video game handles these themes even better than some other mediums traditionally considered more suitable for deep and profound exploration. The gameplay is reminiscent of old-school point-and-click adventures, heavily reliant on text, but it has a twist. While at its core it remains a "quest", it delves more into the protagonist’s inner monologue audibly rather than textually. For example, all exchanges between characters are narrated by a single actress, and they sound like this: “The man has a weighty stare. I asked him about the missing flowers, but he doesn’t seem to know. His mind wanders off somewhere far beyond any reach”. Her voice is somewhat monotonous, distant, unemotional, and it’s an amazing trick that drastically deepens the immersion (and probably reduces development costs, hehe). Also, there’s no inventory in this game. All we have is literally a mindmap, so no more antenna trouts or banana lockpicks for you! The visual style is also something rarely seen in video games, bordering on fauvism aesthetics with a touch of pop art boldness (yes). Also, it has a strong noirish feel (perspectives! shadows! negative space!) because, first and foremost, this is a detective story — the main heroine needs to find her little brother. But somewhere along the road, it transforms into a lucid, vibrant, synesthetic journey into the subconscious, and isn’t that the best thing imaginable? I loved every bit of this game, and sooner rather than later, my friends will hate me because I’ll buzz their ears off with how great Phoenix Springs is. You should try it too.

Overall, an emotionally compelling game with a unique prospective with distinct art style and game mechanics to match. If the trailers catch your interest at all, I suggest you give this game a try.
I do agree that Phoenix Springs falls into the trappings of the hyper-specific solutions of the point & click genre. And the second half feels like a completely different game altogether. I'm still not sure whether I feel like the first half of the story is setting the player up to understand the second, or if they land as two different games entirely.
What I do know is over the course of a few days, I played through the game 4 times. And am still finding connections and conversations I did not on my previous play through's. If you love finding out what indie games can do, I'd really suggest this one.

With a look this stunning I'm not sure how this managed to fly under the radar. I love the unique point and click-ish mechanics, but even more love the story and presentation. Something just feels wrong from moment one, and it is never relieved. It's a mystery game in that it is mysterious, not in that you will cleanly solve the scenario and be finished. That kind of deconstruction is really hard to achieve, and here it's done deftly.