The first moment I noticed Silt in the Xbox store, I just had to try it. The gorgeous hand-drawn environments in combination with the puzzle genre got me hyped before I started my adventure. Is this one worth it? Let’s dive in!
Fix the machine
In Silt, you’ll control a mysterious diver who’s tasked to fix an ancient machine. There’s no explanation of what this machine is or why it needs fixing, you’re just there to do your job. In order to fix the broken machine, you’ll need to absorb the souls of the Goliaths, four humongous creatures roaming around in the gorgeous black and white waters. If you want their soul, you’ll need to defeat them, which will prove to be rather challenging. I love how the main story is never explained but leaves a lot of room for personal interpretation. Why are you there? Why do you need the souls of ancient creatures? What is the machine? A lot of questions will get answered if you pay close attention to your environment. It all starts in black and white waters but the more you advance, the more you’ll see. Later in the game, you’ll find a lot of underwater temples which explain a lot more of the story. In the end, it’s up to the gamer to come up with a logical explanation, in my case, I loved how Silt felt like an artsy even spiritual journey comparable to Limbo, Journey, and even Shadow of the Colossus.
Unique puzzles
In order to capture the souls of the Goliaths and fix the broken machine, you’ll need to solve a lot of puzzles. The puzzles in Silt are its beating heart and are truly unique. As a diver, you’re powerless against the great force of the dark waters and their inhabitants. If you want to advance, you’ll need to take control of the sea creatures. By transferring your soul to one of the sea creatures, you’ll take control over them. Each species has its own ability to help you out. Pirhanna’s for example can bite through ropes while hammerhead sharks can easily break down small rocks. You’ll need to understand and utilize the strength of the creatures if you want to make it past certain puzzles. I love this original approach to the genre a lot and thanks to the different species, the game stays fun until the very end. It starts pretty easy but don’t be mistaken, one small error will result in your death.
Silt isn’t an easy game, it requires pixel-perfect precision and if you want to take down the bosses, you’ll need to quickly adapt to the pace of puzzles and combat. Silt demands a lot of the player, you’ll need to quickly take over certain creatures while staying out of the danger zone. I love the challenge of the game, even though I died a lot more than I would like to admit. This might scare away some gamers but in the end, it’s definitely worth the grind.
A work of art
As you can see on the screenshots, Silt is a true work of art and a joy to play. The hand-drawn visuals really are something else and elevate the overall feeling of immersion a lot. The characters are created in such a gorgeous still, that you’ll often just stare in awe. Not only the characters but also the backgrounds are extremely impressive and a joy to watch. It feels like a logical evolution of Limbo, even though it’s created by a different team. If you’re looking for interactive art, it doesn’t really get any better than this.
Conclusion:
Silt is a gorgeous challenging puzzle game that will leave a lasting impression. It’s not for everyone but if you’re willing to really dive into the mysterious story, you’ll be rewarded with one of the most unique games ever created.
