The mood and lighting etc are really cool and interesting, it's a shame you didn't have more time

The lighting and mood in this experience is fascinating. I was a bit sad when the music stopped, but I also liked the other sound effects, even the footstep sounds. They were an interesting contrast, felt so normal and real compared to the surreal visual surroundings.

For me, walking simulators are fine, but I would have liked to be able to explore a bit more. Being able to leave the path was interesting, but it would be more interesting if there was something I could only reach or see/experience by leaving the path. Same with the object I would have liked to inspect at the end of the game. The experience felt incomplete.

I absolutely like how you let the player interpret what they see here and what's going on, really! I just would have liked to see and experience more of it. 

Looking forward to more of your experiments, and to be honest, I rather see an unfinished experiment to be shared, than none. :)

The following is a very personal review based on my own experience. Please play it and make your own opinion! I'm not trying at all to be positive or negative, just telling what I felt out of playing this game. I tried to detach myself from the friendship I may have with the creators, to be as objective as I could. Let's go!

The games of BlurredGames are unique and very special. Whatever of their game you play, you will feel attracted into a unique mysterious and often dark world, with a huge level of detail and realism, and that will make you in awe. This new game is no different: the art and visual elements in Psyche are incredible, I really LOVE the whole design and atmosphere. You feel like you have suddenly crossed the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey, and you are facing a very weird world made of other dark monoliths in a foggy space. What's ahead? What challenge will you face? The game is over 800MB so you immediately think it must be rich in content, and you start to dream of a wonderful scifi story. We are going to talk mainly about this below!

You immediately want to explore the fascinating place and learn more about the story, situation, hero, philosophy, or whatever else you can expect from such a piece of art. And so, of course, you expect to see a cutscene or read a paper that will give you some more detail about your situation here. The issue however is right here: there is no interaction and no real story... I have been completely caught by surprise because it's not a game, it's really just a visual experience. I'm not saying at all that it's a bad thing, Art can absolutely be visual and not need a single word. But that's not what I expected when I launched the game, knowing what the creator can do, and I feel that it should be made more obvious from the very beginning what to expect exactly. Usually in these games there is at least something to read and a door to unlock (and hopefully more), but in Psyche you just move forward and it ends. It is very minimalist, and people can have different opinions about that, some will love it, others won't, but it should be made very clear in my opinion that we are not going to actually "play".

Of course there is a sense of wonder and curiosity because of the mysterious world that shows before our eyes, but you can't help wanting for more when you reach the end after just a minute. I think the frustration comes exactly from that: there was a huge potential with this unique place that reminded me of my own game Kitrinos somehow, and globally the whole Black Cube series, but in the end it's not exploited and results in a big questionning when the ending message suddenly pops up without having learned more, or done anything. There is no interaction with the world and you can only try to guess why you were there, after you see the final object before the credits. 

Again I'm not saying it's bad: it's obvious that it has been done on purpose, to let the "player" (more spectator) make their own story in their head, and imagine what they want. A lot of people enjoy games where we don't actually play, in which the story evolves, such as Dear Esther or more recently Hellblade II, which are both different kinds of interactive movies in a way. However Psych is far from the interactive movie because it's just too short! Is it the kind of experience people want from a game? Is it even still a game? Shouldn't it be turned more into a short film or showreel when it is that short and minimalist? It could have easily been turned into a more cinematic experience with a few camera moves and subtitles, making of it a journey between game and short film. But in the current case, it more looks like an empty scene. We walk and that is all. Is there even still a joy or an interest in 2024 in walking and looking around in a virtual world? It is not a criticism but a real question, and I can't answer. I even feel that the music by Python Blue as been misused, being heard only in the main menu, not when you play, which adds up to everything said previously and adding up in my case to the emptiness of the gameplay.

For me this is a demo that proves once again, if it was necessary, that Blurred Games is highly talented in creating incredible visual scenes nearing AAA quality, but it's not an actual game. Is it bad, is it good? It's up to the player to decide if they liked it or not, but personally I'm a little sad that there is not at least a better introduction and a longer conclusion, and something to do or to live in between. I do however feel grateful for the effort and the participation to the Jam, and I can't deny that I loved the world that I saw!