Honestly, this is one of the greatest games I've ever played, if you can even call it a game; To me, this represents the changing of character and the advancements one will take throughout their lives to reach their ultimate goal. This game covers many topics throughout its course, but to me the most outspoken is that of human ambition as well as the rebirth of the human psyche and one's freedoms in the small things.

Room  In the first room you start in, everything seems simple; you start in a small rectangle with the prompt to move, and so you move. There is nowhere else to go but forward. To some, this may simply come off as a mere tutorial on the basic mechanics of the game, such as "reach this point = go to the next level" and so basic controls. But to the more astute gamers, you may pick up on the true inspiration and thought that must have gone through the creator's head while forging such a heartfelt yet brave opening to the game. When I first started this room, the words of Martin Luther King Jr. came to me: “If you can't fly, then run; if you can't run, then walk; if you can't walk, then crawl; but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” Martin Luther King Jr.

This room isn't just a tutorial; it's a lesson in rebirth and is the first stage of the acceptance of change in one's life. You can really tell the emotion that was put into this first level, and I personally find it amazing how in-depth and personal this starting room is. When I first finished this room, I was left with the question, "How can there be more?" but also, "What could be next?"

Room 1

When you first enter the second room (labelled room 1, I will get into this later on), you are greeted with a very similar layout to that of the first level, with the exception that the very objective that you have now been conditioned to reach to advance has been locked behind a door that at first seems impossible to overcome until you realise there is a new secondary objective, something you must do before advancing. I feel this level is very on the nose about what it's trying to say, and I'm not sure if the genius behind the creation of this game was even trying to be subtle about the messaging behind this level, so I will try to keep it rather short as well as share a poem that I think really resonates with this level.

We never know how high we are. Till we are called to rise, And then, if we are true to our plan, Our stature touches the skies.

The heroism we recite It would be a daily thing, Did not ourselves the cubits warp? For fear of being a king.

A short poem by Emily Dickinson

This poem is by Emily Dickinson and is about aspiration. It really speaks to what I think the creator was trying to truly say: that it's not so easy to reach your goals and that rebirth doesn't come easy, and change doesn't come easy.

rm_2 DO NOT DIE are the first words you see when you enter this room, and woah is all I could say. These are some powerful words that hit you right in the heart, especially coming straight from the last level, which was a real tearjerker. But this is not just a strong stance but also a lesson that you should take forward throughout this level, or, you would think, throughout the game (spoiler). In this level, you meet the first hostile entity; they are pink and shoot a projectile that will fly straight ahead and will send you back to the start. I think this is a very clever reference to the second Punic War, when the scurge of Rome, Hannibal, marched his army overland from Iberia, through Gaul, and over the Alps to Cisalpine Gaul (which would be north Italy in this day and age). The danger you have to put yourself through to traverse this dangerous plain, in which at the start you can see no end or relief, This is terrifying and invokes many emotions in the player. To me, this is the most powerful example of symbolism you will find throughout this game, and for me personally, this was the moment I was hooked.

rm_3 

When you start this level, the prompt this time is DIE, and if you remember what the last prompt was, you'll realise the juxtaposition and hypocrisy that have just taken place. This is a very smart, clever, and clever manuver made by the very handsome (and cute) creator to change the expectations of the player. First you were told not to die, and now you're being told to die? And in the last room, not dying helps you complete the level, so does that mean that dying will help you complete the level? Once again, I think that this level was heavily inspired by The Fable of the Bees, a famous novel written in 1714 by Bernard Mandeville that explored the nature of hypocrisy in contemporary European society. On the one hand, Mandeville was a'moralist' heir to the French Augustinianism of the previous century, viewing sociability as a mere mask for vanity and pride. On the other hand, he was a'materialist' who helped found modern economics. He tried to demonstrate the universality of human appetites for corporeal pleasures. He argued that the efforts of self-seeking entrepreneurs are the basis of emerging commercial and industrial societies, and this line of thinking is rather disturbingly clear throughout this level.

rm_4 

I got stuck and gave up lol

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In conclusion, all five of my senses were groped, taken to dinner, and shown a good night in the boot of a small Suzuki Alto. Also, there were no bugs.