Metamorphosis (video game)
{{Short description|2020 adventure video game}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Metamorphosis
| image =
| alt =
| developer = Ovid Works
| publisher = All in! Games
| director =
| producer =
| artist =
| writer =
| composer = {{ubl|Garry Schyman|Mikolai Stroinski}}
| series =
| engine =
| platforms = {{ubl|PC|PlayStation 4|Xbox One|Nintendo Switch}}
| released = 12 August 2020
| genre = Adventure
| modes = Single-player
}}
Metamorphosis is an adventure video game with platforming elements, inspired by the imagination of Franz Kafka. The game was developed by Ovid Works and published by All in! Games on August 12, 2020. Metamorphosis is available on PC (Steam and GOG), PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.{{Cite web |date=2020-08-12 |last=Santa Maria |first=Alex |title=Metamorphosis Review: Breaching The Hive Of Red Tape |url=https://screenrant.com/metamorphosis-game-review/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=ScreenRant |language=en |archive-date=2023-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210210822/https://screenrant.com/metamorphosis-game-review/ |url-status=live }}
Development
The game is based on Franz Kafka's literary work, including The Metamorphosis (1915) and The Trial (1925).{{Cite news |date=2020-09-16 |title='Metamorphosis' Review: The Kafka industry makes its way to video games |last=Byrd |first=Christopher |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/reviews/kafka-video-game-metamorphosis/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=2022-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220823135518/https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/reviews/kafka-video-game-metamorphosis/ |url-status=live }}
Gameplay
The game is a first-person puzzle platformer in which players take the role of Gregor, a man who awakens after a hangover to find that he has been transformed into an insect.{{Cite web |last=Bolt |first=Neil |date=2020-08-21 |title=[Review] 'Metamorphosis' Takes Players on a Weird, Kafka-Inspired Trip to Bugtown |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3628450/review-metamorphosis-takes-players-weird-kafka-inspired-trip-bugtown/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=Bloody Disgusting! |language=en-US |archive-date=2021-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304163921/https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3628450/review-metamorphosis-takes-players-weird-kafka-inspired-trip-bugtown/ |url-status=live }} The game's setting is loosely based in the early 20th century.{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Ewan |date=2020-08-19 |title='Metamorphosis' review: short but imaginative, miniaturised odyssey |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/game-reviews/metamorphosis-review-short-but-imaginative-miniaturised-odyssey-2731942 |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=NME |language=en-GB |archive-date=2022-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930200848/https://www.nme.com/reviews/game-reviews/metamorphosis-review-short-but-imaginative-miniaturised-odyssey-2731942 |url-status=live }} Gregor also learns that his friend Joseph has been arrested for unknown reasons.
Reception
The game had a mixed critical reception. It currently has a score of 69 on Metacritic indicating "mixed or average" reviews.{{Cite web |title=Metamorphosis |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/metamorphosis/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=Metacritic |language=en |archive-date=2023-02-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212134056/https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/metamorphosis |url-status=live }} Ewan Wilson of NME described the game's surreal atmosphere and focus on absurd bureaucracy to Terry Gilliam's 1985 film Brazil. Christopher Byrd, in a review for the Washington Post, described the game's humor and writing as a highpoint, but criticized the stiff character animations. Lara Arlotta of Eurogamer praised the game's use of Kafka's work, but criticized its technical flaws and lack of replay value.{{Cite news |date=2020-09-01 |title=Metamorphosis - recensione |language=it |last=Lara |first=Arlotta |work=Eurogamer.it |url=https://www.eurogamer.it/metamorphosis-recensione |access-date=2023-08-02 |archive-date=2023-08-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803050149/https://www.eurogamer.it/metamorphosis-recensione |url-status=live }} Alex Santa Maria of Screen Rant awarded the game 3 out of 5 stars, with praise for its visual design and gameplay but criticism for its story.
In 2021 the composers of the music for the game, Garry Schyman and Mikolai Stroinski, received the Society of Composers & Lyricists Award for Outstanding Original Score for Interactive Media,{{cite web |title=SCL Awards |url=https://thescl.com/previous-winners/ |access-date=5 October 2024 |website=thescl.com |language=en |archive-date=25 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240925210047/https://thescl.com/previous-winners/ |url-status=live}} and two nominations for the Game Audio Network Guild Awards for Music of the Year and Best Music for an Indie Game.{{cite web |title=G.A.N.G. Awards Winners: 'The Last of Us Part II' Leads With Eight Wins |last=Ferme |first=Antonio |date=28 April 2021 |url=https://variety.com/2021/awards/awards/gang-awards-winners-list-last-of-us-part-two-1234962237/ |access-date=5 October 2024 |website=variety.com |language=en |archive-date=18 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118081103/https://variety.com/2021/awards/awards/gang-awards-winners-list-last-of-us-part-two-1234962237/ |url-status=live}} They employed expressionist techniques in their score, introducing twelve-tone rows, Sprechstimme vocal technique (singing-speaking hybrid) and angular melodies.{{cite web |title=How Mikolai Stroinski And Garry Schyman Created An Enchanting Score For Metamorphosis |last=Penney |first=Andrew |date=16 October 2020 |url=https://www.thegamer.com/metamorphosis-interview-mikolaj-stroinski-garry-schyman/|access-date=11 October 2024 |website=thegamer.com |language=en |archive-date=9 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709123214/https://www.thegamer.com/metamorphosis-interview-mikolaj-stroinski-garry-schyman/ |url-status=live}}
References
External links
- [https://metamorphosisgame.com/ Official website]
{{Videogame-stub}}
{{The Metamorphosis}}
Category:First-person video games
Category:Nintendo Switch games
Category:Video games developed in Poland
Category:Video games about insects