The Entropy Centre Review

Thanks to the folks at Stubby Games and Playstack I’ve been spending some time with The Entropy Centre, so I can bring you our usual video review and common-sense parent’s guide. This review will take you through the basics for The Entropy Centre, as well as providing a look at age ratings and content. As usual you can find our full video just below, or keep reading for the extended written review.

The Basics – what is The Entropy Centre About?

The Entropy Centre is a puzzle-based sci-fi adventure. You play as Aria, a near-future corporate worker within the aptly-title Entropy Centre. As you wake in the 2030s, you’ll find yourself in a crumbling and abandoned complex. While there’s nobody else around, and it seems mankind has long forgotten this facility, you’ll still have to jump into your day job as a Puzzle Operative (it seems like nothing changes).

Within the first few moments of the game, you’ll discover an entropy device. This rifle-like tool will allow you to carry and rewind objects within their own timeline, shifting time to help you solve puzzles and create entropy energy. With the decaying state of the Entropy Centre itself, the device also comes in very handy for making your way through the crumbling halls and stairways.

The Entropy Centre is definitely inspired by the amazing Portal franchise, and I don’t think there’s a way of shying away from that. Ignoring the time travel aspects, the puzzles and settings will feel very familiar for anybody who’s run through the halls of Aperture Science. However, while familiar the time-bending exploits of The Entropy Centre really do manage to stand on their own feet (or… wheels? maybe?).

While you’ll have much the same “corporate drone solving puzzles” feel, with increasingly complex puzzles and an evolving and cryptic narrative, use of time travel brings a whole new spin to the puzzle genre. It’s a very welcome change and while it can’t be denied that there are a lot of similarities, The Entropy Centre brings new gameplay and an engaging original narrative.

Parent’s Guide

Rating: Mostly Harmless

The Entropy Centre is rated by PEGI at 7 and above, and the ESRB at Everybody 10+. There’s a little mild violence in the title, but it’s one with no real gore and even when you die as a character things remain rather peaceful. There’s some mild language in the title but again it’s not caused particular concern. Overall The Entropy Centre is getting a ⅘ parent’s guide rating of Mostly Harmless .

Accessibility

Rating:Tricky

Controls in The Entropy Centre are relatively simple and should be easy to remember for the most part. It’s also really easy to pick up and put down whenever you like, with a good autosave system and clearly compartmentalised areas with the puzzle rooms. The puzzles themselves, however, can be quite tricky and I’ve had to spend some time puzzling out areas. The good news is that for the most part there’s nothing time sensitive or under pressure and you can take your time to get things sorted in a relatively danger-free environment.

The Run Down

Gameplay – 5: Anybody who has played portal will likely recognise the setup here. However, while the Entropy Centre certainly pays homage to Portal it definitely brings enough change to make it stand out as its own game. It’s a well put together journey, and puzzles are fun and engaging.

Visuals – 3: While up close and in the confines of the Entropy Centre things do look pretty ok. While there is a fair amount of graininess in the visuals, the majority of the environments are well created. At distance, however, visuals could have done with a fair amount of work to bring them up to scratch as graininess, clipping and quality do suffer.

Audio – 5:The Entropy Centre has a great soundtrack and the audio effects in the title are really well made. Every crumbling wall and eerie sound provide a great texture to the environment and really help to build the world around you. In addition, the voice acting is incredible and I have fallen head over heels in love with Astra and the various little robots along your journey.

Narrative – 4:While waking up with a severe lack of memory, The Entropy Centre does really well to build the story around you. Nuggets of information dispensed through computers dotted around the centre really help with world building, and help you understand the lead up to the game’s events.

Replay – 3: There are certainly little pieces of information to go around and gather within the game, but these are mostly limited to collectable bits of intel within the computers. You do get a timer for each level, and a fairly easy list of selectable missions to allow you to jump between them. These elements alongside the puzzle-based nature of the title don’t have me raring to get back in and collect them all, but do provide some replay value.

The Verdict – Is The Entropy Centre Worth It?

With all things considered, the Pixel Bandits Definitely Not GlaDOS Level for the Entropy Centre is a strong 9/10. If you like titles such as Portal, you’re likely going to love the Entropy Centre. This one brings the structure we know and love with new time-bending mechanics and a great narrative woven throughout it. The story kept me guessing all the way through and, as you might expect, so did the puzzles. The learning curve and the introduction of new puzzle elements is nicely paced, and the storyline is really engaging, and doesn’t fade into the background. If you’re in the market for a well-structured puzzle adventure which lets you take it at your own pace, The Entropy Centre should definitely be high up on your list of games to grab soon.