Game Review: Shape of the World (Nintendo Switch)

There is a lot to love about Shape of the World and during its 1-2 hour run, it will leave an impression. Be it the psychedelic visuals, serene landscapes, or ambient music.

That being said, it’s not going to be for everyone as it is every bit the walking simulator you would expect it to be. From the moment it first loads up and your presented with nothing but white space, it’s clear the ‘goal’ here is simply to explore.

There’s no instructions, no clear direction (a bit of problem later) and no threat, simply by moving around the world begins to grow. The flora and fauna bursts into life, trees shoot into the sky, mountains lumber to full size and unusual creatures begin to flourish. All in a bright and colourful way. If there is one thing that you can take away from Shape of the World, it’s just how vivid it is.

The core idea of Shape of the World is immersion and relaxation. It’s in no way a stressful game although there are a few moments where it might just frustrate.

One such example is during a cave section where the colour-scheme makes moving in the darkness very hard to see. It’s one of the few times where you’ll really feel lost.

Then there is the speed. Your faceless and non-descript character (if it can be called that) is slow. On the one hand that does mean you can take your time and really take in the beauty of the world. However, it’s a large world and it can start to feel like a drag when you’re slowly moving towards the goal. It doesn’t need to be super-zippy but less walking and more running would have been appreciated.

These negatives really wouldn’t be such a big deal if Shape of the World had more depth but it just doesn’t. It’s lovely to look at and lovely to listen too but that’s all you’ve got and it doesn’t make for a game-changing experience.