Weird and wonderful

Proteus is one of the most unusual games I’ve ever played. A very minimalist game of exploration and discovery in a musical wilderness environment, Proteus has no challenges or goals other than those set by the player. I know, it doesn’t really make a lot of sense, but this is one of those games you have to experience first-hand.

You start in the middle of the sea. In front of you is an island painted in vibrant colours, with woods, ruins, meadows and mountains. You swim towards it and when you arrive on the shore, music starts playing. This music is how you interact with the world and it changes according to where you’re standing, the time of day, the weather, the animals you chase, and the season.

Functionally, that’s more or less it. Explaining why it works, however, would probably require some kind of psychological study.

Proteus began life as a more straightforward RPG but took a dramatic shift in development when the musician David Kanaga got involved in this project.

This reactive, layered musical score is designed to motivate the player’s exploration of the island. Different landscapes and objects emit ambient sounds that gradually shift and build upon each other. Traversing a forest in summertime generates a music that is bursting with beats, rhythms and harmonies. Standing on top of a hill at midnight is accompanied by eerie silence, with only the odd mournful note.

More direct melodic interaction can be made through the curious wildlife – frogs hop along an invisible keyboard if you chase them and bizarre mushroom-like creatures leap up as you approach.

While there is a form of progression, there’s no determinate objective. It’s all about exploring at your own pace and finding your own rhythm to the game’s beat.

There’s something delightfully addictive about Proteus – it’s unique, intriguing and genuinely pleasant. And that’s something that is not usually said about games.

Jesmond Darmanin is a technology enthusiast who has his own blog at www.itnewsblog.com.