I thoroughly loved this game. I love how the story is told through the things you encounter rather than simply being narrated. This game is a great example of how an indie game can be more enjoyable than a multi-million dollar project, and serve as a truly remarkable and compelling work of art.
14:06 . The music is so fantastic, it made TB switch from "I hate puzzles" mode to "I'm going to give a positive outlook on the industry and it's movement towards focus on creativity and execution" mode. Really says something about this game
I finished The Swapper and I did enjoy it. The main mechanic is a lot of fun and the game looks great. The environment and story are creepy and have a great ambiance. Most of the puzzles are relatively easy, but there are several that will probably take some thought. I also found a few puzzles with more than one solution. I am definitely happy to have played this game but have two problems with it. One: the story is great right up until the two endings. You will change your view of the clones several times throughout the game. There are a few points which are confusing, but it's not a huge deal. However, like I said, the endings aren't so great. One I found in keeping with the rest of the game, the other was strange and unsatisfying. The second major problem is that there are only autosaves and only one save state. There is no way to go back and listen to a bit of dialogue over again and worst of all, the last save is the credits. This means that to see the other ending, you have to replay the whole game. That said, I'd recommend subtitles off the first time, then on for the second play-through, as they help things make a bit more sense.
I have played a few hours of this game and I must say so far I am blown away. The unique visuals, the undeniably fitting music, the immersive ambiance, the incredibly intriguing story and all of it is extremely well put together. Also, the puzzles do get quite challenging later on. There is actually a third kind of light that prevents you from both making a clone and swapping to that clone as well as the ability to change the gravity for individual clones. The puzzles in general are very well realized and there is also a great variety of them. It so far has never felt repetitive in any way and if old mechanics are used, the game puts a different spin on them by introducing new ones or by forcing you to combine old ones. I don't want to give any spoilers on the story but I found it to be very captivating and because of that I found myself trying really hard to solve the puzzles so I could advance it. A game that absolutely deserves the praise it has received and I can personally recommend it to anyone. PS: Written while listening to the awesome soundtrack.
TBs voice and commentary in combination with the artstyle, gameplay and soundtrack of this game put me in a really nice, calm state of mind. Swapper might be the positive thing about this years rainy summer days. Oh, and thanks for substituting the usual outro-music for the ingame-music so that the mood from the video wasn't disrupted.
I'm noticing a pattern, Totalbiscuit is really bad at puzzles. Embarrassingly bad even... maybe he should just have someone else play while he just commentates over the gameplay?
Wow, that ending had me staring at the screen for a bit, really love it when you have these philosophical moments. Not to mention the fact that you didn't finish off with a bang and the usual guitar riffs, really proves that you put a lot of thought into your videos, thanks for this John.
this is genuinely one of the best looking games this year so far, and one of the best episodes of anything, no shouting or ranting just enjoyment :) even the cynical brit has, very occasionally, a softer side
This is why we subscribe to you TB - appreciate you getting this let's play out same day as release. Your vids really help my son and I decide which games to get and which to pass on. Also - we enjoy your commentary.
Wow this game is seriously beautiful in several ways. I was kind of blown away when it went from ghostly, haunting, cold and industrial, to tranquil, verdant and relaxing so effectively. That was incredible to me!
Carlo Castellano is the name of the artist that created the theme song of this video game. Check it out! Live performance of the theme song is on youtube. :)
TB talking at the end with that music. almost sounds like a speech deliberately made with that music. it almost feels emotional to a point ( sniff well said TB well said. sniff makes me so happy) :P
My god the music alone is beautiful. It has a lonely but peaceful nature to it. Combine that with amazing graphics and I think that this out does most triple a titles just in quality alien. Now we need more games like this. Fantastic!!
something about this game gives me chills, I don't think you're trying to hard to find meaning where there is none, I think it's very much intended and beautifully delivered in a subtle undertone way. Haunting. on a side note, for some reason it reminds me of the Vashta Nerada from Doctor Who ...
Whenever a video of TB ends i am always ready to listen to that epic music that he has and he always just continues the music of the game ( dont know if i like that or not :P)
Great video, great looking game, buying it now. I love buying indie games because I feel my dollar gets closer to the people who actually made the game, and I love these videos showcasing them because sometimes I wouldn't know otherwise, and the same must be true for many more people, more people that will buy the game that wouldn't know it existed without this video, anyways TB, thanks for supporting the indie scene for all this time, keep it up.
Does anyone else feel a little bit proud when TB solves a puzzle? It's not exactly his forté, so I feel a little happy by proxy when he gets it. Baby steps, Biscuitboy, baby steps :)
I appreciated the detail of not putting the rock song in the ending of the video just to keep the awesome ambient going...I know it's a really small detail, but it's cool :D
Right at the end, I was thinking "I hope TB won't use his usual closing music, after all that talk of using it properly to set the mood" ...And that is why I love you TB. :)
i love the art in this game. it just breaths tension. i am also really curious how they did the lighting. did they create bumpmaps or displacementmaps based on the clay? i would love to see a making-of :D
With the incredible amount of attention to detail and atmosphere, and a setting that has a fairly rich history of careful use of foreshadowing, I'd be pretty shocked if there weren't any "deeper meaning" to be found.
In the video he explained how used games have a tendency to hurt the game market by way of developers and studios losing otherwise profitable product. He also took time to shoot down the "used game to used CD/DVD" comparison, and while he could have been more tactful, he made a good point. It's actually not a bad video, and he makes a lot of good points on the subject, as well as explaining why he isn't as concerned about used games. Basically, he explained things from a business standpoint.
Something to consider is the idea of cloning a clone it becomes further and further from the original product, right? So what do they look like under the helmet?
Indeed, I've finished a grand total of 2 puzzle platformers over my gaming "career". One of them was years back as a kid. Needless to say, I don't have much love for the genre. Yet this game just took my breath away in terms of ambiance and atmosphere. Bought it on steam right after watching this video. It gives me hope for the industry when indie companies make inspiring stuff like this.
The meaning in my opinion is the fact that if you transfer your consciousness to another body is it still like in teleportation like did the original just die then an exact copy made were the thing was ?
At parts I imagined being in a smokey jazz club with some soft drums playing, cigarette in hand as I sat back and relaxed while TB recited his cool and deep poetry. Anyone else? No? lol
this may be little, but not having the outro music was a choice I really appreciated. It was a design choice by TB about his video that I think did this game justice. I dunno...
hey if anyone is interested in stuff about consciousness, such as the idea that consciousness isn't generated by the mind but that it exists everywhere at once in a kind of 'ether' or 'dark energy' (which is just a term for everything that fills empty space in the universe), and the mind tunes in to consciousness much like a tv signal, and when the body dies the consciousness continues to exist although not in possession of a body. (not necessarily what i believe but interesting) then play this!
i agree that as you listen to him play, his emotional tone flips a switch and he almost gets lost while describing it. i want to see more of this side of TB
Sure are a lot of mysterious things in that mysterious game set in a mysterious setting with a lot mysterious stuff going on in the background that's mysterious. I jest, I love your videos TB!
This was a truly great game. It has a few more mechanics then just the swapper gun that you will see later in the game and a great story to boot. The ending reminded me a lot of the playstation game Journey. I really want to see a sequel, i'd even buy a map pack.
This is a very nice looking game, I definitely thought it had a Penumbra vibe before you mentioned it. It's nice sort of mesh between Penumbra with a touch of Dead Space and Portal in some regard. Very, very lovely looking game and I may pick it up for when I'm bored and need a challenge.
I believe the movie you are talking about is The 6th Day, though it came out in 2000. Only movie of his I can think of that fits your description though.. I have watched almost every single one of his movies, the few I have not yet are his most recent ones.
why is it I can post videos of some games with the music in the background but others I can't? how is all music not copyrighted by default if its being used in a copyrighted game? And how it is you can supposedly edit the bitrate and bypass the copyright claims?
Just finished it, and the ending was quite odd. Definitely a game worth checking out. The puzzles are challenging, but you never have to worry about time restraints. The setting and story are quite thought provoking, and creepy at times. Definitely a surprise game of the year. Glad I grabbed during the Steam Summer Sale!
Seems like a game i could enjoy. Just how dark and creepy but still beautiful the game is. The small amount of music is also amazing. It really is the kind of game that i could enjoy most. It is makeing me happy to just see that some developers are going out from the croud to make this kind of games.
Downloading this now, looks amazing. The only claymation games I know are Neverhood, The Dream Machine, Armikrog (hey, check out the Kickstarter, from the Neverhood creators), and Clay Fighter.
I thoroughly loved this game. I love how the story is told through the things you encounter rather than simply being narrated. This game is a great example of how an indie game can be more enjoyable than a multi-million dollar project, and serve as a truly remarkable and compelling work of art.
Creepy is a lot more effective and harder to pull off than horror. I love the lighting, or lack thereof, and effects of the flashlight.
On Humble Bundle sale right now, you get can get the steam key for a 1$ minimum.
14:06 . The music is so fantastic, it made TB switch from "I hate puzzles" mode to "I'm going to give a positive outlook on the industry and it's movement towards focus on creativity and execution" mode. Really says something about this game
Almost got all the puzzles, had to look up the almost last 2 ones, quite sad actually, but they were pretty hard.
This is one of my favorite WTF's i've seen from you Biscuit. Love it when you really love and enjoy these indie games.
I finished The Swapper and I did enjoy it. The main mechanic is a lot of fun and the game looks great. The environment and story are creepy and have a great ambiance. Most of the puzzles are relatively easy, but there are several that will probably take some thought. I also found a few puzzles with more than one solution.
I am definitely happy to have played this game but have two problems with it. One: the story is great right up until the two endings. You will change your view of the clones several times throughout the game. There are a few points which are confusing, but it's not a huge deal. However, like I said, the endings aren't so great. One I found in keeping with the rest of the game, the other was strange and unsatisfying.
The second major problem is that there are only autosaves and only one save state. There is no way to go back and listen to a bit of dialogue over again and worst of all, the last save is the credits. This means that to see the other ending, you have to replay the whole game. That said, I'd recommend subtitles off the first time, then on for the second play-through, as they help things make a bit more sense.
I have played a few hours of this game and I must say so far I am blown away. The unique visuals, the undeniably fitting music, the immersive ambiance, the incredibly intriguing story and all of it is extremely well put together. Also, the puzzles do get quite challenging later on. There is actually a third kind of light that prevents you from both making a clone and swapping to that clone as well as the ability to change the gravity for individual clones. The puzzles in general are very well realized and there is also a great variety of them. It so far has never felt repetitive in any way and if old mechanics are used, the game puts a different spin on them by introducing new ones or by forcing you to combine old ones. I don't want to give any spoilers on the story but I found it to be very captivating and because of that I found myself trying really hard to solve the puzzles so I could advance it. A game that absolutely deserves the praise it has received and I can personally recommend it to anyone.
PS: Written while listening to the awesome soundtrack.
Humble bundle sale right now
TBs voice and commentary in combination with the artstyle, gameplay and soundtrack of this game put me in a really nice, calm state of mind. Swapper might be the positive thing about this years rainy summer days. Oh, and thanks for substituting the usual outro-music for the ingame-music so that the mood from the video wasn't disrupted.
It's not a he, it's a she. Cursed indeed.
That is in fact a spoiler.
Jerk!
Imagine the terror of knowing your characters gender from the start :O
Daniel Óskarsson In this case, there is plot relevance to that.
Thanks for the first impression TB, your monolog at the end was amazing, thanks again.
I'm noticing a pattern, Totalbiscuit is really bad at puzzles. Embarrassingly bad even... maybe he should just have someone else play while he just commentates over the gameplay?
Wow, that ending had me staring at the screen for a bit, really love it when you have these philosophical moments. Not to mention the fact that you didn't finish off with a bang and the usual guitar riffs, really proves that you put a lot of thought into your videos, thanks for this John.
this is genuinely one of the best looking games this year so far, and one of the best episodes of anything, no shouting or ranting just enjoyment :) even the cynical brit has, very occasionally, a softer side
The intro music is perfect for the issues he states and the pace of which TB talks. Such a lovely feel.
This is why we subscribe to you TB - appreciate you getting this let's play out same day as release. Your vids really help my son and I decide which games to get and which to pass on.
Also - we enjoy your commentary.
I gotta say TB, your commentary nearly brought a tear to my eye. I hope lots of people in the game industry watch this and feel inspired by it.
Hey thanks for all the effort you're putting on this channel. The Swapper definitely looks special and worth buying.
You're the best.
Just love the outro! Nice video TB, thank's for not changing the music to your original outro song.
Gettin real deep on the youtubes, thank you TotalBiscuit, I appreciate Indie games even more having thought of it that way.
Really great video. Even outside the art style, there's something about a simple game done well that is beautiful in and of itself.
TB sounds really chill and relaxed in this video. I like the vibe.
Really great, that you put the game music instead of your usual outro at the end!
January 2025 and I just played this game for the first time. 10/10. Still holds up today. Puzzles are so much fun and the story is intriguing.
I'm thrilled that I'm off work tomorrow so that I can wait around for the TGS vod to be uploaded :D
Wow this game is seriously beautiful in several ways. I was kind of blown away when it went from ghostly, haunting, cold and industrial, to tranquil, verdant and relaxing so effectively. That was incredible to me!
Glad you didn't do the typical outro for this one, just watching you play this game has made me feel...something. Which is an achievement.
That was beautiful TB. That speech was single man tear worthy.
Simply one of your most fantastic videos
Carlo Castellano is the name of the artist that created the theme song of this video game. Check it out! Live performance of the theme song is on youtube. :)
TB the music is made by Carlo Castellano. This info can be found on swapper press kit page.
Absolutely gorgeous music!
TB talking at the end with that music. almost sounds like a speech deliberately made with that music. it almost feels emotional to a point ( sniff well said TB well said. sniff makes me so happy) :P
My god the music alone is beautiful. It has a lonely but peaceful nature to it. Combine that with amazing graphics and I think that this out does most triple a titles just in quality alien. Now we need more games like this. Fantastic!!
Thank you for not including your usual outro music. That would have put an immediate end to the zen-like nature of this video.
That music just fit so perfectly with his segment about the direction of gaming
This game is truly amazing, thanks TB. Love what you're doing, would have missed Dust, if you weren't.
something about this game gives me chills, I don't think you're trying to hard to find meaning where there is none, I think it's very much intended and beautifully delivered in a subtle undertone way. Haunting.
on a side note, for some reason it reminds me of the Vashta Nerada from Doctor Who ...
16:20
I just love the aesthetics of this game. The red smoke looks like it's shaped into something like a skull.
I don't think iv heard TB get so emotional for a game, in a positive way, in a long time. What he said at the end was beautiful.
The new music at the end is good!! Keep it!
Whenever a video of TB ends i am always ready to listen to that epic music that he has and he always just continues the music of the game ( dont know if i like that or not :P)
I enjoyed your commentary on indie games in this video.
Great video, great looking game, buying it now.
I love buying indie games because I feel my dollar gets closer to the people who actually made the game, and I love these videos showcasing them because sometimes I wouldn't know otherwise, and the same must be true for many more people, more people that will buy the game that wouldn't know it existed without this video, anyways TB, thanks for supporting the indie scene for all this time, keep it up.
1:40 i believe there is 1 perticular type of slider you have a special place for in your heart...
(FoV)
You have a goft bro. The way you analyze games is very special.
Thanks for a great review of what looks like an extraordinary game. Your passion is, as ever, contagious in the very best way.
The things TB said at the end were inspirational as hell :)
Does anyone else feel a little bit proud when TB solves a puzzle? It's not exactly his forté, so I feel a little happy by proxy when he gets it. Baby steps, Biscuitboy, baby steps :)
You even gave an inspired speech there at the end. Definitely checking this out.
This 2d platformer does look really enjoyable.
Keep up the GREAT WORK TB!
*Now remembers oddworld games, swims in warm nostalgia for a while*
Thanks for that. May have to buy this now.
The piano in the background really gave feel to TB's inspirational speech.
I appreciated the detail of not putting the rock song in the ending of the video just to keep the awesome ambient going...I know it's a really small detail, but it's cool :D
Right at the end, I was thinking "I hope TB won't use his usual closing music, after all that talk of using it properly to set the mood" ...And that is why I love you TB. :)
Thats amazing, I saw this game on Steam and looked to see if you had a video and bam, just published.
i love the art in this game. it just breaths tension. i am also really curious how they did the lighting. did they create bumpmaps or displacementmaps based on the clay? i would love to see a making-of :D
That was quite beautiful! I'd love to go to an art show with TB
I love hearing TB gush about a game, makes me feel like they're getting progress to becoming a big thing
With the incredible amount of attention to detail and atmosphere, and a setting that has a fairly rich history of careful use of foreshadowing, I'd be pretty shocked if there weren't any "deeper meaning" to be found.
wow, this looks good, i love the atmosphere!
In the video he explained how used games have a tendency to hurt the game market by way of developers and studios losing otherwise profitable product. He also took time to shoot down the "used game to used CD/DVD" comparison, and while he could have been more tactful, he made a good point.
It's actually not a bad video, and he makes a lot of good points on the subject, as well as explaining why he isn't as concerned about used games. Basically, he explained things from a business standpoint.
the little bit of music you can hear sounds vvveerryyy good
Something to consider is the idea of cloning a clone it becomes further and further from the original product, right? So what do they look like under the helmet?
is there a video for this music that he mentioned? Can someone link me, can't find it
Indeed, I've finished a grand total of 2 puzzle platformers over my gaming "career". One of them was years back as a kid. Needless to say, I don't have much love for the genre. Yet this game just took my breath away in terms of ambiance and atmosphere. Bought it on steam right after watching this video. It gives me hope for the industry when indie companies make inspiring stuff like this.
My God, the music is just heavenly.
How dare I like something that's beautifully designed, I must be a hipster/pretentious/artsy
loved this game
Beautiful art style.
The game is as beautiful as the way you described it. Very inspiring TB! :D
The meaning in my opinion is the fact that if you transfer your consciousness to another body is it still like in teleportation like did the original just die then an exact copy made were the thing was ?
This is perhaps the most emotional video you've ever done.
Excellent game so far - the puzzles are fun to figure out but not too hard and the atmosphere is spot on.
At parts I imagined being in a smokey jazz club with some soft drums playing, cigarette in hand as I sat back and relaxed while TB recited his cool and deep poetry. Anyone else? No? lol
"Unbelievably Gorgeous"- Total Biscuit 2013
perfect tagline
perfect
this may be little, but not having the outro music was a choice I really appreciated. It was a design choice by TB about his video that I think did this game justice. I dunno...
For the record, the man that did the FTL soundtrack is Ben Prunty. I personally loved the soundtrack in FTL so I looked him up when I was playing it.
If a game (and especially a puzzle platformer) can make TB philosophical, it's definitely worth having a look at.
You can just tell that totalbiscuit likes this game, he doesn't rage on it and he is almost speachless
hey if anyone is interested in stuff about consciousness, such as the idea that consciousness isn't generated by the mind but that it exists everywhere at once in a kind of 'ether' or 'dark energy' (which is just a term for everything that fills empty space in the universe), and the mind tunes in to consciousness much like a tv signal, and when the body dies the consciousness continues to exist although not in possession of a body. (not necessarily what i believe but interesting) then play this!
i agree that as you listen to him play, his emotional tone flips a switch and he almost gets lost while describing it. i want to see more of this side of TB
Sure are a lot of mysterious things in that mysterious game set in a mysterious setting with a lot mysterious stuff going on in the background that's mysterious.
I jest, I love your videos TB!
This was a truly great game. It has a few more mechanics then just the swapper gun that you will see later in the game and a great story to boot. The ending reminded me a lot of the playstation game Journey. I really want to see a sequel, i'd even buy a map pack.
This is a very nice looking game, I definitely thought it had a Penumbra vibe before you mentioned it. It's nice sort of mesh between Penumbra with a touch of Dead Space and Portal in some regard. Very, very lovely looking game and I may pick it up for when I'm bored and need a challenge.
This is exactly why I subscribe to this channel. Kudos.
did anyone else notice how TB spoke in a lower voice than usual? the atmosphere is really getting to him ;).
I believe the movie you are talking about is The 6th Day, though it came out in 2000. Only movie of his I can think of that fits your description though.. I have watched almost every single one of his movies, the few I have not yet are his most recent ones.
why is it I can post videos of some games with the music in the background but others I can't? how is all music not copyrighted by default if its being used in a copyrighted game? And how it is you can supposedly edit the bitrate and bypass the copyright claims?
Just finished it, and the ending was quite odd. Definitely a game worth checking out. The puzzles are challenging, but you never have to worry about time restraints. The setting and story are quite thought provoking, and creepy at times. Definitely a surprise game of the year. Glad I grabbed during the Steam Summer Sale!
i haven't even played the game or heard any of the soundtracks but it seems interesting, thank you ;)
Graphics looks amazing!
This pretty much confirms that I need to get this game after it being on my Steam wishlist since it came out.
This game reminds me so much of the original Flashback from the Sega Genesis. Lovely game, one of the best purchases on Steam in the last few months.
Thanks TB, I Bought it played it and love it. Have you had a chance to finish it, I must say the plot is very thought provoking.
Seems like a game i could enjoy. Just how dark and creepy but still beautiful the game is.
The small amount of music is also amazing. It really is the kind of game that i could enjoy most.
It is makeing me happy to just see that some developers are going out from the croud to make this kind of games.
I love when TB talks like this...
his awesomenes increases x50 times
Hello. I like your all videos. And i want to know that which games that really u loved to play :)
Downloading this now, looks amazing. The only claymation games I know are Neverhood, The Dream Machine, Armikrog (hey, check out the Kickstarter, from the Neverhood creators), and Clay Fighter.