Parallel Experiment

Parallel Experiment was the right game at the right time for me! This is a two-player co-op puzzle game that tasks you and your partner to work together to stop a cold-blooded killer. I played this with a friend, and we were absolutely hooked on this game. It is easily one of the best gaming experiences that I have had this year, and when I come to do my games of the year list, I am pretty much positive that this is going to feature somewhere on that list! If you have a good friend that you love to game with, no exaggeration here, this game is a must play for you!

The Cryptic Killer

The story of Parallel Experiment has two detectives, called Ally and Old Dog, thrust into a game of cat and mouse with a deranged killer known as the Cryptic Killer. This follows on from another game. However, while those who have already played Unboxing the Cryptic Killer will love the references and the way the lore is expanded. You do not need to have played that to jump in here. Me and my buddy had not played that game, and we never once felt lost or that we were missing something huge or key as far as the story went, and if you dig detective style stories, you will have a lot of fun with this.

Two Heads Are Better Than One

Parallel Experiment is a two-player puzzle game where you and your friend need to solve puzzles where you work together. The twist here is that each of you only has half of the puzzle, so you have to communicate in order to figure out what is going on and how to solve the puzzle. A prime example is the grab machine, one controls it while the other must direct the person. The puzzles are great in that there are lots of them, and some are simple and will have you feeling super smart, others, though, are super tricky and will have you getting mad at each other as you try to figure out how to solve them. There was a fun game called Operation: Tango, and that is probably the best way to think about the co-op gameplay of that this offers.

Staying Busy And Taking It Easy

There are (I think I am right here) around 80 puzzles for you to solve in Parallel Experiment as you make your way towards the end to stop The Cryptic Killer. However, this game is just so feature-packed that you will never be bored! There are fun mini-games like darts that you can take part in if you feel like you need a breather from your partner or if you just want to have a break from the more mind bending puzzles. You can also bug your partner by distracting them as they are trying to solve their part of the puzzle. You may be thinking, “Doesn’t this affect me if I do that?” and the answer to that is yes, but it is funny as hell to do it.

From The Page To Your Screen

I am a huge comic book fan, having grown up on X-Men comic books and Spider-Man video games, so the whole presentation of Parallel Experiment clicked with me right from the start. This is like a comic book in motion. The artwork here is stunning, and the way the characters, even the NPCs, are so expressive is great and gets you more connected and invested in what is going on. The way it all looks like comic book panels is so awesome, and even if you are not someone who is massively into comic books, I am 100 percent certain that you will be able to appreciate just how awesome the presentation and whole vibe of this puzzle game is.

Pros:

• I thought the whole “catch a killer” story was great
• The comic book art style was amazing
• The puzzles are awesome, and they are so varied in their challenge
• This is ideal if you want a co-op game that makes you work together

Cons:

• The whole comic book vibe may not be everyone's favorite style
• This may not be as much fun playing with someone you do not know