Introduction

Pools is a first-person adventure mixed with some atmospheric horror that leaves you both relaxed and unsettled at the same time.

Synopsis

Explore a maze of graphically beautiful corridors and unsettling waterways as you move forward, up, and down through mysteriously strange and alluring water-filled areas.

Analysis

Navigate in first-person perspective in a strange labyrinth of pool toys, statues, slides, and narrow and dark tunnels to seek out an answer. Which way will you go and what will you see and discover?

The gameplay 

As you start your playthrough you are met with a beautifully tiled floor and walls and from this point forward the graphics are realistic and stunning. You forge ahead and you are met with room after room of something odd or curious. You will get to choose the path you take as you walk, swim, fall, and climb to new areas.

There are many paths to choose from, some bring you to areas with multiple places to branch off too while others are dead ends or bring you back to a previous area you have encountered. It was interesting to see how areas connected when I thought I had found new places to explore.

I interacted with innertubes, rubber ducks, and flamingos. I was able to climb certain ladders and slide down water slides throughout the journey. Other interesting things I came across, which lead to more of the horror side were, strange mists and sounds, oddly placed statues, and at one point I saw a pair of hands both pull a ladder through a vent and sink beneath the water while grasping a submerged ladder.  

Throughout your time in the odd maze of randomly placed objects were opportunities to look at the scenery. One of the main ways to do this were chairs placed in areas that usually had an interesting view. I would find myself sitting in them for a few reasons, to have an opportunity to take a picture, to take a small break and get a beverage or snack, and to see if it unlocked a steam achievement. Another interesting sightseeing opportunity was an escalator that was extremely long. You of course can walk up the escalator faster, but I opted to let the machine do the work and move me upward as I took in the strange views.  Other rooms I just stopped and looked around because it allowed me to create an idea of what could be happening.

The gameplay is simple and that is important for these types of games. It is a key component for a relaxing experience, which is present along with an eerie horror vibe that is felt but not expanded too much on. Anyone can experience this with low stress unless you are claustrophobic or terrified of pools and floaties.

Final Score:

Pools: is exactly that wherever you go. Different combinations of water and light to create amazing visuals for you the player. What you will see and experience, plus a lot of other odd and intriguing artistic situations, contribute to what makes this game, unusual but wanting more at the same time.   

The combination of minimalistic objects in a space with the high resolution is a plus when experiencing Pools. The game also has a casual soundtrack and is usually very quiet and not always present, with doing so it elevates the moments in which it lightly ramps up or plays an eerie sound effect.

As I played through to the end, I started to create more of an idea of what maybe this game is referring to. Moments where statues are pawns in a chess game, symbolism of sheep and mechanical assembly lines, having the same repetitive style of houses, all leading you to the same ending. How will it pan out, I’ll let you create your own conclusion.

A subliminal experience that most people who enjoy exploring, walking simulation type games that have great visual and audible experiences, would find interesting. The story is created by what you see, hear, and experience during your times here amongst the pools. The story is neither weak nor strong and is based on your thoughts that you gather along the way and that’s what will give players various experiences and how they would also rate this game. I hope that if you decide to experience the game you play according to your style and take what is there and have fun exploring the spaces between water and walls.

Shane Kelley is a Senior writer for Boss Rush Network, as well as a writer for Another Zelda Podcast. His favorite game is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. You can find him on Twitter to talk video games, Marvel, and axe throwing.

Sources: Taken by Author