Coming from the mind of indie dev David Shaw, The Long Gate looks like an incredibly promising puzzle game that touches on unique quantum-based puzzles. These puzzles definitely have my curiosity, as Shaw worked directly with an actual quantum-computing company: D-Wave on them.
It's going to launch on September 22. Have a look at the new trailer below:
Direct Link
From what we were told, it's an attempt to blend aspects of The Witness and Talos Principle in a unique setting full of robust, difficult puzzles to solve and learn more about the game's story. What you get is a non-linear game that takes a different approach to problem solving, with more freedom in the order that you face the three types of circuit-based puzzles: digital, analog, and quantum.
Shaw started work on The Long Gate nearly four years ago while still attending university for engineering. In The Long Gate, he wanted to create a world that was both beautiful and relaxing, while also containing puzzles hard enough to give players a sense of accomplishment. He is also an author of science fiction and fantasy, grows coral as a hobby, and most recently worked as a robotics programmer before quitting his job to pursue game development full time.
Feature Highlight:
- 3 types of circuit-based puzzles through digital, analog, and quantum circuits with an optional hints mode.
- Open exploration where players can explore the caverns and complete puzzles in almost any order they choose.
- Beautiful graphics and atmospheric scenery.
- A mysterious story told through interactions with enigmatic creatures.
- A mesmerizing original soundtrack by musician Nick Newman.
- Available for Windows and Linux on launch with Mac coming later.
It will be available on Steam on September 22 for $19.99.
Even better:
Nearly all of The Long Gate’s puzzles are based on real world technologies, and it contains accurate depictions of quantum circuits and a 4-bit quantum computer, verified by scientists at D-Wave Systems, the world’s first commercial quantum computer company.
While the commercial chips of D-Wave are iirc not using quantum circuits (but rather quantum annealing), their engineers certainly know how those things work.
it's an attempt to blend aspects of The Witness and Talos PrincipleI'm torn. I really, really loved The Talos Principle but was completely turned off by The Witness so now I don't know what to think about this game
The Witness was a bitter, bitter disappointment. After the inventiveness of Braid, I had such high hopes, only to see this repetitive, bland puzzler botched with obscure mechanics (mid-game mechanics at least... it's pretty simple at the start). The island is pretty... and that's about it.it's an attempt to blend aspects of The Witness and Talos PrincipleI'm torn. I really, really loved The Talos Principle but was completely turned off by The Witness so now I don't know what to think about this game
Comparatively, the Talos Principle is a near-masterpiece. Wonderful immersion, stunning graphics, difficult, but intuitive puzzles and an engaging, if drawn out, plot structure. The inter-puzzle puzzles were glorious too. The only bit I didn't like was the spurious block-puzzles they threw into each level of the Tower. God those were tedious. You could almost complete them by trial and error, and in hindsight, they're oddly reminiscent of the entire Witness experience. I did at least two or possibly three puzzles in the Witness by total accident. Hadn't an actual scooby what was going on - press a button, hear a noise, see a lift-thingy move, try another, try another... try for about 20 minutes until magically I appear to have solved... something. Since all the buttons are now inactive, and presumably a new part of the island is available? Maybe? Who knows.
So yeah. In summary, Braid good. Witness shit.
I still fondly remember Zero Punctuation reviewing Braid and hoping it would be terrible, so that he could make a joke about Jonathon Blow's game both sucking and blowing. But he liked Braid. I wonder if he liked The Witness? Spoiler! He did not. But at least he got to use his aforementioned sucks and blows joke! Result!
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