Positioned as a sequel to the experimental ALVEOLE, PULMO is just as weird but in a good way. Instead of thinking of this as a game or digital toy, it might make more sense to identify this as an interactive piece of art. It is still engaging and rather interesting but unconventional.
Controlling a lone wanderer, the player is simply placed into a situation without any direction or instruction. This lack of guidance is by design and makes this $10 digital download what it is. The player is supposed to experiment through trial and error to yield a result. The most interesting part is there are ten different situations, and all are rather different. It is almost as if WarioWare was weirder with even less ambiguity.
Explaining anything in detail will ruin the surprise and point, so I will purposely be vague here, but the first stage has you dropping clones of yourself off a stage. The next will you kick a human soccer ball with curious results. Sometimes you need to hit other clones in a certain order. Or navigate a maze. Or even fight against wind. Yes, this sounds weird, but that is most definitely the point. But weird, in this case, is curious and entertaining. Each segment is one of those “oh, I get it now” moments which is oddly satisfying.
Like ALVEOLE, the black and white 3D stick-figureish main character is quite expressive for not having any visual features or color. The fluid animation is hauntingly well done and is easily a highlight of the entire experience. The clean interface also merges well with the dancing piano-based soundtrack. The minimalist presentation is executed so well that it feels like playing a piece of fine art hanging in a museum.
I feel bad because I have already told too much here. Instead, play this game for yourself and the less you know, the better. Watching a let’s-play is also cheating. Seriously, play this for yourself. Then, when you are done, you will want to go back and play ALVEOLE if not already. The best part? PULMO is apparently the second game in a trilogy. Meaning, another game made in this expressive style should be released one day… something more to look forward to.
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
X/Twitter: @ZackGaz
Please consider supporting me on Patreon or BuyMeACoffee.
RATING
OUR SCORE - 9
9
SCORE
Despite having a limited visual palette, PULMO is a very expressive, interesting experimental title that curiously captivates until the credits roll.