Review: Metamorphosis | Xbox

Metamorphosis by Ovid Works is a narrative adventure inspired by Kafka’s curious imagination. The book follows the story of a man who wakes up to find he is a giant bug. Unlike Spiderman, he panics about his job and his family, is locked in his room and there is an apple that paralyzes him. It’s weird, unsettlingly so. Whilst the game doesn’t follow the story to the letter, it embraces the weird and wonderful and gives gamers a unique experience.

Metamorphosis Review on Xbox

In the game, you wake up one morning to find that you are rather inconveniently transforming into a tiny bug, while your friend Joseph is being arrested for reasons unknown.

What once seemed like mundane dwellings have become an expansive obstacle course, and now you’ll have to chart your path through the dingy nooks and crannies that exist within the cracks of your apartment block. The levels span across the visible areas such as desks and bookcases to the unseen behind plug sockets and in between walls. Periodically, you will also find yourself in an ethereal plane where you feel compelled to move forward heading towards a mystic tower. A tower, you are told, will help you get back to your original form. As a bug, you have the ability to climb certain walls for a limited time which allows for some interesting level traversal and additional puzzle elements.

When not traversing the hidden dangers of your apartment building, you are talking to other bugs to find out how to get back to reality. Whilst many games would take this call to adventure as an opportunity to embark upon a grand adventure and slay epic enemies, Metamorphosis takes a more mundane approach and see’s the protagonist getting in queues, filing paperwork and attending interviews.

To add to the weirdness, your character is able to watch the storyline of your roommate as it unfolds. Both the policeman and police chief are suitably strange and gives you another element to enjoy as you explore the world of minibeasts.

Overall, Metamorphosis is a unique journey through the madness of Kafka. Whilst the action is minimal, the puzzles are frequent enough to keep you interested. The graphics are great and the dialogue between bugs can be amusing. It only takes a few hours to complete which is satisfying but replayability is minimal. If you are after something a bit different, this certainly fits the bill.

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