9.8 hours played
Written 19 days ago
I never thought the clinical magic of Portal could be recreated so perfectly... boy, was I wrong.
The Entropy Centre is a puzzle game that "centres" itself around a single, fascinating concept—reversing time. Every conundrum is solved through the ever-evolving art of dynamically placing objects and rewinding them in a precise sequence, combining timing with a carefully constructed chain of events that leads to success; all with a dose of narrative existentialism, of course. And I absolutely loved it.
Let’s start with the graphics—because my Lord, they are stunning. TEC’s visual style perfectly balances realism with a decrepit, futuristic setting. Standard walls, floors, and object textures are crisp and high-quality; the foliage feels alive and organic; the exterior of the facility conveys the vastness of space in a way that feels both immense and tangible. Even the sci-fi elements, like the rewind technology, blend naturally into the world, creating a visually striking yet cohesive experience. The sheer effort poured into the design is tangible, and I honestly can’t describe the joy of exploring every tight corridor and mundane office room, each rendered with incredible detail.
Now, on to the gameplay—it's absolutely genius. The handheld Entropy Device is an incredibly well-executed mechanic. It interacts seamlessly with the environment and responds fluidly to player input. The rewind feature, which mirrors your exact object movements, demands precision without ever feeling tedious; you can’t just throw objects around and hope for the best. The Entropy Centre challenges you to stop and think, to test intricate sequences that may or may not work, and to pace back and forth, problem-solving with increasing complexity.
What I truly appreciated is how the game respects player creativity. Sure, there’s usually a fixed solution, but I often finished puzzles thinking, “There’s no way that was the intended method” yet it worked. I distinctly remember a moment when I dragged a jump pad onto a platform, leapt into a fenced area with a cube, and used the pad to perfectly launch the cube out, bypassing the puzzle's intended solution entirely. It felt like I had created a new solution no one else had discovered. That feeling of improvisation and inventiveness is priceless, and the abundance of puzzle elements opens countless opportunities for unconventional success.
As for the puzzles themselves, they’re fantastic. At their core, they follow the familiar “solve a thing to open a door” structure, but the journey to that outcome is always fresh. You’ll encounter a wide variety of puzzle objects: standard cubes, jump pads, bridge cubes, laser cubes, propeller fans, and more. Each is introduced with care and pacing that avoids overwhelming the player. Interestingly, despite the sterile, deteriorating backdrop, each puzzle area feels distinct. The facility never feels like a generic sci-fi factory, as it radiates character and personality. With each new puzzle mechanic, you grow in capability, and just as you master one concept, the game throws in a new element to challenge you again. It’s like you’re evolving alongside the developers' thought process.
Regarding difficulty, The Entropy Centre doesn’t get harder in the traditional sense, as it prefers to ramp up your thinking as opposed to its own complexity. It influences you to be more creative and inventive with your methods, finding unique ways of taclking these new situations. Some puzzles will 100% stump you, but they never feel impossible, so if you’re willing to experiment, the game will reward your creativity.
Moving on to the characters—I found them surprisingly compelling. You play as Aria, a confused yet sarcastic woman trying to piece together how she ended up inside a massive DeLorean time machine floating in space, accompanied by her AI companion Astra (who lives inside the actual gun, which is awesome). Aria’s dry humor and Astra’s bubbly optimism complement each other beautifully. Their banter is genuinely entertaining, adding levity and charm between puzzles, and the emotional moments hit harder than expected, despite minimal exposition. I find it imaginative that you don’t need a full character arc to care when something goes wrong—they feel real enough that the emotional beats land effectively.
Now, for the plot. Earth has suffered a cataclysmic event, and the Entropy Centre—a space-based facility—is designed to rewind time on a planetary scale to prevent global extinction. The concept is immediately gripping, and tying puzzle-solving into generating Entropy Energy is a clever way to integrate mechanics with narrative. The facility is almost entirely abandoned, which adds a layer of mystery, as, if this place was supposed to prevent Earth’s end, why is it empty?
The narrative slowly unveils layers of psychological horror, with hallucinations and motifs hinting at a repeating time loop. By the game’s end, it’s revealed that Earth has been destroyed hundreds of times, and your current playthrough is the first time the cycle has been broken. The payoff is thematically strong, though a bit ambiguous. I felt like the story was more interested in sparking theories than providing a concrete conclusion, which works, but a touch more clarity would’ve been welcome.
Still, The Entropy Centre is, in my opinion, a masterpiece of design and execution. I genuinely believe anyone can enjoy this game—it’s an intelligent, stylish, puzzle experience; one I will cherish the experience of for a long while.
10/10. Phenomenal.
