Climbing New Heights in Gaming: Exploring the Zen of "Chasing the Unseen"

Cameron Underhill

Mar-11-2024

Climbing New Heights in Gaming: Exploring the Zen of "Chasing the Unseen"

In an era where video games often push players into adrenaline-fueled combat and high-stakes action, "Chasing the Unseen" emerges as a serene outlier, inviting gamers to explore a world where the journey is ascendant, quite literally. By forgoing the sword and embracing the climb, this game entices a promise of peaceful exploration amidst the backdrop of an ethereal landscape that seems to defy logic and gravity.

Embarking on this adventure, players assume the role of a diminutive monk traversing a fantastical archipelago suspended in the sky. Equipped only with the essentials — a glider, the ability to climb, and a solitary leap — adventurers can embrace simplicity in gameplay that is as much about the internal journey as it is about the physical one. The game's aesthetic, marked by its hauntingly beautiful soundtrack and the slightly disconcerting presence of its wildlife, emphasizes a world rich in mystery rather than malice.

Navigating the expansive levels of "Chasing the Unseen" is no trivial task; the game intentionally eschews an abundance of climbable surfaces for a more challenging, maze-like exploration through tight crevices and daunting precipices. This design choice pushes players to take leaps of faith, pondering the survivability of falls while inching along precarious paths. The elusive capybaras scattered across the world serve as incentives to explore and conquer every nook and cranny, encouraging a completionist spirit.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect is how the game reimagines the colossal creatures infamous in "Shadow of the Colossus." Here, they appear less as formidable foes and more as gentle giants — companions even — within the expansive realms. This shift from adversaries to amicable behemoths fosters an environment where discovery and friendship supplant conquest and conflict, redefining the traditional dynamics of player versus environment.

What "Chasing the Unseen" achieves is a soothing, introspective experience that serves as an antithesis to the constantly churning sea of live service games. It stands as a testament to the potential for video games to be a vehicle for mindfulness and self-reflection. For those weary of the relentless pace of most contemporary titles, "Chasing the Unseen" offers a welcome respite, a chance to climb towards tranquility and find solace in the embrace of its carefully crafted world.

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