Head space

The human brain is a complex thing, a shivering bundle of neurons and synapses capable of producing entire worlds from thin air. This isn’t always a helpful thing, of course, and there have been many games that have meditated upon the trouble this can cause. But in Play this month, we see several games who set up mechanics in imaginary spaces to fascinating effect.

In Indivisible (p112), the much-anticipated action-RPG from Skullgirls creator Lab Zero Games, Ajna’s fighting party is contained entirely within her head – when she meets powerful new acquaintances, the mystic force inside her sucks them up to fuse their spirit with hers. Naturally, then, she’s able to interact with them outside of battles by meditating to access her Inner Realm, where they all reside. It’s a whimsical idea, but also practical: having such easy access to a hub where you can upgrade your abilities at any time is refreshing.

The mind palace of John Wick Hex (p104) takes the form of a brilliant editing timeline system that allows you to plan every move in each of the Baba Yaga’s setpieces with total precision – unfortunately, the reality of the cut-together scene that plays at the end of every level doesn’t look nearly as slick outside of one’s imagination. It’s a similar situation with the Thought Cabinet in Disco Elysium (p100), in which you might gestate idle thoughts of being the messiah – only once the notion is fully developed and out in the world, the resultant chaos is a good deal more beautiful than Hex’s.

These are games which celebrate the mind in all its colours and complexity – but sometimes you just want to switch yours off and watch a nervous plumber repeatedly wet himself in response to the merest twitch of a curtain. If so, then the reliable charm of Luigi’s Mansion 3 (p96) will surely appeal to your nucleus accumbens. Er, noggin.