7TH SECTOR

A spark of genius

Ever since Playdead’s Limbo first crept onto the scene in 2010, many a 2D platformer has sought to capture a similarly bleak ambience and oppressive tone. Yes, games in which you guide a lowly figure through a bitterly harsh world have become their own subgenre, with 7th Sector being the latest to arrive on PS4. And while it might depend quite a bit on some of the formula’s familiar staples, its unique approach to puzzle-solving makes this a dark descent worth taking.

7th Sector begins, rather unexpectedly, with you controlling a simple spark. Following an eerily unsettling pan out from a distorted television, you guide the sentient electrical current from wire to wire, using r to boost and q to jump between cables. 1

From here you come across all manner of logical and technical puzzles, with most answers reliant on your observation of the background goings-on.

What could have been a relentless gauntlet of brain exercises is made more engrossing by the dank environments. You never know what awaits you after solving the latest puzzle. This is the perfect example of a game parsing out information about its world one detail at a time. It really motivates you to keep pushing forward.

Puzzles range from using your jolt to bump a radio-controlled car into objects to solving the simple maths sums featured on a terminal. These eventually crescendo into mechanics and obstacles that are much more narrative-driven, as you discover more about your ultimate purpose. 2

Short, revelatory, and deeply atmospheric, 7th Sector is a smart puzzle-platformer with a mysterious edge. Aaron Potter

FOOTNOTES1 You eventually jump into bigger machinery like sentries and ships. 2 7th Sector features four endings, which are dependant on certain actions you take on the brief journey.