Life of Delta review

In the Life of Delta review, I’m taking a look at the game of an independent developer. As you know, independent developers’ games have an increasing enthusiasm in recent days. When independent productions first started to be mentioned, most of the games that have been released did not impress me. For some reason, all of the productions that were put in front of us under the name of independent games were with 2D, Pixel Art graphics and we were expected to play. Of course, I’m not saying this to criticise, but I learned a little late that it wasn’t my style.

Life of Delta review / PC

Life of Delta is one of these independent games. It was developed by Airo Games and published by Daedalic Entertainment. You may remember Daedalic from my recent review of Children of Silentown. I think in the last few years they have become one of the most important companies that distributes games from indie developers. Life of Delta is also distributed by the same company.

The Point and Click genre is centred on robots that replace all of humanity, which was virtually wiped out after the Great War. The survivors at the end of the war are decaying service robots and humanoid lizards born from a long nuclear fallout.

Storyline

This is where our story begins. A small service robot is about to be decomposed in acidic liquid when a human named Joe saves him and takes him under his protection. However, there is a price for this crime and one day he is taken from his hiding place and taken to the mega city by other robots to be punished. Delta, who is left alone, does not forget the favour done for him and sets out on the road to save his friend.

However, the road to the city he has to reach is extremely dangerous for robots of his size and type. There are many obstacles to overcome. One of them is the vast desert full of dangers. Although he needs help from other robots to get there, he must first solve their problems and make them all functional, so to speak.

Puzzles

The main mechanics of Life of Delta are based on solving puzzles and putting the pieces together. For example, in order to cross the desert, we need to operate the aircraft, and for this, there are missing parts and circuits that need to be repaired. While trying to collect all these parts, we also meet many new robots. Although not all of these robots are friendly, thanks to our sweet language and resourcefulness, we meet their needs and progress on our own path.

For each problem that needs to be solved, a different type of riddle structure has been created. In some of them, we complete the circuits and make the current pass, while in others, we help a chemist heal a desert cow with the materials in his hands.

The plot is interconnected. In order to solve a robot’s problem and reach the part we need, we need to get help from another robot. On the other hand, we may need to reconnect with another robot that we thought we were done with before. In short, while providing this whole cycle, we are in a way that re-functionales the robot ecosystem.

Graphics

Developed with the Unity game engine, Life of Delta is graphically very satisfying and runs with very good performance even on low systems. Although the components of the system I tested were a little outdated, I was able to progress without any problems. I didn’t need to, but you can also optimise the game’s graphics settings in the menu if you wish.

Even though the game is set in a post-extinction world, the graphics are very colourful and this is hardly noticeable.

Sounds

Robots have a language of their own. As they speak, you can read their dialogues in English. These can be quite important information, but sometimes they can also be unnecessary conversations. Nevertheless, it is important to follow them, because you learn the missing piece of a puzzle or the content of your next mission from these conversations. At the same time, the music playing at the background also helps you get into the atmosphere.

Gameplay

Puzzles form the basic structure of the game. However, it has a major problem that in most of the puzzles you have no idea what to do. A circuit appears in front of you and you look at it and it looks at you. You do not know if you need to complete a circuit or if there is a faulty part. Some of the puzzles have a short explanation, but sometimes all you have to do is click on various points on the screen to find out which parts are moving or which parts you can operate. This can sometimes cause you to miss a tiny piece and makes the puzzle difficult.

Nevertheless, if you think about what is functional in a circuit using your existing knowledge, it will help you move forward. For example, the processor needs a cooler to work. A little stubbornness and you will eventually solve the puzzle.

At the end of the chapters, even if there is no boss, you encounter the most challenging puzzle instead of a boss. I wouldn’t lie if I said it took me hours to get through some of them. Even there are hints, it is not easy to understand and apply them.

Another important point I should mention is that if you want to change settings during the game, you return to the main menu and start from the last save point when you change your settings. While solving a puzzle, I returned to the main menu because I wondered “Is there a key combination I don’t know?”.

When I pressed “Continue” after gaining control and realised that I had gone back to the last save point and lost all the steps in between, I got a bit frustrated. Fortunately, it hadn’t been long since I solved the puzzles, so I was able to re-solve them all in no time and move on. Now, when I need to return to the menu again, I save first.

By the way, I can recommend the game for parents with peace of mind. It does not contain blood or gore. It encourages the player to use his logic and solve problems. It is also a nice detail to the research that is sometimes inherent in adventure games.

Conclusion

If I say that I played Life of Delta for 16 hours without interruption after installing it, I think I can easily explain how much the game hooked me. I cannot give clear information about the total duration of the game, but I am sure that even if you are familiar with the genre, it will at least offer more than 20 hours of gameplay.

The game released for Windows (Steam), Mac, Linux and Switch with a price tag of 19.99 USD.

If you like our Life of Delta review, please share your thoughs in the comments area.