Viewfinder Review: Life Through a Lens (PS4)

Viewfinder is a perspective shifting first person puzzle adventure game where your weapons of choice are a camera, a photocopier, and your big brain. Stages are completed by connecting to a teleporter. Getting to said teleporter, however, is the tricky part. To do so, you will need to explore this beautifully constructed world which is packed with detail. More amazing still is the level of creativity shown when getting to a new area, the physics and imagination needed did make me say “woah” out loud more than once. The game really tests your skills at deduction and problem solving with one area overdoing it, but is it enough to sour the experience? I should think not.

Viewfinder was created by Sad Owl Studios and was published by Thunderful Games. The game was released on PS5 and Windows in July 2023, while a PS4 port came out later in December 2023.

I think Viewfinder could be classed as a cosy game to chill out to. Here are five games coming up in April by Alexis Shofner.

Story: How Does One Heal the World?

The story in Viewfinder is very much in the background. Life on Earth is dying. All plant life is fading on a planet which is turning itself into Mars. We need a solution and fast. Welcome to Viewfinder, where you explore a simulation of Earth which has plenty of puzzles for you to solve. It also has a distinctive art style and a linear storytelling structure. There is someone prodding you along the way saying well done!

However, most of the story is told in game by scientists who were trying to solve the problem. These are Aharon, Hiraya, Chung Li & Mirren. There are notes strewn around the levels. There are voice recorders, there are notebooks. The levels you interact with can be messy, people lived in these spaces. The hub areas you explore before tackling specific levels can look amazing, and each area usually shows off an area of expertise, like art or music.

The narrative isn’t the games focal point, but I appreciate the amount of effort Sad Owl Studios has put in here to make spaces feel lived in and that the scientists were working towards a common goal.

Each world felt unique to whoever lived there.

Gameplay: A Matter of Perspective

So, you are exploring the Viewfinder: What can you do? First, you take in your surroundings. See what you can find out about where you are. I liked that the world created is like a hub; there isn’t a great deal to do except connect to a teleporter to begin a stage but I enjoyed walking through them all the same. They showed off the personalities of those who had come before you.

Your main mission is to complete levels by finding a teleporter. Within a level, you can scour your environment. There is plenty of details to take in, from scientist notes, diaries, recorders and the most important artifact: photographs.  Having a photograph in your possession allows you to manipulate your topography in any way you see fit. Seeing my 2D photograph blossom into a 3D object which also destroyed the environment in front of it to create something new was really something. While there were plenty of times a wall could be changed into a bridge to walk across, you could take that same piece of wall and use it to cut into a previously inaccessible area.

A lot of puzzles were only made difficult by how limited your imagination could be. If you were to become stuck, the game includes a “hint” system in the menu screen. There is also a very handy “rewind” mechanic you can use whenever you please. And you will use this liberally.

One of the first puzzles – being able to “bridge” gaps in the level.

More Than Just the Camera

Over time, ideas are expanded upon. A photocopier allows you to replicate your photos. You could then use them to create a long bridge to cross a gap. Fixed cameras take photos at certain angles. There are cameras with a timer which were a very cool concept.

Levels always had a teleporter and they usually needed batteries to power. They also had switches to use to power picture frames which when completed, made “whole” photographs – seeing disparate images transform into 3D before you and create something was great. 

One feature which was entirely optional was picking up random photos. These photos would naturally repurpose a 2D image into something imaginative. A birthday card which has balloons, when used, will then break free and they will float into the sky. Others could create mini games to play with. Some had areas to explore with collectibles to find. They could have new settings and music attached. I really liked that Sad Owl Studios had thought of these asides as opposed to everything being focused on completing a puzzle.

The game has a really chill atmosphere and the challenge is steady, but one world overdoes its core mechanic. I found it hard to work out puzzles. This was due to the game negating the very malleable manipulation concept it created to become rigid. It’s a nice conceit for its story but did dampen my enjoyment. I did require help on these. To be fair though, when I saw a solution, most of the time I did wonder why I hadn’t thought of it.

The game’s story has plenty of levels to get through. There are ones for the main story. There are ones for a challenge. The game would take you 8-12 hours I would think, and I never felt that the game dragged on. It was a nice pace. Overall, I had a really nice time with this.

There were a number of photographs to collect which transformed into something unique.

Graphics: Bright & Imaginative

As explained with the core concept, Sad Owl Studios’ use of the Unity engine really shines here. Being able to see 2D images transform before your eyes into 3D, and specifically the depth of field, was a sight to see. It never gets old. The worlds and levels created are bright, vibrant in colour – specifically the flora & fauna was especially vivid. The levels are detailed with personal touches from the scientists – one world proudly displays art and paint everywhere. Whereas another is consumed by music, displaying posters and guitars all over the place. The level design for the levels are really good, I appreciated the landscapes beyond the topography, displaying mountains or skyscrapers. There was also a tram you used to get between each world and it’s really cool to see the world in movement.

Sad Owls Studios’ imagination within the confines of photographs can’t be understated. There was the use of different filter effects, where something could then look like a cartoon strip. Then it could look like an old Atari game, in its’ grainy black and white glory. Their ideas to have still images then have movement or have other secrets in it’s own space was a special experience. My explanation doesn’t do their work with the game engine justice.

Plus, there’s also a holographic cat named Cait which follows you around everywhere. Yes, you can pet him.

The art direction was stunning.

Music & Audio: Nice & Pleasant

The music is nice. Created by Aether, More akin to indie music, it can be very ambient sounding and mostly in the background. However, like I mentioned with certain photographs, there are changes to the tone of a scenario and those changes are quite inventive within the scope of music. To suddenly play a 2D platformer or then have a western comic book theme, the music was appropriate, and it catches you off guard. I really liked the tonal shifts, they are fun and changes a level to keep you interested. The soundtrack is on Spotify. 

Audio was brilliant. The voice work was all really solid, Jessie is your main point of contact and she’s very expressive and energetic. Cait the Cat is nice and pleasant. The voice over work is excellent considering you don’t meet any people. Talking over the recorders are the scientists and they sound really good. you get to know these people.

Sound is also important when it came to the photographs you use. As well as music, sound and music within can change the dynamic of a scenario and is mostly playful. I particularly enjoyed certain themes and there is a certain painting I won’t spoil which I found funny due to the games ability to translate pictures into sound.

Viewfinder was played & reviewed on PS4.