Swimming pool analysis, a whole experience

If I tell you that the other night I dreamed that I was in a place both known and unknown and that I got lost in its many corridors, a priori identical to each other, you might think that you dreamed of something. similar. Swimming pools It is a game that imitates everything that this type of dream implies, both positively and negatively. Moreover, it is developed by the Finnish studio tensoriincluding the CEO we interviewed.

First of all, I consider that it is a game that requires patience and that it may not be for everyone. I have seen that it has been compared more than once with Behind the scenes. Although the concept is similar, in Behind the scenes we have explicit enemies and scares, something more typical in the horror genre, while In Swimming pools The thing is more personal. There are no enemies but you can feel something, you can notice how your mind is restless, trying to fill in the gaps of experience in its own way, while the only thing we can do is walk, run and control the camera. We also cannot interact with the environment beyond occasionally sitting in a chair, climbing a ladder, or going down a slide. There are no items to pick up, no doors to open, and no holes to squeeze through.

On the other hand, it is a game without interface, without dialogue and without objectives beyond reaching the end. It all depends on the moodwhich depending on your personality, will evoke certain sensations or others, which I find extremely interesting.

Pools focuses its experience on the implementation

The point that Swimming pools manipulates masterfully is that of the adjustment, which it perfectly emulates a relatively lucid dream, or nightmare, in which we navigate labyrinths that we think we know but are completely unknown to us. We walk through each scenario seeing the confusing geometry of the drawings, with very small areas or strange shapes. We see how they interconnect and how both lighting and sounds are managed, it’s something that seems a total marvel to me. The white of the tiles, the contrasts between walls and floors, the colors of the slides. All the elements form a whole that, honestly, I don’t remember seeing too much in video games. In addition, it gives the feeling no longer of being in an abandoned environment, but of being in a place located in one’s own mind, as I say, in a dream.

Swimming pools It is developed with Unity and achieve a level of realism commensurate with the experience that he offers us. We play a lot with lighting, ensuring that certain areas manage to awaken our fear of the dark or directly of the unknown. We may well pass through a dark area or pass through a corner so saturated with light that it does not allow us to see further until we move forward.

An important part of the setting is the sound, another exceptional section of the game. The sound of our footsteps, their change as we emerge from the water, the movement of the water itself or the sound of the light bulbs in the ceiling, everything is perfect. In fact, sound is used as much as lighting in certain situations. A cry in the distance, whispers in the dark or footsteps that don’t belong to us, it all adds up.

Terror and… relaxation?

Like I say, Swimming pools take advantage of the most common fears of humanity. Fear of the dark, the unknown, loneliness, claustrophobia and even agoraphobia. We will see samples of each in several rooms. I’m not going to go into spoilers, I’ll let you experience it. If I tell you that the game has 6 levels, lasting about an hour and a half between each one. Each one will be stranger and more disconcerting than the last, making us either more and more nervous, either thinking that there is something with us waiting for us around every corner, or managing to get used to it and live this experience. even relaxes us.

Relaxation is another theme that, in addition to experiencing it in my own experience, I have also seen in other players. ¿How a game can scare youuncertainty or overcoming and then relax or stimulate your curiosity? Well, the answer is in the human mind. In my case, the sounds did a lot. The sound of the water, the silence and the simplicity of the environments managed to abstract me from reality. Making me forget the worries of everyday life. It is something that can be achieved in several ways, through pleasure for example. Swimming pools It doesn’t abstract you because it’s fun, which it is, but the sensations it transmitsits environments and the immersive nature of its experience, becoming almost like a meditation or, once again, a dream.

In short, Pools is…

Swimming pools It’s quite an experience, an exceptional experience. A game recommended for both fans of psychological horror and those looking for a calmer game. Odd recommendation since the two audiences couldn’t be more different, but the fact is that Swimming pools This is precisely what it achieves, being a unique experience. Yes, the movement may be very short or slow, but the sensations you feel are very valuable. The overwhelming moments in that narrow hallway or that lonely rubber ducky in the dark. This dark pool without a light bottom or this noise in the distance. It is a wonder. On the other hand, if you can make it enjoyable, the experience is extremely relaxing and satisfying. Very recommendable.