<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" Release Date: August 6 (Europe), August 5 (North America) Platforms available on: PS4, PS3, Vita, PC, Wii U, Mac Developer: Curve Studios Publisher: Facepalm Games Genre: Puzzle platformer The Swapper may be a side-scrolling platform about clones, but there&amp;#039;s nothing unoriginal about it. It&amp;#039;s a unique game that features some exemplary puzzles and a deep narrative that poses some heavy questions. Soon after being dropped off to explore a desolate research facility, your character stumbles across a gun that can be used to create clones and swap minds. Once you&amp;#039;ve created a clone, they&amp;#039;ll mindlessly follow your actions, whether moving from left to right or jumping up and down.  If a clone is in range, players can swap minds and resume control of the new body, often sentencing your former self to death. Not only does this ability to create clones and swap minds lead to some incredibly fiendish brain-teasers, but it also forms the basis of a surprisingly philosophical narrative.  It&amp;#039;s a unique game that features some exemplary puzzles and a deep narrative that poses some heavy questions.  The disposable nature of the clones raises questions about body and soul, and even leads to feelings of guilt. The game&amp;#039;s empty and somewhat eerie environment really complements the minimalist storytelling, leaving players free to contemplate the events of the game without any unnecessary distractions.  Even when players are surrounded by clones, it&amp;#039;s hard not to feel isolated, lonely and a little uneasy, something which contributes to The Swapper&amp;#039;s chilling atmosphere. The use of flickering lights, a haunting soundtrack and silence itself, further adds to the mood. Our only complaint is that the environments aren&amp;#039;t particularly diverse, although when you are presented by something a little different - such as a lush greenhouse are - it really does stand out. However, it&amp;#039;s the puzzles that really make The Swapper such a roaring success. In order to access new parts of the facility and further the narrative, players must collect orbs by solving a series of self-contained teasers.  The puzzles are so good that you could take away any graphical flourishes and narrative twists, and still have fun working out the solutions. Early puzzles involve firing off clones and controlling their movements in order to hit switches and pass through gates. These kind of puzzles remain a constant throughout the game, only with the addition of portals, gravitational transport tubes and lights that restrict the use of the Swapper gun.  Reminiscent of Portal, players must look at each environment, plan ahead and sometimes be prepared to move quickly in order to avoid falling to your death or having to restart a puzzle. As with the most successful puzzle games, The Swapper is easy to pick up and play, but more than capable of stumping players for minutes on end.  In what could be considered a compliment, our biggest problem with the game is that it&amp;#039;s a little on the short side, clocking in at approximately four hours.  Frustrations are largely averted, however, because the game gives you all the tools you need early on. It doesn&amp;#039;t force you to backtrack to pick up additional skills or abilities, despite a branching, almost &amp;quot;Metroidvania&amp;quot;-style map.  In what could be considered a compliment, our biggest problem with the game is that it&amp;#039;s a little on the short side, clocking in at approximately four hours.       A separate challenge mode or a series of bonus puzzles would have tempted us back for more, but as it stands, there&amp;#039;s very little reason to go back and revisit. Still, despite its short length and lack of replayability, time playing The Swapper is most definitely time well spent. The clone-based puzzles are superb, while the addition of a thought-provoking narrative is the cherry on top of what is an excellent puzzle/platformer.   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/playstation-4/review/a590540/the-swapper-review-ps4-a-dark-and-superbly-designed-platform-puzzler/>