The First Steam Next Fest Demo I've Played
Beyond the Plastic Wall is a 2.5d narrative adventure game that brings together pixel art and 3D graphics to set a somewhat somber atmosphere in which our protagonist, Hal, navigates. Although it had some noticeable bugs, everything else from story to visual direction was intriguing and created a world that has left me wanting more.
It took me about an hour to play through the demo—if you want to give it a watch for yourself, here's the video for ya!
The demo starts off with Hal on a ship, seemingly trading his handyman skills for passage to his destination, the harbour. The ship introduces us to the first of three puzzles which are quite fun to interact with. They are mechanical, and the weighty animations and solid sound design make for delightful engagement.
Beyond the Plastic Wall – Title Scene
The second and third puzzle are the same style and have an equally enjoyable tactile experience. The clacking of the pieces on the board and components snapping in place when you drop them are thoroughly satisfying, partially making me wish the puzzles were longer so I could enjoy those moments a bit more. I'm sure this will happen naturally in the full game.
Hal only encounters two people in the demo, but that is enough to illustrate the narrative direction of the game. Dialogue flows naturally, each character having their own nuanced personality. It is also well written, helping to establish context of the world around without being overstated. there is no voice over work aside from some huffs and grumbles, which lends itself to the underlying sense of loneliness that carries through the demo. I voiced it myself as I played—each character is unique, and I can't wait to see where the story leads.
The lift down to the archives
There are these flashback sequences that give us a glimpse at some other characters, although we don't know who they are and what their connection is to Hal quite yet. These scenes tell us a love story in a way that lands extremely well. I'm not sure how to write it out—it's best if you watch for yourself (the first flashback starts at 15:13).
Flashback Scene
Merging pixel art and 3D creates a wonderful blend of mediums, and the way it is layered creates a world that is rich in detail—even seeing the big structures and machinery fade into the fog at the harbour creates an expansive feel that made me enjoy slowing down and soaking up the setting.
On a quick side note, I saw some steam reviews saying the demo was too slow and there were some people annoyed there was no option to skip through the dialogue. What?? This is a narrative-based game that gives you space to be immersed in all the elements at play. Skipping through it completely negates the point of playing the game. It's like only wanting to read the first sentence of every page in a book just to get through it faster...
Admiring the view of the dock
Coming up to the end of the demo, this last bit focuses on what Hal needs to do to get to the city. Essentially he needs to be assigned a "designation" or a role in order to be accepted in and... surprise! I lied about the puzzles, there is a fourth one! But it doesn't end well. Hal is strapped into a chair and poked by several sharp things all over his body. You try to complete the last phase of the puzzle before passing out...
This is where the demo ends... for Hal. We then fade into another flashback sequence (flashback maybe isn't the right term, but it'll do). We are back to the same two people we saw before, but this time the story of how they met unfolds. The art direction and atmosphere creates space for the telling of a love story that isn't cheesy or overdone. Instead, we experience a telling of a tale with melancholy woven through it—as if what once was a good thing has already come to pass, and we are experiencing a retelling of the story with a sense of fondness for then and mixed with the sadness of now.
This is where the demo comes to a close, and man! This game has such a wonderful combination of elements that piqued my curiosity and has me longing for the full release. It's not the kind of demo where I finished it and thought to myself, "yeah, the full game might be pretty good". No—the 2.5d art style makes for a tasteful layering of mediums and textures, building a visually unique world I just want to stop and look at. The narrative elements from how the characters are written to the overarching storyline are full of well-crafted moments that flow naturally together. At no point did dialogue feel clunky or stale. The unique puzzles with their satisfying interactions and flashbacks that raise more questions than answers add to the concoction that is Beyond the Plastic Wall.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the demo (minus the bugs), and I can't wait for the full game to be released!
