Weakless, a new puzzle adventure game by Polish developer Punk Notion, manages to do something that not many puzzle titles can do in the modern age: create something relatively original. There are a lot of commonly seen staples of the genre here, especially in the construction of puzzles, but the subtle narrative beats, thematic elements, and dual protagonists add just enough of a unique twist for Weakless to stand on its own two feet. However, the game’s perplexingly brief playtime and a few technical issues hold it back from being truly fantastic.
Weakless focuses on protagonists Blind and Deaf, two tree-like creatures called Weavelings who are (you guessed it) blind and deaf, respectively. Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to puzzle solving and only by switching back and forth between the two can players effectively move forward. Switching to Blind renders the world in black and white, and you’ll need to tap the character’s staff on the ground frequently to navigate the world. Deaf, on the other hand, allows players to see the entire beauty of the Weakless world with the trade off being that sound is very limited. On top of this, Blind can move heavier objects while Deaf can climb to otherwise unreachable areas.
The abilities of the two characters are very well defined in the game. Add to this the fact that Weakless never engages in hand-holding (other than a few button prompts at the beginning of the game) and every moment spent exploring in its world feels like genuine discovery. This can also be a hindrance at first, especially when trying to figure out new puzzles or where exactly to go, but it’s never overwhelming and the map is very much designed in a linear way that getting lost isn’t really an issue. The puzzles themselves, which range from using Blind to move blocks in just the right spot for Deaf to properly advance to a particularly clever section of the game involving conveyor belts, are complex but just accessible enough for someone who hasn’t played many puzzler titles before.
While solving puzzles and adventuring through Weakless‘ marvelously built world is a majority of what players will be doing, there are hidden narrative and thematic elements hiding just beneath the surface for those willing to look. Machinery and technology often plays the role of “villain” in the game, as Blind and Deaf navigate toward their final destination to save their world from a calamity known only as the Rot and attempting to overcome human-made (or some other unseen species) technological devices. Plus the final third of the game, which won’t be spoiled here, really drives home a theme of “nature vs. machine.” Whether that’s intentional or not is hard to say, but it really adds something narratively satisfying to a title that contains nothing in the way of dialogue or clearly defined objectives.
But this is precisely why it’s so disappointing that Weakless is such a relatively short game. Players who are more adept at puzzle games could probably blow through the game in just two hours or so. For everyone else, around four hours will likely be the sweet spot. One could make the argument that video games do not necessarily need to be 10 or more hours to be considered great and that would certainly be a valid point. But Weakless ends right as everything is just finally starting to fall into place. Puzzles become more complex, more and more details about the world the title inhabits are revealed, and an emotional connection with Blind and Deaf really starts to sink in. And then the game just ends. Even just a few more hours of content probably would have helped with this, but as it is, Weakless is one of the rare occasions where a little more padding would have done it wonders.
Either way, Weakless is an adventure through luscious green forests, swampy hazardous terrain, and rundown lost cities that’s more than worth taking. It’s a game that knows how to connect players with its protagonists without them having to speak a word and convey narrative beats without having to rely on overwrought exposition. While there are some weird technical issues involving white screens when switching between characters, a patch has been promised by Punk Notion soon after release that should clear these up. And as a whole, Weakless is a triumphantly beautiful and complex indie puzzler game that would make a fine addition to any fan of the genre’s collection.
Weakless is available for Xbox One and will be release on PC in early 2020. Screen Rant was provided a digital Xbox One copy for the purposes of this review.
