Submachine 7: The Core has been on our Gaming Most-Wanted List of 2010 and for good reasons too: Submachine series is one of most beloved gaming brands ever developed for the great territory of internet. Each installment brings Mateusz’s patented imagination to life through simple yet appealing graphic, compelling and intriguing on-going story, haunting and memorable ambients, and best of all, the highly polished gameplay that puts almost every other PNC games to shame. Hypes for Sub_7 exploded through the roof comparable to extremely long wait of Sub_6, only to be made worst after the releases of critical darling’s Submachine Network Exploration Experience and Submachine: 32 Chambers. The wait was unbearable and in the end came possibly what everyone was hoping to be an incredible cap-off of the fabled Year of the Submachine.

Does Submachine 7: The Core delivers, meets, and exceeds our expectations? The most resounding answer sung by chorus of hungry players is YES. Yes, indeed. Best Submachine game ever? Read on.

GRAPHIC

Again, it seems unfair that I have to continue to do this section of review, especially since each Submachine game is eerily beautiful in their ways and that there’s almost no flaw to Mateusz’s art direction. But what so different about this game is that the art direction totally blew our expectations of what Submachine should looks like and how the location designs and structures should be built. All of sudden, the constricting areas of blocky rooms within screen was thrown away in favor of wide-open areas located within one giant location and the art style became extremely rich and imaginative as result of it.

The fractured architects will be one of most memorable places ever visited in any Submachine games, powered by insanely immense structure and its haunting erosions backed by beautiful lifeforms. Not only the art styles breath new life because of shift in art direction, it also bolster toward and from the story as well, making the designs of entire game an absolutely, creatively, and breathlessly jaw-dropping. The art and graphic alone also pushed the doors wide open for even truly spellbinding locations possibly waiting for us in Submachine 8 and eventually in SubNet.

Absolutely perfect.

Also… cutely glowing lifeforms. Who wouldn’t like them?

Score: 10 / 10

SOUND

An upgrade over what I deemed as “disappointing soundtracks” of Submachine 6. What we get is a true return-to-form ambients that made Submachine 1-5 truly haunting games to explore and play. The tunes may not be as heavily memorable as many of classics, but they still have tons of Submachine signatures all over with electronic noises, chirps, and beeps bringing the machines to life. The ambients are also transcendent, not only highlighting the atmosphere of each locations, but also lending emotional impacts to the in-game plot development that would send chills down to everyone’s spines. Also supplementing the ambients are well-thought-of sound effects, making each notable activities extremely realistic and satisfying.

Expertly made and applied ambients and sound effects had made this game one of best Submachine games to listen to while playing. It would guarantee to make your ears cry with joys.

Score: 10 / 10

PLOT

After the satisfying plot-heavy Submachine 6, many of us thought we will get sizable chunks of stories to chow down on. What we experienced through was a major revelation, the greatest since eye-opening plot of Submachine 4. Mateusz has truly nailed down on the evolving plot developments, making this game a true gem to read and marvel at. Almost every area brings something new to the developing Submachine lore and Submachine 7 stories might be the best since fan’s favorite Submachine 4. And to the delight of fans all over, the stories of entire Submachine series are brought to almost full circle and that is not even the end of it. It only the beginning of something truly amazing yet to be come in final three episodes. What made this story truly memorable is that it also lends strength to art direction and gameplay, making this game addicting to play and scavenge through for its tasty secrets.

Although, the main criticisms is that there are so much of stories to scrooge through, it could leave some players drunk and confused by wealth of revelations. Also, some players might be disappointed that the Core aren’t what they expected, but I found it to be well written enough for the Core itself to shatter player’s expectation of what the areas should be like. Heck, I thought the Core would be machine-heavy, but it wasn’t the case. The standout of entire plot is the relationship between Liz and Mur finally made clear as well as the development of Submachine itself, shattering the boundaries of what Submachine truly is once again.

Also, Submachine 7 totally killed some of my famous theories. Thanks a lot.

Truly fantastic.

Score: 9.9 / 10

GAMEPLAY

Submachine 7 has finally offer extremely enjoyable exploration and biting-hard puzzle-solving not seen since Submachine 2, 4, and 5. What made Submachine 7 one of best PNC games around is the craft and care put into many of puzzles that are very different from all other games. The Core is a tough one to crack and one that require lot of thoughts and deductions to solve and beat. It not hair-pulling hard, but it no cake-walk either. The difficulty is just about perfect where newcomer and avid veterans can find satisfying challenges to overcome.

My criticisms is that the secrets are so dang tough to find, but I guess it made the rewards at the end all the more satisfying. Also, few of puzzles are extremely hard, it took me a while to figure out the answer, but that’s a nice change of pace from other Submachine games since we do have hints available to nudge us into right direction. Also, some of areas are so large that it felt bit unnecessary to have one or two extra rooms to explore in and I feel worried that the next three games will become too ambitious for their own goods. That why we have SubNet to dump the ideas into.

Expertly balanced.

Score: 9.8 / 10

In the end, Submachine 7 constantly screwing with our expectations and wowing us with tons of plot developments and eerily beautiful art styles that will sure to spark off new wave of speculations about what Submachines truly are and what they’re made for. I have never seen the reactions quite like this since the famous Submachine 4 and for good reasons too.

Is it the best Submachine game ever?

YES and NO.

Wait, why?

The answer: Submachine 4.

Submachine 4 and Submachine 7 are so similar and so different in every way. Both games offer truly compelling gameplay backed by haunting arts and ambients. Both have addicting stories that blew the doors wide open, welcoming all sort of heated debates and speculations. What they’re so different is that both offers extremely different experiences, plot developments, locations to explore, and theories to create. Submachine 7 reminds me what Submachine 4 brought to the table all those years ago and that made Submachine 7 all so great to play. It not really fair for me to say Submachine 7 is better than Submachine 4, but it also not fair for me to say that Sub_4 is better than Sub_7. No, I will leave that debate to the fans.

As for me, I believed that both games are truly excellent for same and different reasons and I am proud to say that Submachine 7 is the best game since Submachine 4 and that both games are the absolute best in entire series.

You truly outdid yourself once again, Mateusz.

Final Score: 9.8 / 10

One more thing: CUTELY GLOWING LIFEFORMS