Hot and cold. Ember and Rime. The two could not be more different, and yet, these poor contrasting souls… are going to work together somehow. Degrees of Separation is full of environmental obstacles after all, all of which require one or the other to overcome – once the puzzle of figuring out how to even reach said roadblock has been dealt with. Truly a tale of fire and ice.
That said, opposing elements are, at the end of the day, still that. But that doesn’t mean they can’t co-exist, and the game’s star-crossed lovers certainly seem to do just fine in not only that but also when it comes to teamwork, strengths and weaknesses of each balancing the other perfectly in unison. Or something along those lines.
What I’m trying to say is that, whether played alone or with a friend, Degrees of Separation is a cooperative experience. You won’t get anywhere by prioritizing one character over the other, even if certain parts of the story will likely require switching between the two for a while, rather than moving together through the world, at all times.
The two will learn to lean on one another, their individual forces working to bring them closer together…or tear them apart.
Although with a story written by Chris Avellone (Black Isle Studios, Obsidian Entertainment) that takes place in non-linear levels with “complex puzzles to organically alter situations and surroundings” and several new mechanics acquired as you progress through the entire thing… it’s highly doubtful that ensuring both characters get equal focus is going to weigh heavily on most people’s minds. They should be too busy enjoying themselves instead, working towards (hopefully) uniting Ember and Rime. Surely a game like this will have a happy ending after all, right?
(Thanks to Nintendo Insider for the heads up.)
Degrees of Separation will be on Steam, Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, come February 14, 2019.
