Humanity Review

Humanity is a bonkers crowd-control puzzle game. Its thin story and pointless plot don’t make much sense, but it has excellent controls and a generous gameplay loop.

Unlike some other Enhance games, Humanity introduces new mechanics and gameplay concepts gradually and in a way that’s easy to understand. This leads to a satisfying, thought-provoking challenge without the frustration that many gamers encounter.

Gameplay

Like the best games from this genre, Humanity plays with more severe themes than your average puzzler. Ideas of hopelessness, questions of control, and suggestions of futility are all at play here, but the whimsy and peculiarity that make up most of the experience withstand these darker elements.

The game takes time to introduce you to its bizarre gameplay loop, but the mechanics are intuitive. The game also mixes things enough that the required stages never feel tedious or frustrating, while the optional ones offer a real challenge.

In each level, you must guide massive swarms of faceless humans through the doors that lead to a light at the end of a path. Along the way, you must collect glistening golden bipeds known as Goldies, which act as a sort of Mario-style star collectible. While it can take a while to accumulate these, they are a welcomed reward for the trial-and-error of getting those pesky humans to their destination.

Graphics

Despite being a simple game at heart, Humanity provides a highly satisfying puzzle experience. Its bonkers premise, pointless plot, and trippy visuals create an intriguing and delightful experience that pushes its players through the wildest scenarios.

Unlike other puzzle games, the player is a luminous Shiba Inu, not a cursor-manipulating mouse, which adds an entirely different dimension to the proceedings. Instead of stringing humans along like a lemming, the player’s interaction with them feels more organic, which works both for the gameplay and narrative.

The visuals are stunning and run smoothly on even the most powerful PCs, with hundreds of human bodies moving simultaneously without impacting the frame rate. The graphical splendor serves a higher purpose than mere style, with the swarm of humans acting as a silent commentary on humanity’s ability to organize and grow. The game is a must-play for all fans of brain-teasing challenges and experimental games.

Soundtrack

Humanity’s unique style and strange premise set it apart from other puzzlers. Its impressive audiovisual landscape and clever gameplay make for a delightful sensory experience.

The soundtrack’s fusion of electronic and orchestral elements is quite remarkable. From the pounding metal riffs of opener Hematopoietic System Tissue to the lullaby-like vocals and soothing piano of Lymphoid Fail, every track hits hard but reflects on humanity’s difficult position.

It’s an exciting take on the genre that will please fans of Tetris Effect and Katamari, but it also stands on its own. Using harmonic vocal samples and blending different sounds creates an immersive, moody, and exciting soundscape.

From the start to the end of the main story, Humanity is an inventive and challenging puzzler that keeps you thinking. With a robust level maker, tons of user-created levels, and a constantly evolving presentation, this is a must-have for any genre fan.

Replayability

For all that Humanity isn’t for everyone, it still offers a surprising amount of depth and variety. Even when it’s throwing out a lot of new bells and whistles, like the ability to fly or float, each new toy is used sparingly, making the game more fun without adding too much extra frustration.

Some levels are a little more challenging than others, but it’s never frustrating because the game provides systems to make meddling easier (like wiping all markers or leaving them to try different solutions). And if you get stuck, plenty of shortcuts help you through your frustration.

Humanity is a fantastic puzzle game brimming with ideas, offering a fresh challenge that feels like the geniuses behind games like Rez or Tetris Effect designed it. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s a must-play. It might be slow to start, but it eventually becomes one of the most rewarding and challenging games I’ve played this year.