14 DAY TRIAL // 
I am hanging off a ledge, with my robot fingers presumably making sure that there’s no chance of slipping. That would mean death as I remember some nasty spikes sitting at the bottom of the climb I have just completed. Pulling up is also currently not an option, as a patrolling soldier is ready to shoot on sight.
A few seconds pass, and now his back is turned, and I go up and move to hide behind some crates. I stay there until the enemy passes, then move past him and jump for another ledge. I am out of sight and I jump across a few gaps, getting some extra minerals for my trouble. The infiltration is going well until I fail to spot another robot soldier and he quickly executes me.
My robot avatar is reconstituted at the nearest save point and I execute the sneaking sequence again, this time able to avoid my previous mistake. I could have teleported back to the main hub of this adventure but I really want to reach my next objective and gather some more items that I need to push forward in my quest.
The Library of Babel is developed by Tanuki Game Studio and published by Neon Doctrine. I played on the PC using Steam. You can also play on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X and S, and older devices from Microsoft and Sony. The title mixes adventure and platforming and is loosely based on the short story written by Borges.
Players take on the role of a robot designated as a Seeker, called Ludovik. He exists in a universe where humanity is gone and a society of mechanical beings has replaced it. He arrives at the Colony, a small outpost threatened by a rebellion that prompts an extensive lockdown. A powerful Matriarch is guiding the robot society and asks the protagonist to find someone called the Coronel.
The game will slowly reveal more details about the robot world and how the discovery of a massive cache of knowledge changes how they think and behave. The Library of Babel is threatening society and players are the only ones who can unravel its secrets. The game‘s cast of characters is not very high and the developers have worked hard to give them clear personalities and motivations. The story beats aren’t innovative but they are well executed and the core mystery is engaging.
To get to its core, players will have to explore a suite of locations, solve puzzles, and use some classic adventure game mechanics. Ludovik can jump and crawl to move through the world but he does not carry a weapon. If he is seen by enemies, it only takes one shot to destroy him. To avoid this fate, he can hide behind objects to observe guard patterns and then move when they face the other way. Drones add another level of danger and, later, players will have to drag crates to open up new paths without being seen.
There are also plenty of environmental dangers to avoid while platforming. Thankfully, all the levels have well-placed checkpoints that will reconstitute our hero for a small price. The problem is that moving through the levels is pretty boring and there’s often unnecessary backtracking. The game is unable to add variety so it increases its difficulty level and quickly becomes frustrating to play.
Like any good adventure, The Library of Babel also features a range of puzzles. The good news is that they tend to be challenging without being annoying. But they also never innovate too much on already familiar ideas. Directing the flow of energy through pipes to activate doors feels weird after gamers have already worked hard to secure the key card for it.
Ludovik also gains access to a tracking drone, giving him a way to discover a range of items hidden across levels. It only adds a little excitement to exploration. At certain times, players also have to combine objects in their inventory to make progress. Don’t forget to always visit the shop and see what’s on offer.
The Library of Babel makes some clunky gameplay choices. You have to press a button to access stairs but then also press up or down to actually move the character on them. There’s no way to skip through already-known dialogue, making character interactions awkward. They don’t know when an item you need is in the player’s inventory. Passages are often obstructed by the scenery, making it all but impossible to know that crawling is required. These are small issues but they affect immersion and limit enjoyment.
For players who are willing to overlook them, there’s plenty to love about the title’s setting and the central quest. It uses interesting science-fiction ideas and puts its own spin on them. This might be a future robot society but plenty of its issues are relevant for modern humans. Sometimes I felt that the entire experience would have worked better with more limited gameplay and extra space to explore the lore.
The Library of Babel looks like a classic adventure title, with good 2D hand-drawn environments that combine futuristic architecture with a massive jungle. I also like the character design that gives each important character a defining characteristic. The game also features some very beautiful skyboxes, which suggest a larger and weirder world outside the Colony. I also like the sound design, especially the soundtrack that seeks blends influences and shifts around the main character’s situation.
The Good
- Cool premise and universe
- Interesting characters
- Solid presentation
The Bad
- Limited gameplay
- Platforming will get frustrating
- Quality of life issues
Conclusion
Stealth is never very interesting while the platforming sections can become frustrating, despite the good placement of save points. This is the type of game that would really benefit from an option to simply skip a gameplay segment. The Library of Babel should tweak character movement and item interactions via patches if it wants to appeal to a wider audience.
A review key was provided by the publisher
