Proteus starts out how it means to go on, by giving you an island which is free to explore, and doesn’t tell you a thing. You make the story here, the game just merely gives you the tools to make it.
You start off Proteus in the middle of the sea, and what lies before you is a island. This island, we are told, is randomly generated, similar to Minecraft. But somethings different, note quite right. We’re told it’s random, but the island seems too perfect to be random. Statues appear on top of a mountain, as if they were placed there by an artist; paths and trees envelop the island, but it all seems to be laid out so right that it can’t be random, can it?
Turns out it is random. Multiple playthroughs show that the island is always different, always random, but the art assets are always placed in a way that makes the island look thought out, planned even. This isn’t a bad point to the game, if anything it just adds to the awe of how awesome the island is to explore. Each player will have a slightly different experience, and that’s always a good thing in my book.

The game progresses through seasons to tell a story, and you can activate a new season by doing certain things. (I shan’t spoil how you activate these, that’s for yourself to figure out) Each season has it’s own unique feel, along with plants and animals that only appear in each one.
Everything in the world makes noises, and through these noises you’ll make the music to Proteus. You feel like you’re actually affecting the world, and it’s just another way in which you make your own experience. Rush too fast, and the music is out of sync, out of touch with the environment around it, too slow and the music just doesn’t sound right. Move around the island just right, and everything seamlessly flows into an invigorating experience, pushing you on to find a penultimate conclusion.

Pros:
- World is beautiful and unique, in an industry where pixel art is going out of fashion quick
- Music is fantastic
Cons:
- Expensive for how short the game is
- After a few playthroughs, you have no reason to come back to the game
- Can be seen as boring for some
Overall, I’d happily recommend this game to friends and family, as long as they got it on sale. It offers a very unique and different experience compared to most standard games, but I can see a lot of people crying afoul of this being classed as a “Game”.
3/5