Among Giants is a sprawling open world full of mystery that is just as intriguing as it is cryptic.
In the world of art, often historical artists are misunderstood. Take, for instance, Vincent Van Gogh. Spanish painter who died penniless and in obscurity. Only after his passing did his more successful brother rehabilitate his image to present his work as avant-garde. I think of this expressive style when I think of Among Giants. A solo dev VR adventure inspired by Shadow of the Colossus—I see the vision, but I cannot understand it. Much like the myth of Tantalus, who was punished by the gods to stand in a pool of water never to drink, so may I guide others to a treasure I cannot possess.
What Is Among Giants?
Minimalistic in its approach, Among Giants starts in a small garden reminiscent of Eden. Your character crash-landed in this safe haven, from the look of the smoke and wreckage close by. The game shows a language that you cannot speak. Close by, a couple of TV screens work as a counter for how much time you have played, what you have discovered, and, most importantly, how many times you have died. In hindsight, this serves as foreshadowing. A few bombs that can be picked up and stored in your belt for any future encounters abound.
I have been judged in the past about how I usually ramble on about “the vibes” a video game gives. I must excuse myself then, because there is no other game quite like Among Giants that can be best described this way: after recharging a small robot that vaguely guides you towards the supposed goal of the game, the rails are off. Solving an approachable puzzle aligning dots to their corresponding lines, a giant energy barrier opens, and a sprawling open world appears.
This landscape is mostly barren. Enticing futuristic outposts in the distance call to you. Then again, first you must pick up your well-placed bow. Shooting at a giant button with your arrows, another barrier lets you free. With a blow of your horn, a horse approaches. Considerably faster than walking on foot, appreciating the peaks and valleys, you can get a glimpse of the ambition behind this alien world. While some bombs are shot at you from a distance, not everything is peaceful out here.
So You Have Chosen Death
In fact, everything is trying to kill you. And you will get used to dying. A lot. Ferocious robots have taken over this land. The smaller ones are easy to deal with. Even with the imprecise use of the bow, most can be dealt with easily. Bigger ones that act faster and do more damage—those are the ones to look out for. At last, the massive ones, the first one who looks like the Iron Giant, are the true test of your abilities.
Each of these colossi has carefully placed green crystals that must be dealt with to be destroyed. Easier than it sounds, their attacks are unfair. Bombs, stomping on the ground, and a deadly laser are some of their arsenal from which you simply cannot hide, because there is no dodge button. The only solution then is to wrangle with your horse, which, paired with using the bow, becomes a less than stellar solution. All that said, earning those wins truly feels like a glorious moment.
Conclusion
Many compromises are required to play Among Giants. There are no textures on the land, rocks, or walls. As mentioned, the bow and galloping do not work too well. Personal gripes aside, there is indeed a moment where it all comes together. Being able to glide when restarting at the peak of the mountain every run, the beautiful music that inspires exploration is so fitting. The final goal is to explore every outpost, defeat every enemy, and learn an unknown language to learn what is happening. The problem is that getting there will test every fiber of your being.
Addendum: After extensive conversation with the developer of Among Giants, I feel compelled to reiterate that the game’s design is meant to be obtuse to incentivize exploration. Furthermore, a slew of feedback-based updates are coming, with the long-awaited slow-mo feature available now.
Among Giants is out now for Meta Quest.
