Viewfinder Review (Switch eShop)

With a name like Viewfinder, you might be forgiven for thinking that somebody finally decided to capitalise on the picture-hunting format perfected by Pokémon Snap. Perhaps a chilling new instalment in the Fatal Frame series?

Developer Sad Owl Studios is going for a different vibe here. The viewfinder in question is a device that can shift reality, layering photographs on top of the environment and creating new pathways through an artificial world.

It is a genuinely unique experience, though it does share some DNA with Jonathan Blow’s The Witness, with the perspective-shifting madness of Portal. An accessible set of lateral conundrums that usher you through an ever-shifting approximation of utopia.

Originally launching on PS5 in July 2023, there is an intriguing narrative, drip-fed to both you and the main characters. Scientists explore a simulation that seems to comprise an amalgam of civilisation. Photographs are placed around levels, depicting another scene within the space. Taking these images and placing them in focus will set them into the world. This mechanic allows you to solve different flavours of traversal puzzle.

Despite the freaky manipulation of liminal space, the spatial acrobats never feel disorienting; it all comes surprisingly naturally. As I placed bridges across chasms or removed a wall with a section of sky, I never felt the puzzle solutions were obtuse or deliberately vague.

Variations start to appear in the shape of perspective puzzles that must be combined with the photos in order to progress. Making copies of photographs, capturing the right angle with a tower viewer, and good old-fashioned switch flipping are just some of the methods to progress in this idyllic world.

These multi-stage puzzles facilitate frequent use of the rewind mechanic, which zips you back to the last time you tried something that didn't quite pan out. Being able to quickly revisit steps like this is all part of the easygoing feel of Viewfinder. Sad Owl wants you to get through these levels smoothly because stop-start pacing would ruin the artistic flourishes that pepper the journey.

The aesthetic of the simulation is vibrant and intoxicating, with sharp primary colours that pop on both big and small screens. The fabricated world you're jacked into is a snapshot of society that itself feels lived in by those who have explored before your character.

The sheer range of styles on display is impressive. At several points you will transition between completely different motifs, layering hand-drawn crayon sketches on top of polygonal dungeons and back to soft watercolour edges. You will occasionally be pulled out into the real world, with its clinical office environments and harsh red cityscapes. This stark contrast makes you savour the painterly style of the simulation.

While you are a lone scientist wandering between worlds, you have constant communication with your colleague, who will chime in with gameplay-specific banter. Elsewhere, a virtual talking cat called Cait wanders the levels acting as a guide.

At several points, you will find yourself in a hub area that offers a chance to revisit levels and take part in brief but stylistically distinct side challenges. These diversions are worthwhile, but don’t extend the runtime of an all too brief experience; you'll finish it in around four hours.

This being a Switch 1 native release, the trippy visuals run at a lower frame rate and it can be jarring when you constantly pan around the environment to find a puzzle solution. This is an experience built around exploring the screen and it feels hamstrung by the older hardware. Jumping to Switch 2 does not meaningfully change this. Performance is still lacking on the newer console. Undocked play on both platforms looks great and plays a bit smoother, but the difference is marginal at best.

There is a healthy selection of accessibility options. Motion smoothing in particular helps balance out that low frame rate. It doesn’t totally fix it, but it takes the edge off slightly.

Yet in spite of the lower performance, Viewfinder's visually distorting odyssey pulls you in and enchants. It's a relaxing experience, driven by narrative and a constant barrage of artistic flourishes. Add to this a gorgeous musical score by Aether, which mixes slow jazz beats and ethereal synths, and you've got a simulation that's easy to get lost in.