We were able to see gameplay from the sci-fi game and talk to the developers. Causal Loop is reminiscent of Portal and The Talos Principle, but wants to stand out from them with its story.
Causal Loop. While doing research, the title of this game sent me down an endless rabbit hole, from one Wikipedia page to the next. It was about time travel, paradoxes, parallel universes and physics. Now I feel like I understand even less than before, so I’d rather tell you about the game behind this name.
We were able to watch exclusive gameplay from the sci-fi game and talk to the developers. Fortunately, that was much less confusing than understanding the concept of a causal loop. And I can tell you now: If you are waiting for a new game, then you should definitely check out Causal Loop!
Who am I and if so, how many?
Causal Loop is a sci-fi puzzle adventure in which we explore a foreign planet and the remains of an alien civilization. However, there is quite a bit of chaos here, for which our main character Bale is responsible. When he lands, he accidentally activates a machine that destroys the space-time continuum.
This leads to all kinds of unpredictable consequences: among other things, there are now multiple versions of Bale running around on the planet, some of whom have already spent several decades there. At the same time, however, this is what makes the central mechanic of Causal Loop possible in the first place:
We create short-lived copies of ourselves, so-called echoes, and take control of them. This is how we solve puzzles that would normally require multiple people. For example, we have one of our echoes open a door while another flits through and flips a switch that activates an elevator. Meanwhile, we walk to the elevator and reach the next area.
The puzzles start out simple, with us controlling just one Echo at first, which performs simple tasks. But new mechanics and more complicated levels are gradually introduced. In the last of the 15 chapters, we create up to three echoes and solve complex puzzles that we probably wouldn’t have understood at the beginning.
Brains and skill
To overcome the obstacles that Causal Loop puts in our way, we not only have to think hard and apply what we have learned so far. Sometimes speed and skill also play a role. Echoes only exist for a short time, and we have to run and jump to the goal in time to complete the puzzle – and not fall into the corrosive liquid or an abyss!
Many other mechanics are also time-limited. Some switches only open doors for a few seconds. Keys that activate a bridge, for example, are unstable and have to reach their socket in time before they explode. This in turn also allows for more creative solutions, where we use a key’s explosion to remove an obstacle.
We then provide the ultimate proof of our abilities in boss fights
These can be imagined in a similar way to the fight against Glados in Portal: with the help of our echoes and puzzle mechanics, we trigger mechanisms that damage our opponent. For example, we might drop one of the unstable keys in such a way that it explodes next to the boss.
Graphic splendor and story depth
The developers at Causal Loop want to deliver much more than complex puzzle mechanics. The story and its presentation are just as important. Exactly how the story develops after the crash on the alien planet is not yet revealed by the developers. After all, several secrets also play a role:
Where is our colleague Jen? What are the intentions of other versions of Bale? What happened to the alien civilization that used to live here? We also have to make decisions at certain points that lead us to different endings.
The story is intended to be rather contemplative and dark, dealing with philosophical questions such as one’s own identity, which is challenged by the existence of other Bales. From time to time, however, humor also loosens up the narrative, for example through the banter between the impulsive Bale and his AI helper Walter.
Unlike games like The Talos Principle, we don’t have to piece the story together ourselves. Instead, it is told through numerous dialogues and elaborately designed cutscenes. Developer Kai Moosmann emphasizes: Where we can, we make Hollywood.
Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, scenes like this and the gameplay itself look really slick, with impressive realistic lighting and sharp textures. Nevertheless, the developers are trying to ensure that Causal Loop only places moderate demands on your hardware. They report, for example, that at the current stage of development, a frame rate of 60 FPS can be consistently achieved at high graphics settings even with an older graphics card like the GTX 1080ti.
The planet we are exploring is also quite barren and rocky: you shouldn’t necessarily expect landscapes teeming with life, but rather deserts, swamps, and snowfields.
But we can hear all the dialogues in German: Causal Loop is completely dubbed in our language, and with top-class speakers at that. Bale, for example, is voiced by Björn Schalle, who already played V in Cyberpunk 2077. The AI Walter, on the other hand, is voiced by Frank Schaff, who played the artificial intelligence Jarvis in the Marvel films and later the superhero Vision.
When we will be able to see and hear all this is currently unclear: There is no fixed release date yet.However, it is already known that Causal Loop will only be available on PC at release, on Steam, GOG and the Epic Games Store. However, the developers have not yet confirmed a possible port to consoles.
I like to rack my brains a bit in games and that’s why I enjoyed playing through titles like Portal or The Talos Principle. The puzzles in Causal Loop also seem to offer a challenge without completely overwhelming me from the start. After all, the many interlocking mechanics are only introduced gradually.
In the end, there are complicated puzzles that an uninvolved observer like me without any gaming experience can hardly understand. But as a player, thanks to the experience I have gained, I can solve them with a little brainpower and enjoy my resourcefulness – at least that’s the hope.
But I also find it exciting that Causal Loop places such a high value on a serious and elaborately presented story. If the developers succeed in telling a compelling story without logic errors despite the complex and paradoxical time loop scenario, Causal Loop could become a real highlight for puzzle and story fans.
