On a whim, I decided to play through the Samorost trilogy this week. After this thread made me aware of 3's existence, I kept coming back to 3's steam page because it looked so gorgeous. The only thing stopping me from picking it up was my hesitance toward Point 'n Click adventure games. They're one of the few genres that's very tough for me to embrace, but I ended up biting the bullet, as I've always admired Amanita's art direction, and played through Samorost 1 and 2 back to back. I was convinced enough about the things I liked in those first two games once I finished them that I bought 3 right on the spot. Just to echo the praise in this thread, I was so bowled over by Samorost 3 that I had to write about it this morning, which I don't often do.
So I found myself really fascinated by the series' decade-plus-long shift from bite-sized Flash point 'n click project with a slightly surreal, firmly environmentalist bent to a contemplative sci-fi fable that greatly expands upon the prior two game's ideas. Where Samorost 1 and 2 showed Amanita Design as a budding Czech developer learning how to use genre conventions in unusual settings, Samorost 3 is a return to those conventions and settings with a new perspective and a decade of experience.
After finishing it, I was a bit surprised by some of the critical reception negatively pointing at how stubbornly it adheres to the structure of a late 90's/early 00's adventure game. I think this detail is a conscious decision on Amanita's part, especially after hearing how loosely Botanicula sticks to these kinds of conventions. Here, Amanita reframes well-worn conventions with the same inquisitive drive that Gnome shares in exploring new planets. Much like Samorost 1 and 2, puzzles are mostly based around sequences, but Samorost 3, with its richer soundscape, often treats its puzzles like refining a sequence of notes. Along with the soundtrack having more of a whimsical identity, there's a sense of musicality to the creatures and objects you interact with in the environment, which makes these spaces feel more lively and inviting the further you look.
The recurring harmony of organic & technological elements is a motif used throughout the Samorost series. There's a clarity in its usage in the first two games, which I mostly contribute to their brevity. But in Samorost 3, that harmony isn't solely found in its art direction; it's shared across its design philosophies and musical core. Samorost 3 is a humble game. It's the kind of idiosyncratic work that results from gestating for half a decade. Being able to share the sights and sounds of a distant planet means the world to it. And I was happy to tag along.
