Tin Hearts immerses players in a magical world populated with charming vintage toys. Through the strategic placement of blocks and other manipulable objects, players guide adorable tin soldiers through a series of intricate courses. The game features over 40 levels, each presenting increasingly complex challenges. As players progress through these puzzles, they uncover the story of the inventor, Albert J. Butterworth, and his life. The experience is enhanced by delightful, vibrant graphics and a meticulously crafted musical score.
In 1988, Pixar, then a relatively new studio, debuted the computer-animated short film Tin Toy. Four years later, Lemmings, a highly regarded puzzle game, was released. Tin Hearts draws inspiration from both of these works. The character design echoes that of Tin Toy, while the core gameplay mechanic of directing a continuous stream of characters who will proceed directly to their demise without intervention is reminiscent of Lemmings.
Unlike Lemmings, Tin Hearts is rendered in 3D, introducing a heightened level of complexity due to the characters’ increased freedom of movement. To aid players, various blocks can be strategically placed to redirect the soldiers. Reacting swiftly is crucial; if a block is missed or needs repositioning mid-progress, the soldiers will continue onward, potentially falling off the course. Time manipulation features are available once a route is established, allowing players to accelerate the pace. The ability to follow a single soldier offers a unique, ground-level perspective on the environment.
Progression unlocks greater freedom of movement within the game’s environments. Players can retrieve and position blocks from across the room to construct safe pathways for the soldiers. Testing the game on Playstation 5 revealed no performance issues. The graphics are visually appealing, imaginative, and vibrant.
A notable drawback of Tin Hearts is its generally low difficulty level for a significant portion of the game, which can limit engagement. This is unfortunate, given the strength of the core concept.
In conclusion, Tin Hearts is still recommended as a visually pleasing, relaxing, and enchanting experience. A steeper difficulty curve would have significantly elevated its overall score.
Wired Productions provided a review code for this analysis. The provision of materials does not influence our editorial objectivity.
