No, Zen Bound doesn’t have the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything, but it does provide a reflecting window, which is above and beyond the scope of so much interactive entertainment today.Įven though video game soundtracks rarely seem to warrant mention, the down-tempo, alternative arrangements by Finnish group Ghost Monkey are exceptional by any standard. It readily, eagerly transcends into metagame territory-if you allow it, of course-having the ability to set off chemical, physical and spiritual reactions within yourself. A game like Mass Effect might present you with ethical conundrums, a game like Fable may unlock curious possibilities, but a “game” like Zen Bound reveals more about you than any Commander Shepard or Sparrow ever could. The premise is consistent, but the various sculptures render every encounter, every insightful puzzle, dazzling and freshly-picked in presentation.ĭon’t be surprised for even a moment if these puzzles begin to reveal, curtain, inspect or even dislodge certain aspects of your character. Some are perfectly obvious, like the carving of a well-heeled dog called “Obedience,” while a remarkably profound instance labels one whale sculpture as “Tranquility” … with that same whale reappearing a few levels later-this time with a harpoon driven into its side-called “Greed.” Repetition is not the watchword here, however. The sculptures themselves are often of animals and are paired with a metaphorical namesake representing the concept that you’re binding. (The pictures these provide are worth a thousand painted words.) The string that you wrap around the sculpture simultaneously lays down a small boundary of paint, eventually coating the sculpture in color as you round the string around the object.
With a thick strand of twine, the player manipulates a determinate length of cord in order to bind a wooden sculpture. The premise of Zen Bound is as beautifully restrained and self-reflective as its eponymous meditative practice. The main menu screen is a Japanese Cherry Blossom branch beset with wafer-thin, string-hung planks representing the levels proper the blossoms themselves bloom as signifiers of level completion and rice paper lamps initially sit dormant but are warmly lit with a yellow glow, serving as trophies for completing multiple levels above the minimum requirements. Even though this is developer Secret Exit’s debut title on the iPhone, Zen Bound is assembled with the artistic fortitude of master craftsmen at the height of their powers.
Never before have the elements of stone, wood and rope braided together in a more perfect union.
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