Puzzle games can be hard to master, even when all the tools are taught in a tutorial at the start.The Entropy Centrethrives on making the player think about their every move with its unique rewinding mechanic that allows blocks to return to where they were initially.
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Inspired heavily by thePortalfranchise,The Entropy Centrehas players going through puzzle rooms and being presented with scenarios where they will need to figure out how to move on through the various machines and objects presented to them. Because the concept can be challenging, it is important to remember some helpful beginner tips.
7Be Prepared For Action Sequences
WhileThe Entropy Centreis almost entirely a puzzle game, there are some moments that aren’tas puzzle-focused, instead testing the player’s ability to act quickly with their new device. An instance of this comes early on when the player enters a moving platform.
Suddenly, debris will begin to fall down on the player. They will need to be quick to either prevent themselves from dying or repair the path in front of them. Moments like this will happen periodically throughout the game, and it is worth keeping in mind that it is good to get used to what the Entropy Device can do.
6Check Screen After Every Puzzle
Puzzle rooms can take a bit of time to figure out, but it is always satisfying when the player is able tocome up with a solutiona bit quicker than they may have expected. InThe Entropy Centre, those who want to see their time taken have a pretty easy way of getting it.
At the end of every puzzle room, there will be an interlude area where players will see a TV. It will make a noise to call the player’s attention, and it is here that they will see how long the room took them to solve. It will also indicate how much Entropy Energy has built up, otherwise an indicator of how far they are into the game.
5Focus On One Object At A Time
The Entropy Device is the gun that makesall the puzzles workin the game, with its ability to lock on to an object and rewind time so that the item returns to where it once was just moments before. As the game goes on, players will need to work with manipulating multiple objects in a puzzle.
The best way to go about juggling these moments is to simply focus on one object at a time. Figure out where that one object will need to go that will make it easier to solve the room. Once everything is set up with that item, go to the next object. Breaking the room down into steps will make for easier puzzle-solving.
4Use Stealth Around Angry Entropy Bots
As noted earlier, there are some action sequences players will have to get through. This includes dealing with Entropy Bots. This adorable robot will believe that the main character is a threat to the facility and will begin to attack them once they see them. The key here is if they see the player.
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While there are ways to fight these bots, such as rewinding the energy balls they shoot at you or tossing explosive cubes, the best way to avoid conflict is to get behind walls andstay out of sight of these robots. There will be times when fighting is necessary, but using the surroundings to get through a dangerous situation is best for the player as they can only take so many hits.
The Entropy Centre, named after the main location of the game, is a fascinating setting that deserves to be explored on top of completing all the puzzles. While only so much of the story will be presented directly to the player, there is a way to learn moreabout the facility’s lore.
Keep an eye out for desks with computers on them. Most computers will just seem off, but others will have an inbox open that players can look at. These are terminal messages, which contain interactions from workers of the center’s past. It is a peek at what it used to be like to live in a building that rewinds time and is entirely on the moon.
2Keep Time In Mind
The abilityto rewind timeis a fascinating mechanic, but it does come with some limitations. There are certain doors that can’t be opened with it due to puzzle purposes and not every object will be affected by the gun’s unique power, making for some critical thinking beyond the device. But most importantly, rewinding is not something that can be had endlessly.
Nearly every object that can be picked up with the Entropy Device will only remember its movements within a small timeframe. It is not horribly quick, but most blocks will only remember the last 40 seconds of movement. The time itself does vary, but it is both long enough to complete the puzzle and short enough to keep the player on their toes.
1Solve Puzzles Backwards
There are plenty of approaches that can be taken to each of these puzzle rooms, but the objective is always the same: manipulate the objects in the room so that players areable to escapeand move on. One strategy that may be most effective is the method of working backward.
The Entropy Centremakes sure that players can see most of the room from the moment they enter it, but be sure to explore everything possible. Then, find where a block needs to conclude then move it in the reverse order that it needs to go when the Entropy Device is rewinding it. This method alone will clear a lot of rooms, especially the early ones.
The Entropy Centreis out now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
