Outcry. The shimmering game

Outcry is a first person adventure with amazing graphic effects and outstanding soundtrack developed in Russia by Phantomery Interactive and released in 2008.
I won’t try to describe the story in detail, as the story itself is questionable, and I think that it should be left to each gamer’s interpretation and sensitiveness.
Apparently, you enter the deserted flat of your brother, a scientist, to discover that he was working at a machinery; an equipment that, under certain conditions, could operate the detachment of one’s consciousness from the physical body and let it float back in time.
Maybe he reached his goal, since he disappeared, and this is the reason of your coming to his apartment. With the help of your brother’s notes and projects you put back the machine in working order and follow his tracks... or not?
The intriguing story of the game unfolds solely through the pages of a journal until the surprising and yearning ending, that induce further questions rather than providing replies. At least until you strive to understand and spend many sleepless nights thinking of it, as I did. Anyway you can only figure it out… a possibility among others.
Its original Latin name, Sublustrum, has a meaning that describes exactly the “Shimmering world” where part of the game develops, of which the main unseen character, the scientist, writes in his journal: a dimension lightened by bright but uncertain glares, where everything can be misleading.

I was fascinated by this adventure even before it was released, reading about it in the Sublustrum official site and looking at the stunning screenshots. A friend pre-ordered it for me as a present, and while I was waiting for it I red the first reviews and was struck by the difference between the opinions. It seemed that Outcry could only provoke fascination or repulsion, astonishment, uneasiness, lack of understanding, fear… It was defined in many ways: surreal, impenetrable, creepy, disturbing, and so on.
My personal opinion is that it is one of the most beautiful games I have ever seen, and I’m not even sure that it can be called a game...

I could go on for ages talking of this masterpiece that I’ll never forget, but I’d like to read other opinions first, and possibly start a discussion.
Maybe someone would still want to play it, so, to discuss the ending, some parts of the story and, eventually, the puzzles, I’d rather use spoilers. If you agree.

P.S.: I edited the post, rewriting it all. There were very few informations on the game, as giving for granted that who was reading knew exactly what I was talking about. It is not very easy for me to write correctly and clearly in English, you know, so please forgive me if some words are misused and grammar rules disattended.

Outcry was one of the most fascinating and thought provoking games that I have played. The ending was stunning. I had to replay that ending several times, it stunned me. What could it mean ? I have thought a long time about what that ending and the rest of the game could mean. Was it all illusion created by a brother who couldn't reconcile his grief and regret ? Or did it mean something else ? The art work is fantastic . Is it giving a view into another world, or is it giving a view into the shattered mind of a brother ?

hatshepsut

Outcry wasn't a bad game after all it is my favorite type of game...first person, solo exploration with none of the interfering NPCs hanging around. I must admit that I never finished the game and uninstalled it at the sound puzzle near the end...did I mention how much I hate sound puzzles?

Oh yes that sound puzzle. It took me forever to solve it. At one point I was thinking I wouldn't be able to. I don't like sound puzzles either, they are the most difficult for me to solve.

hatshepsut

I hated that sound puzzle either! I hate all sound puzzles, but that one in particular was a bitter delusion, I had other expectations, I had made different guesses for it…
Puzzles were the only side of Outcry that I didn’t appeciate a lot; some were too easy and some were difficult for a lack of strict logic. Anyway I’m glad I held on, otherwise I’d never see that stunning ending!

Thought provoking is the word hatshepsut. I played the ending many times as well and thought about many possibilities, some very similar to yours. Then I decided to give my thoughts a direction: why not taking for good that all that happens is “real”? I tried not to read between the lines of the story any more, but I did take it literally.
So I figured out the simplest and most banal theory, but to me it was moving, maybe poetic. I wrote it to the friend that presented me with the game, and she asked me to translate it in English to post it in the forum where she’s news reporter, where a strenuous discussion on that ending was going on, and send it to the developers with whom she was in touch. I wrote it in form of a story. Here it is:

Spoiler:

Yes I have tought along those lines also. I have also considered that the brother was able to go back and change the past saving his brother. but somehow the brother became lost again. I've also considered that the brother was able to change the past but death would not be cheated and the brothers only exchanged places.

hatshepsut

GreyFuss wrote:

Outcry wasn't a bad game after all it is my favorite type of game...first person, solo exploration with none of the interfering NPCs hanging around. I must admit that I never finished the game and uninstalled it at the sound puzzle near the end...did I mention how much I hate sound puzzles?

Duely noted , your aversion to sound puzzles GF ! Myself , I rather liked the sound puzzle , solved it in 3 tries . Maybe it's because of my passion for music . Slider puzzles turn me off . Anyway , I would agree Outcry is a very thought provoking game , & there's absolutely nothing wrong with that ! . It may be time to re visit the shimmering world .

I enjoy a good slider puzzle they are one of my favorite type puzzles. I always have a lot of trouble solving the sound puzzles. I love a good thought provoking game. A replay of Outcry might be very interesting.

hatshepsut

hatshepsut wrote:

... I've also considered that the brother was able to change the past but death would not be cheated and the brothers only exchanged places. hatshepsut

That's intriguing hatshepsut! I'll think about it.

True, maybe it's time to re visit the Shimmering World. I found the ending on Youtube and finally I understood the last sentence; it's: "I hope you have not forgotten my existence yet"
So, now I have two more tracks to follow in my thoughts, even if maybe it's just one track, the same...
If you want to see the video here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NcZKfcJKgw

I didn't like the comment on the "buggy game" at the end of the movie; I found no bugs in this perfect game.

@ Faust: I think that any well structured puzzle is a beautiful one. The liking of it depends on personal attitudes. I love a lot music, but I have a tin ear for subtle sounds, and it makes very painful for me solving sound puzzles. I can still remember my suffering in Riven and Alida with birds and insects sounds...
On the other hand I'm very attuned with sliders and Hanoi towers, as well as any puzzle based on observation, as in Rhem and Slip Space.