Pavilion: Not First, Not Third, But Fourth-Person Puzzler

We all know what first-person and third-person video games are. But have you ever heard of a fourth-person game?

If not, check out Visiontrick Media’s intriguing Pavilion, which is scheduled to arrive on the PlayStation 4 and Vita this summer. To learn more, check out the write-up over at the PlayStation Blog.

There will be no tutorials or explanations. This “fourth-person puzzling adventure” is portrayed via exploration and audio visual imagery. By interacting and observing, you will slowly come to understand the world around you. The reason it’s “fourth-person” is because you’re not in direct control of the main character. By manipulating the environment, you can guide him along a path and “fulfill the purpose of the world.”

The developers say it’s best to experience this interesting adventure “without knowing too much” about it. Yeah, I’ll go with that. But I’d like to add that this “fourth-person” concept isn’t entirely new; we’ve controlled the environment around a character in other games, too, such as Echochrome. And remember the legendary Lemmings and Worms franchises?

This is a puzzler with lots of potential, so I don’t care what it’s labeled. I like developers that try relatively new things. The indie scene doesn’t always spawn the best stuff in terms of production values, but in terms of originality and creativity, it’s definitely a haven.