Proteus is not a game in the traditional sense, you don't kill enemies, you don't jump your way to the end and there is not even a single strand of narrative to explain anything. It is truly an abstract game and something you will either love or hate. It is presented in first person mode and one of the things I like is that if you get motion sickness easily from first person view, then the game gives you the ability to have a centre dot which helps fixate your eyes and lessen the headache and dizziness.
The objective of the game is to explore the island and all it has to offer. I believe the island is randomly generated each time but there will still be some very familiar landmarks. No reason is given why you've arrived or why you're walking pointlessly around the island. There isn't even any sort of tutorial to let you know what you can do and what you are supposed to do.
It can get a little bit frustrating at the pointlessness of the whole game. There is a day and night cycle which is actually pretty cool. The night coming up can also reveal a few more extra events and feels good when you discover something new, especially just when you thought the game cannot offer anything else. As time goes on, you will also progress through all four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. After Winter, the game ends and you can repeat the whole process again with a new island.
You can "finish" the game within 25 minutes if you wanted to but the aim is not to "finish" it but rather explore and soak in the scenery. The 8-bit pixelated art style looks beautiful and amazing. There are many places where you would just want to stop and take it all in, admiring the prettiness. It does get to the point where you fully immerse yourself into the experience. That said, Proteus isn't a terribly exciting game and can get boring or bland very quickly.
There is only so much pointless walking around you can do without any clear objectives. You can use the Trophies as a basis of your game completion and the Trophies aren't too hard to get. There isn't much music in the game but it kind of blends into the background without standing out. There are some really odd things to see, causing you to wonder what it is representing. This could be stuff like random giant towers that warps you to another tower to animals that makes sounds when you get near them.
Proteus will feel quite weird and bizarre at times. Sure, it is a unique experience but whether you would like to spend time with this will depend upon your tastes. If you don't mind trying something different and relaxing, then Proteus is fine. If you like to play something that fees more meaningful, then this will probably feel like a waste of time. Either way, for what it's worth, Proteus feels overpriced and is a fairly average game.
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