Elevators are going to new heights in the video game world with an award-winning Japanese indie title, MR ELEVATOR. While the elevator industry, as well as the gaming industry, might see vertical transportation (VT) machines mainly as a means of travel, Gift Ten Industry is redefining what an elevator can be in a story-based game. Bringing mystery and plot-driving powers to an elevator that connects multiple worlds, the first-person puzzle adventure game positions the player inside an elevator, where each new floor provides a challenge that pulls the player deeper into the mysterious story.
Basically, the elevator and each floor the player explores represent a person’s memories. The player progresses through wild, new settings on each floor, like endless corridors and expansive deserts, solving puzzles and gaining memories at each level until they uncover the truth of the story. The bright, MS Paint-style graphics, made to look like the player’s imagination, set the mood for the most bizarre elevator ride. MR ELEVATOR, which is set to launch on Steam and Nintendo Switch in spring 2025, won the PlayStation Award at BitSummit Drift in Kyoto, Japan, in July 2024. VT companies and gamers alike should celebrate the creative use of elevators in storytelling and game play, as it shows that elevators can be a wellspring of creativity inside and outside of the VT industry.
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