I didn't know too much about Antichamber before purchase, in-fact all that I did know was that A) it was a first-person puzzle game, that gave you a gun which could manipulate your environment (Sound familiar?) and B) that it had rave reviews.
I was in the market for a single-player puzzle game & was waiting for the Talos Principle to reach an acceptable discounted level, naturally I jumped at the €1.89 price-tag.
And boy, did that low-stake gamble pay-off. I've sunk more time into this than the much more heralded Talos Principle ( the special edition of which I managed to snag for 66% off, or €19.67)
Graphics:
Built on the Unreal 3 Engine, the game doesn't try to overplay itself graphically. The minimalistic design is however easy on the eye as well as the GPU. While the majority of the environment consists of a black and white colour scheme, the frequent injection of reds, blues & greens does play a major role during puzzles.
There are few soft edges here - which is appropriate considering you have a cube shooting gun - but this doesn't mean you should expect a pixelated presentation ala Minecraft. I wouldn't go as far as calling the design gorgeous, but it is very pretty to look at and quiet a pleasant environment to play in.
Audio:
The audio is sterile, but in a positive way. Its devoid of any distortion, echo or reverb, but despite these absences, a huge sense of isolation is generated with these tones.
Everything sounds just right, irregardless of the fact nothing sounds like anything you've heard before. From the noise when placing blocks, to the ticking of clocks or the animated 'woosh' when free-falling, it all seems to fit in with the experience perfectly.
Of course, like all games, you develop a greater appreciation for Antichamber's audio, with a headset.
And then there's the soundtrack, which is as fitting and enjoyable as you could imagine. The relaxing songs just adds to the ambience perfectly and together with the sterility of the sound-effects helps create a warm-sounding environment. So enjoyable was the soundtrack, that I spent many times the game's entry-fee on that alone (check it out on bandcamp).
Gameplay:
The simplicity of the graphics is echoed in the the construction of the gameplay, nothing is over-engineered here. There is no story attached and indeed no 'main-menu'; once loaded you're thrown straight into the action. Well, sort of. In fact, there is a main-menu of sorts, it is just integrated into the game itself. The home screen, which can be accessed at any-time by pressing escape, is controlled by your character rather than yourself. It consists of basic graphical and control options; a map which can be used to teleport to a previously visited location & a countdown, which will hit 0 to no consequence. I assume the countdown is utilised to create an 'enemy' of sorts, something to play against, as there is no threat from any conventional enemies during the play through. Once it hits 0, you'll be invested enough into the game to ignore the fact you're playing against yourself.
You quickly realise that reality can be augmented and the answer to some puzzles may not be immediately visible.
Often puzzles have the right amount of complication and require a degree of trial and error. But occasionally, you may solve a test with little effort or be met with a seemingly unsolvable puzzle. I'm not afraid to admit that these frustrations had driven me to an online guide on a small number of occasions. Once I found myself in-front of a puzzle before I had the means to solve it. If it wasn't for an online search I wouldn't have realised this point - the game should do more to let you know when something is currently unsolvable. 
That being said, the game does try to point you in the right direction, with clues and hints plastered on many a wall. Some of these clues are very helpful, while others are either too abstract or irrelevant to really provide any real assistance.
The cube-gun, which you find early-on can be upgraded numerous times. Each upgrade unlocks a further array of puzzle solving options, which may be required to progress.
Conclusion:
A one-man development team has created something more playable than the huge majority of AAA titles. The simplistic of design coupled with a solidly executed idea make a must-have title for puzzle game lovers. It is not quiet Portal, but it's not far off.
7.5/10: A real bargain of a find, I hope that the winter sale will unveil a similar gem for me.
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