The Sentinel
| Year | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Release platform | BBC Micro |
| Genres | puzzle, strategy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Era | Eight bit, 1983 to 1991 |
| Importance |
Why it matters
The Sentinel asks you to read a 3D world as a system of visibility and energy. You do not walk in the usual way: you create a new body in a suitable place and transfer your consciousness into it. Absorbing the old body recovers the resource spent. Trees and rocks also belong to this exchange, so the surroundings serve as both obstacles and building material.
The Sentinel stands above the landscape. It slowly turns, looking for objects whose energy it can absorb. Height becomes the main advantage: to absorb an object or create a new one, you must see the surface beneath it. You build supports, choose the next viewpoint and leave the field of vision before your reserves run out.
Geoff Crammond released the game in 1986. Its unusual quality goes beyond early 3D graphics: the camera position is simultaneously your body's location, access to resources and measure of safety. The opponent's slow rotation leaves time to think, but not forever. The result is a spatial puzzle in which every new view changes the actions available.
Facts
- Geoff Crammond developed the game.
- Movement works by creating a body and transferring consciousness into it.
- Objects can be absorbed and created using energy.
- The Sentinel scans the landscape by slowly rotating.
