Monument Valley 3 Review: In Search Of The Sacred Light In A Bold Three-Dimensional World

Developer Ustwo Games has returned with yet another delightful entry in the Monument Valley series, as its third entry arrives on mobile devices exclusively via Netflix Games. Monument Valley 3 presents an intriguing package with complex puzzles, accessible gameplay mechanics, an immersive score, and stunning visuals wrapped up in a new story and protagonist to lead the way toward the light.

During my time with Monument Valley 3, I discovered it was tough to put down my iPhone, especially when I was locked in on finding solutions to its intricately designed illusions and puzzles. Having played the previous two games, I had wondered if it would share similar concerns to its predecessors, letting the puzzles take center stage, pushing its new story to the background, or a balance between the two.

Putting Fresh, Yet Bold And Minimalist Spin On An Iconic Formula

Monument Valley 3 is "a stand-alone installment" that features a new and original story as players follow the journey of its new protagonist, Noor. Ustwo Games expressed that players aren't required to have played the previous two games; however, it may be worth playing to gain an understanding of the gameplay mechanics and design.

Players control Noor as she navigates through this isometric-designed world and solves its puzzles, lowering water levels or finding light sources from the lighthouses. Some puzzles are fairly straightforward to solve by navigating the platforms and using the touchscreen controls to move Noor up and down ladders, rotating structures to connect platforms, or turning the gears to move them across.

Noor also makes use of a boat to sail across desolate locations, finding and reconnecting with characters who got lost amidst the rising waters. It’s a visually captivating world, with minimalist art style and geometric architectural and puzzle designs that complement its brightly colored palettes. 

An Original Story To Lead Us Into The Light

Monument Valley 3 follows its protagonist, Noor, who leaves her home to embark on an enthralling new journey in this enchanting world. As an apprentice lightkeeper, she has to explore the "expansive and beautiful world" in search of answers as to why the World's light is dimming and its correlation to the increasing water levels.

The story unravels across 14 chapters, the same number as the previous game, in which Monument Valley was narratively shorter at ten chapters. Much like Monument Valley, the game focuses on a single protagonist; however, she receives help from the community in solving puzzles and granting her advice on the way forward.

This occurs in certain instances, which require two to three NPCs to help Noor move the platforms or change the puzzle design to progress with the chapter. However, I never had any opportunities to control them in-game as Noor had to guide them onto platforms and trigger buttons that appeared in certain puzzles, opening the path to continue Noor's exploration.

This tandem playstyle echoes the theme of the community as they rely on Noor to find a new source of light before her village, and the world is eternally lost forever. In return, they ensure her safety to guide her to understand what the Sacred Light is and unravel the mysteries of each new landscape she explores.

An improvement made in Monument Valley 3 is that important NPCs have dialogue that is shared with Noor, which is welcoming, as the previous games saw characters communicate with each other using body gestures like hugging and bowing down. Adding dialogue from various characters adds to the emotive stakes at hand, an area of concern in the second game as the emotional hits took a backseat to the game's complex puzzle and world design.

While including dialogue for certain characters complements the gestures and expressions used to communicate with each other, it works in select instances, like when Noor brings light back to the towers or speaks with an oracle within the temples. Outside of those moments, it only adds a little narrative or emotive value, which, at times, can break immersion when the text appears onscreen or be too distracting when it overlays the optical illusions.

Stepping Into A New Isometric World Of Adventure

The bulk of the game design is entirely built around its 2D world and complex puzzles; most of the gameplay is premised on using the moving platforms and gears to rotate puzzles and platforms into 3D isometric designs. It opens up the world, creating more spaces to move Noor and more possibilities for solving the optical illusion. This made engaging with the game more immersive as I flipped my iPhone horizontally or vertically to follow the protagonist, either walking upside down or sideways or revealing previously hidden paths.

This little magical attention to detail makes puzzle-solving more whimsical, a recurring game design element borrowed from the first two games. Solving the puzzles takes plenty of time and patience (and much-needed trial and error), as only some avenues will help Noor reach her intended destination, whether through the doors or by guiding her boat through the portals.

There is no rush to solve the puzzles; in fact, its ethereal sound design, simple mobile controls, and world design encourage players to take as much time as needed to solve the complex puzzles. Despite their intricate design, most of the puzzles and optical illusions encountered don't feel the slightest bit frustrating.

Solving these optical illusions and puzzles feels rewarding, especially after spending so much time and investment in finding a solution. It becomes the motivation for advancing with the story with the hope that I may become successful in helping Noor in her pursuit of finding the Sacred Light. The game's aesthetic choices utilize light and dark themes and brightly colored worlds versus monotone environments that echo the presence and the loss of light, enhancing the desolation and despair that Noor encounters.

I reviewed Monument Valley 3 on an iPhone 12 with Game Mode enabled, which ran exceptionally well; however, I ran into some operational issues. Even with Game Mode turned on, my gameplay sessions were limited. It’s memory intensive, with the device also heating up due to heavy battery usage.

A Monumental Experience That Stands On Its Own Feet

There’s much to love and appreciate about Monument Valley 3, as it retains the same heart and passion we've encountered in the previous games. The world and puzzle designs are immaculate and aesthetically pleasing, which allows us to explore each puzzle with great freedom.

There's great depth within these designs as they play around with light, color, shape, and contrast. It’s valuable, as it keeps me informed on my progression and makes the path to completion more vibrant. The game's audio design is another one of its strongest components, as it helps balance the narrative and gameplay, from heightening pivotal moments to the sound of solving an illusion.

The entire hands-on experience was visually appealing, from the intricate puzzle designs, incredible worldbuilding, and dynamic color palettes that enhanced the overall narrative and adjacent themes. However, I struggled to resonate with specific story beats, especially during the middle chapters, as there were instances when I became thoroughly engrossed in solving the puzzles, superseding the narrative that was, at times, forgettable.

The second Chapter was intended to teach more about the Sacred Light, though this didn't occur; instead, after meeting with the Oracle in town, the end of the chapter failed to eloquently explain what the Sacred Light was and wasn't expanded on in the subsequent chapters. The next few chapters mostly refer to the calamity of the rough seas destroying the Lighthouses, which lost their “guiding light,” and their importance to Noor’s community; I felt that its significance could’ve been further explored with great detail as it was reduced to nothing but a fleeting moment, a passing comment as all I could do was move along to the next chapter.

This contrasts with a boat in Chapter 3, which narratively holds symbolism as Noor's physical guide towards finding the Sacred Light, taming the waters on which they travel. But, in itself, the boat became a beacon of light to those who were lost to the rising waters. Noor rescues two siblings in Chapter 7, which thematically speaks of separation or parting from loved ones.

I felt it was important to utilize Apple's Game Mode feature, which prioritizes the device's CPU and GPU for maximum game performance, consistent frame rates, and responsiveness while reducing latency from external sources like peripherals and audio devices. However, redirecting my phone's processing power to the game made it hot over time, which did have some restrictions on how long it could handle the game before needing to cool down.