Viewfinder PS5 Demo Is an Excellent Proof of Concept, and Now We Need More | Push Square

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We've been rather taken with Viewfinder since we first caught wind of it, so we were very eager to try out the new playable demo on PS5. This first-person puzzler essentially allows you to turn two-dimensional images into full 3D spaces, and you'll use that unique hook to progress through the unusual, serene environments. The demo version is very short, but it provides just enough of a taster to leave us hungry for more.

The game toys with perspective in a brilliantly conceived way. 2D pictures you find in the environment can be held up against the world and sort of «stamped» into being, after which they become fully 3D spaces you can walk into. It's an incredibly clever trick. The demo begins by scattering various photos in the levels for you to find, but later on you get a camera, letting you take your own photos which can then be used to solve puzzles.

It seems like some levels have you hunting for batteries to power a teleport device, while others are just about getting to the teleporter. The first proper level in the demo is the former, and you'll need to explore a photo in the stage to grab a third battery. It's hard to explain how or why this is so cool — it's just one of those mechanics you need to experience first-hand to really appreciate.

The initial demo levels are quite lean, meant just to introduce you to the idea of imprinting photos into reality, but one or two later ones are more open, and don't have a strict solution. That's because you eventually get access to a camera, allowing you to take your own photos which can then be converted into 3D environments. It's here where the potential of the puzzles really starts to grow. We won't spoil exactly how, but there are multiple ways you can solve the demo's