Camen Design

c share + remix Sentinel Returns

Sentinel Returns: A Guide

Sentinel Returns is often described as genre-busting.
The concept is so off-the-wall, yet creative and well designed that it’s a game of elegance, but also of fear.

Sentinel Returns is scary in the way modern horror movies are not: calmness.
There is more fear in something malicious taking its time, than something that is too quick to ever see.

When I played this game back in 1998, I would restart the level if one particular music track was playing, I found it way too disconcerting. The game, whilst simple, is very atmospheric, dark and brooding.

Cover of Sentinel Returns

The Sentinel itself is Lord Fear over the landscape. It slowly rotates at the highest point, observing the landscape around it, looking out for you. If it spots you, it will try to absorb your energy.

Screenshot of Sentinel Returns
Screenshot of Sentinel Returns, courtesy of members.chello.at

Blind panic usually ensues.


I recently started playing the game again, and decided that since the game can be difficult to understand for newcomers (and that more people really should play this game), I’d contribute a strategy guide of sorts to gamefaqs (writing in pure ASCII-code is quite fun). It’s going through their review process at the moment It’s now on their website, but a copy is enclosed in this blog entry (at the bottom of this entry, and as an RSS enclosure in your reader).

I hope you enjoy it, and that it enlightens you about how this odd game functions. I also hope it proves to be useful to those playing the game too!

If you’re into puzzles, particularly abstract ones, then this is a good game. It’s available on Playstation, or PC from any second-hand place you can find it. eBay, Amazon, Local Swap-Shops &c.