This review contains spoilers
+ Graphics / Visuals
+ Music + Audio Design
- Storytelling
- Pacing
- Gameplay / Gameplay mechanics
After just playing "Gone Home", I was so excited for another walking simulation. I honestly just need to get on here to rant about how frustrating this game was. I had a lot of hope for it at first. I was in awe of how good the graphics were for a game made in 2015, and was genuinely impressed by the radio transmission and the way everything was initially laid out. I didn't know it was turning into a confusing and frustrating mess.
The visuals and graphics in general were beautiful. If you're looking for a pretty game, this is for sure one of them. Gorgeous music, scenery, and a very pleasant walk-through if you aren't expecting anything else.
I will say that the story concept was really interesting, though a bit rough to decipher. I love games and films with a story and lore to pick through. I was upset that I never got that "oh my god," revelation moment from this game. The story concept felt rough and unfinished, not giving a really satisfying snap-into-place ending.
With the story, I found that not only was it difficult to follow, but it was extremely repetitive. I understand things like this need to be put in place for a non-linear game, but wow. It was bad. It would go from Stephan panicking about this 'thing' being alive and having a consciousness to "I think there's an influenza outbreak". In the second act of the game. Though the concept was interesting, trying to pull it apart was bizarre. I noticed lots of star motifs around the map, astronomy, pulled together with Christianity, and a thought-to-be pandemic. Parts of the story fell away when we noticed the man's shoes near the train track, implying everyone is naked if clothing can be seen and doesn't disappear with you.
I was so excited to explore the story concepts more but it just felt like it scraped the surface of what could have been.
The pacing and walking speed was absolutely brutal. I felt like I was pushing the joystick the entire game and wishing I could go faster. My partner noticed how slow it was and at first I told him the reason was "so you pace yourself and take your time to enjoy your surroundings and take in the story", but by the middle, I was looking up "is there a way to run" and jamming all the buttons on my controller.
The numbers. Really had me at first, I was so excited to collect them all on a piece of paper and decipher them. I wanted there to be a big moment where we find a way to cipher them and find something underlying throughout the entire game. NOTHING. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I was relying on this mechanic the entire game to bring something new and exciting to the plot.
The following the light mechanic felt so broken, and without receiving any instructions, I was unsure what I was supposed to do. Some balls of light were static in a bedroom, the others going around the valley quickly. I was unsure why they would make me walk halfway back around the map to show me a path I'd already been on just to let me know I missed a 10-second conversation about someone cheating on someone else.
Did anyone playtest this game? It just feels like a common courtesy to the player to block off or not suggest that a path doesn't need to be taken. ESPECIALLY in a game where you're unable to take a shortcut through bushes. I found there were a few times where there was a dirt path that I'd follow for a few minutes and get to a locked gate at the end that wasn't able to be cleared at all. This goes for houses that don't have any story inside as well. THIS was one of the things that really made me walk away.
My final straw was finding a walkthrough on Youtube (which I don't do often) to figure out where I was supposed to go. It turns out, a specific door doesn't open (beside the flashing pylon) until you hit every spot around the map and unlock every conversation. You're telling me that I might have to walk upwards of 15 minutes to the other side of the map to hear some chit-chat before walking back to unlock the end of the game? I feel like non-linear games like this need to be playtested by people of all types before being released. I left the game at that point, it felt like it was mocking me and wasting my time.
I didn't understand the shaking mechanic with the controller. It happened twice? Made me think I had some sort of powers and then released "i" don't exist. Why do I have footsteps? Kate was clearly the last person on earth and that was pushed.
Anyways, just needed to rant. I was expecting something beautiful and came away frustrated and thinking of a better game with more potential.
+ Music + Audio Design
- Storytelling
- Pacing
- Gameplay / Gameplay mechanics
After just playing "Gone Home", I was so excited for another walking simulation. I honestly just need to get on here to rant about how frustrating this game was. I had a lot of hope for it at first. I was in awe of how good the graphics were for a game made in 2015, and was genuinely impressed by the radio transmission and the way everything was initially laid out. I didn't know it was turning into a confusing and frustrating mess.
The visuals and graphics in general were beautiful. If you're looking for a pretty game, this is for sure one of them. Gorgeous music, scenery, and a very pleasant walk-through if you aren't expecting anything else.
I will say that the story concept was really interesting, though a bit rough to decipher. I love games and films with a story and lore to pick through. I was upset that I never got that "oh my god," revelation moment from this game. The story concept felt rough and unfinished, not giving a really satisfying snap-into-place ending.
With the story, I found that not only was it difficult to follow, but it was extremely repetitive. I understand things like this need to be put in place for a non-linear game, but wow. It was bad. It would go from Stephan panicking about this 'thing' being alive and having a consciousness to "I think there's an influenza outbreak". In the second act of the game. Though the concept was interesting, trying to pull it apart was bizarre. I noticed lots of star motifs around the map, astronomy, pulled together with Christianity, and a thought-to-be pandemic. Parts of the story fell away when we noticed the man's shoes near the train track, implying everyone is naked if clothing can be seen and doesn't disappear with you.
I was so excited to explore the story concepts more but it just felt like it scraped the surface of what could have been.
The pacing and walking speed was absolutely brutal. I felt like I was pushing the joystick the entire game and wishing I could go faster. My partner noticed how slow it was and at first I told him the reason was "so you pace yourself and take your time to enjoy your surroundings and take in the story", but by the middle, I was looking up "is there a way to run" and jamming all the buttons on my controller.
The numbers. Really had me at first, I was so excited to collect them all on a piece of paper and decipher them. I wanted there to be a big moment where we find a way to cipher them and find something underlying throughout the entire game. NOTHING. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I was relying on this mechanic the entire game to bring something new and exciting to the plot.
The following the light mechanic felt so broken, and without receiving any instructions, I was unsure what I was supposed to do. Some balls of light were static in a bedroom, the others going around the valley quickly. I was unsure why they would make me walk halfway back around the map to show me a path I'd already been on just to let me know I missed a 10-second conversation about someone cheating on someone else.
Did anyone playtest this game? It just feels like a common courtesy to the player to block off or not suggest that a path doesn't need to be taken. ESPECIALLY in a game where you're unable to take a shortcut through bushes. I found there were a few times where there was a dirt path that I'd follow for a few minutes and get to a locked gate at the end that wasn't able to be cleared at all. This goes for houses that don't have any story inside as well. THIS was one of the things that really made me walk away.
My final straw was finding a walkthrough on Youtube (which I don't do often) to figure out where I was supposed to go. It turns out, a specific door doesn't open (beside the flashing pylon) until you hit every spot around the map and unlock every conversation. You're telling me that I might have to walk upwards of 15 minutes to the other side of the map to hear some chit-chat before walking back to unlock the end of the game? I feel like non-linear games like this need to be playtested by people of all types before being released. I left the game at that point, it felt like it was mocking me and wasting my time.
I didn't understand the shaking mechanic with the controller. It happened twice? Made me think I had some sort of powers and then released "i" don't exist. Why do I have footsteps? Kate was clearly the last person on earth and that was pushed.
Anyways, just needed to rant. I was expecting something beautiful and came away frustrated and thinking of a better game with more potential.