Отзывы

• gamedeal user

  Nov 14, 2021

  Another Lovecraftian entry from Icewind games. I've played most of their entries since the Darkness Within, and they've proven time and again that they are excellent at building tension, setting and atmosphere. Their environments have exquisite detail and depth. This new instalment even has some new mini games including hacking. However, even though they have been producing games for years, they haven't seemed to learn or expand far beyond their bread and butter. So this time, my review is negative. Transient, like their other games, is a Lovecraftian mystery-horror on rails. There are puzzles aplenty, usually a little obtuse, but such is the charm. However, the plot is meandering and directionless. A mystery is a good thing, but there needs to be a hook or point of entry to go from. As mentioned above, there isn't anything terribly new here - Icewind still need to invest more in learning how to animate characters. There are some cutscenes and hologram moments, and characters. But this game feels cold and empty, much like their previous entries, due to the lack of any interactable characters. I don't intend to be overly negative, I do enjoy these games and the route that Icewind is pursuing. I know they have talent and the capacity, and am looking forward to them trying new methods in the future.
• gamedeal user

  Nov 24, 2021

  Transient is a first person video game set in a cyberpunk universe. The player plunges into a very dark dystopian world and discovers the truth about a dome constituting the last refuge of humanity. The challenge is to escape madness, and thus question the very foundations of its existence. Transient puts us in the shoes of Carter, a new kind of netrunner (follower of shamanism and the occult), very agoraphobic. He never leaves his apartment, in this dystopia, everything happens over the internet. Therefore, the story projects us in the shoes of Carter, who sees his hacker friends being murdered in strange circumstances. From the outset, let's say it, the adventure is a real success, except for the final ... We were still entitled to expect another attempt at least as nice as their first game, "Conarium". Perfectible in many ways that's true, but it was nonetheless a great pleasure to ride too. With Transient are they doing at least as well? I would say yes, but huge disappointment for the end, as said. Transient is a bit of a Cyber-Horror-Punk counterpart to "Daemonica" in many ways. It also borrows from the excellent "Observer" its dark and creepy aesthetic, which obviously reminds us of "Blade Runner" and, ultimately, its narrative in the form of a police investigation as well. Transient is a dive into the land of digital madness, cybernetics and metachamanism. Kind of voodoo 2.0 of this dystopian future, which allows the protagonist, just like Nicholas Fairpoint in "Daemonica", to communicate with others, the dead and travel in dreamlike dreams to understand in what troubled waters he is mired. The game even has the luxury of paying homage to HP Lovecraft, explicitly citing works like "The Charles Dexter Ward Affair" through incredibly successful and daring staging ( the arcade game "Eldritch" was top notch ) or consciousness hacks in the form of old 3D FPS. Finally, the discreet OST when it is needed, proves to be a centerpiece in the immersion of the adventure, when it is called upon to carry all the atmosphere and this, in a frankly successful manner. On the other hand, the disappointment is bitter when the credits jump on the screen. Frankly, it would have deserved a big overtime, if not two, to further explain the ins and outs of it all. A beautiful little adventure at the end of which an unfulfilled frustration. 12/20
• gamedeal user

  Nov 24, 2021

  Edit: I've just played the updated Extended edition, and while chapter 5 is a lot more fleshed out, everything I've said here is still true. We've replaced vague ending with Yes\No button vague ending. Still can't recommend. I liked this game, but this is what it looks like when funding just runs out. The ending is... incomprehensible. It feels like the final confrontation at the core was planned and that animation finished early on, with an intention to go back and make the final confrontation something more. As it is though, it just ends. There is a callback to Conarium which, while cool, is also incomprehensible. They play with free will and the idea of getting brain hacked, but again, it all comes out sort of flat, which is a shame, because this is an absolutly beautiful game. I'd get it as part of a bundle, not on it's own though. My personal preference is not to show support for games that suffer rushed studio death.
• gamedeal user

  Dec 23, 2021

  This game aims high, but the developers unfortunately show that while they are great at Lovecraftian lore and stories, they still have much to learn as game developers. I finished this game at release and came back due to the free update. I had forgotten how clunky and tedious the actual gameplay was. Conarium had puzzles, this game has quicktime events instead of puzzles. Conarium had a much maligned chase scene, this game has timed events. I stopped my second playthrough because I can't stand being blocked by things that are based on twitch reactions and trial and error solutions rather than having to use my intellect. The story is cool, the scenery beautiful but it's not worth it for the atrocious gameplay. And this is without counting the mindbendingly weird choice to include two entire minigames referencing horror game classics. That's perhaps the most egregious and immersion breaking idea I've ever seen in a game of this kind. When you look at those sections in the light of the complaints the Conarium chase sequence got, you can almost sense a certain spite from the developers, as of they're saying "You wanted to kill things in a maze, ok, here you go". And instead of putting such elements into the game groper, they chose to deliver it in the most ass backwards, pointless fashion they could think of. Which is a shame since it again highlights how bad this development team is at building gameplay. The first Loath Nolder game had an incredible story hampered by a godawful game engine. The sequel was a bit better, but not by much. Conarium scaled back most gameplay elements to let scenery and storytelling take precedence and that game is a masterpiece. The gamified portions of it though apart from puzzles were terrible. Go to school and play a lot more games. Rethink your entire approach to what you think you know about actual gameplay. As it stands, you are quite talented world builders, but you can't make proper _games_.
• gamedeal user

  Jan 9, 2022

  Its a walking simulator with some puzzles, the ending feels like they'd gotten to a point where they were just about done, it was late friday night, they all looked at each other.... "We done?" one of the programmers started to cry and they were like.... "yes... were done".... ok sure. its a cyberpunk lovecraftian game and that is the sole reason I got it. it's not bad, it's not good.... it exists. It shows promise and I enjoyed the concept.
• gamedeal user

  Jun 29, 2022

  I’ve been a fan of zoetrope/stormling games since the very first darkness within, a game that I replay every couple of years since it embodies everything I want in an adventure horror game. They’ve got an innate understanding of Lovecraft and what makes the concepts he put forth so utterly horrifying, as opposed to simply focusing on the creatures of his mythos. With darkness within 2 they took the step into 3d, and it was shaky to say the least. It’s their one game that hasn’t stood the test of time, despite the story making the experience worth while. The fact that it led to the excellent conarium sort of makes up for it. Transient is a departure from their formula, but not an unexpected one since they’ve headed this way with each new game release. It’s not quite a walking simulator, but not far off. And I mean that in the best of ways, I play games for the story and the experience. Puzzles, to loosely quote Chris Crawford, usually goes along the lines of “you either figure them out, in which case you’re bored, or you don’t which leaves you frustrated and annoyed”. There are puzzles in the game though, don’t get me wrong. They’re all skippable if it’s not your cup of tea (a nice touch). Expect none of the usual inventory juggling which I’m quite thankful for not having to endure again. Audio-wise I can only go “more of the same”, again in the best of ways. Their games have always had a mix of eerie, oppressive, unpleasant, oddly melodic and nerve-wracking soundscapes that fit the situations perfectly. The main protagonist is an excellent narrator, as usual, with the side-cast being varying degrees of “ok”, as usual. Visually I’m absolutely blown away. I never played the original version of Transient so I’m not sure if it had HDR, but this extended version does. I found myself simply standing and looking at things for 10 seconds straight since I could hardly believe what I was seeing. The use of lighting is sublime and I’m very thankful that they resisted the urge to give us a flashlight. That said, some areas are dark. Real dark. Almost unplayably dark. But I suppose that was the point. The few sequences that removed the first person perspective and let us see ourselves was a let down. The human model is.. Doll-like at best. It’s made up for by the outstanding environmental and creature designs though. I doubt HPL himself would have had any complaints about those. Preamble done, let’s get to the important bit. The story. I really enjoyed it. It’s properly bleak, interweaves Lovecraft’s mythos with a sort of cyberpunk future but leaves all of the existential dread (and the existential bit is multi-layered) associated with being mere mortals in a world of cosmic indifference. The VR interface is a perfect way to explain how the protagonist could dip in and out of the unspeakable environments (or dreams) of the mythos without going utterly insane. You will be absolutely lost in the beginning, but it will become clear eventually. You pretty much need to play it twice to be able to follow along properly. There’s some collectibles and documents you’ll likely miss the first time to make the second playthrough rewarding in its own sense. Heartily recommended.
• tki_scatter

  Oct 18, 2022

  This was a difficult game to give a thumbs-down to. On the one hand, there's a _ton_ of awesome environmental art, very compelling atmosphere, great soundscape, and neat character designs. On the other hand, it just isn't very interesting or enjoyable to play, the storytelling is very, very amateurish, and the ending comes completely out of nowhere, resolving nothing. Very much feels like an unfinished game (the release of the Extended Edition might mitigate that last criticism). I do think this game is built atop super interesting lore, and the story itself is probably really cool, but it's so vaguely and ineffectually conveyed to the player that it's hard to appreciate. Plot delivery very much comes in the pattern of "you find a room filled with a dozen datalogs detailing bits of the world," or "an NPC arrives to inform you that something has happened and this is how you should feel about it," even though you as the player have very little understanding of why you should care. This isn't a problem with the story itself; I just think its manner of delivery should have been crafted by people who understand how to convey stories more effectively through the medium of a video game. The gameplay is forgettable, mostly walking simulator with some minigames mixed in; nothing you'll remember once the credits roll. This game is probably not worth your time, especially since the ending (in the non-Extended Edition, at least) is a complete bust. That said, I'll reiterate that the artwork in this game is awesome and absolutely worth looking up, even just in the form of watching excerpts of a playthrough.
• gamedeal user

  Jan 29, 2023

  I recently had the pleasure of playing TRANSIENT, the latest game from the creators of CONARIUM and the DARKNESS WITHIN series, and I have to say, it was an absolutely incredible experience. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world where mankind lives in an enclosed citadel, and the player takes on the role of Randolph Carter, a man equipped with advanced perception heightening implant, PHI. One of the things that I loved most about TRANSIENT is the blend of H.P. Lovecraft's cosmic existentialism and a grim, dystopian cyberpunk setting. The game takes familiar elements from both genres and adapts and expands upon them in a way that feels both fresh and familiar at the same time. The game is filled with unforgettable locations to traverse, from the forgotten wastes of Kor Shehr to the mean streets of Providence, each one beautifully rendered and filled with atmosphere. The gameplay in TRANSIENT is also top-notch. As Randolph Carter, I was able to investigate my surroundings, scan for clues and hack my way past barriers. The puzzles are clever and satisfying to solve, and the hacking minigame is a lot of fun. The game also has a diverse cast of friends, foes, and beings in between, each one fleshed out and fully realized. The game's presentation is also top-notch, with a haunting original soundtrack that perfectly complements the immersive environments. The Extended Edition of the game also comes with additional gameplay, a brand-new ending and an assortment of quality of life improvements. In conclusion, I highly recommend TRANSIENT to any fans of Lovecraftian Cosmic existentialism, dystopian cyberpunk setting and immersive, atmospheric gameplay. The game is a must-play for anyone looking for a unique, unforgettable gaming experience.
• gamedeal user

  Oct 29, 2020

  I very rarely leave reviews but I think this is an interesting enough game to warrant an explanation for the negative review. First: The presentation is amazing, I am unsure how the environments and can look so incredible, while (after the first cutscene) the characters look absolutely terrible, I mean barely animated, including the penultimate cutscene bending the character model so poorly its neck just had a big hole in it. The UI is ugly, and looks to be standardised assets from whatever engine this was made in. The voice acting is actually surprisingly good considering how the game utterly falls apart as you go through the only 4hr runtime Pros- interesting settings, moments of visual and atmospheric brilliance Cons- Feels like a final year university project in terms of polish, end of the game is woefully poor, rushed, ugly and, quite frankly, boring. It feels like the story is ramping up to some great reveal, but it's not really. Ultimately this game is probably worth about £5 given its length and weird issues. Can't recommend at the price I got it for
• gamedeal user

  Oct 30, 2020

  Transient is an extremely linear walking simulator that puts the player amidst a mystery in a cyberpunk setting that occasionally veers in to the realm of cosmic horror. While the game spices up its linear nature with a few relatively easy puzzles and enjoyable minigames, the core gameplay is so linear that in my opinion it was detrimental to the fun factor as often it felt like simply walking forward in a narrow tunnel with very little agency or without anything worth exploring. When it comes to audio and visuals, audio does a good job of contributing to the overall atmosphere and in overall I had no issues with audio apart from a couple instances where the sound mixing was somewhat off. Visuals however are a mixed bag, while the environments look decent and creature designs are suitably strange, one design in particular is amazing in its grotesque glory - things fall a little flat on the humanoid characters and especially the animations during cutscenes are very lackluster. Narrative of the game is interesting, especially if you are in to cosmic horror and take your time reading through all the additional text files you can find to piece things together. Ultimately it proved to be the driving force that made me push through the mundane gameplay just to see how things wrap up. Unfortunately things wrap up a little too soon and not necessarily in a manner that pays off for all the build up the narrative does. When the credits rolled on the screen, I had played roughly ~3 hours - if Steam allowed neutral reviews, Transient would be a game I'd give one to. For the people who like the genre, there is enough of good stuff to see here to be worth a playthrough but in my opinion the full price of this game is just simply too high for such a short experience with no replay value.